Design destinations 1 2013 pdf copy

DESIGN DESTINATIONS BUCHHALTER INTERNATIONAL GROUP MAGAZINE

MARCH 2014

IMANTA RESORT IN PERFECT BALANCE WITH NATURE

DORADO BEACH REDEFINING LUXURY

OLIVIER DEBOISE

CELEBRATING HARMONY OF TASTE AND LOCALE

SPA BOTANICO DESIGNED TO INSPIRE

DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

WHAT’S INSIDE 5 IMANTA RESORT - Unlike any other destination in the world, offering the perfect balance of luxury and serenity, natural beauty and architecture 6 KAYAKING - A new view of the Italian Riviera.

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7 WOMEN CHEFS - A new wave of women chefs “kick butt in the kitchen” 8 CHEF OLIVIER DEBOISE - A candid conversation with the executive chef of Imanta Resort 9 DORADO BEACH - A legendary resort redefines the world of luxury in Puerto Rico

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10 BORDEAUX - Discovering the region through the eyes of an expert

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11 SPA BOTANICO-A natural haven designed to inspire and rejuvenate

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Welcome to our first edition of Design Destinations. For our inaugural issue, we are featuring the amazing destinations that we represent. We invited travel writers to share their thoughts with us. We invite your comments and we will share them in future issues. For more information visit www.destinationsmagazine.com

DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

GUESTS CONTRIBUTORS OUR TEAM WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR GUEST CONTRIBUTORS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THIS INAUGURAL ISSUE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO FEATURING THEM IN UPCOMING EDITIONS OF DESIGN DESTINATIONS

Giovanna CARRASCOSA

Janet RODGERS

Chanté OWENS

Ronald RENS

Giovanna Carrascosa Is the owner of Capture Events Photography by Giovanna. Specializing in concert and event p h o t o g r a p h y, s h e combines her passion of music and photography to capture the emotions of musicians during their performance as well as the moments that happen backstage.“Ginny” is studying photography and is on her last year at The Art Institute of Charlotte. www.captureeventsbygiov anna.com

Janet Rodgers lived in Jerusalem six adventurous years, worked for TIME Magazine, wrote two highly opinionated guide books to hidden gems, unique arts, crafts, crannies and services in Jerusalem, and later wrote a similar book on Tel Aviv.

She and Geoffrey Weill started a public relations fi r m i n N Y C i n 1 9 9 5 specializing in luxury travel.

Now working independently, she continues to write and travel. Janet wrote five hotel-centric city guides and currently writes “One to Go!”, an adventure-oriented e-newsletter for high spirited solo travelers Her website is: www.traveltrophies.com

When Chanté Owens isn't traveling and enjoying delicious food, she can be found positively promoting women chefs on her website, Chasing Women Chefs,or assisting her travel clients by planning their optimal travel experience on her travel website, Chicks That Trip. Chanté is also a freelance writer who contributes to various food and travel related websites, such as Travelhoppers.com and TRO (Travel Research Online)

Dutch born Ronald Rens lives and works at Chateau Coulon Laurensac near Bordeaux in France. With his wife, he runs The Bordeaux Wine Experience, a company that specializes in luxury wine and culinary to u rs i n th e Bo r d e a u x region and is generally considered the leading Bordeaux wine tour company.

Ronald is a passionate Bordeaux collector and as a seasoned wine educator he has been organizing and conducting wine tastings for almost 25 years.

Ronald is married and has two sons. For more information visit Ronal’s website www.bxwinex.com

Editor-In-Chief

FRANZ BUCHHALTER Our Cover: The Observatorio at Imanta Resorts

Managing Editor Cynthia P. Howland

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

Imanta Resort A RESORT UNLIKE ANY OTHER This is a resort that takes a new look at hospitality. Imanta Resort is all about celebration, design, tradition, history, ecotourism and most of all paying tribute to its surroundings.

Passionate about local culture and art, design, fabulous food and a simplicity packaged with perfect service. With a backdrop of a magnificent jungle reserve and the pristine beaches of Bay of Banderas, Imanta Resort doesn't miss the opportunity to delight its guests. Paying attention to detail and it is reflected throughout every aspect of the experience. The respect of the Mexican culture delivered with a special kind of luxury that makes Imanta unique. Yet, you’ll find the ambience here familiar and comfortable - the perfect balance of style and traditional hospitality - responsive and passionate.

Private pool at the Casona Jaguar

The Observatorio Panoramic views and an experience unlike any other any

Imanta Resort is located 27 miles north of Puerto Vallarta on 250 acres of lush jungle.

Two amazing restaurants serving local fresh ingredients supervised by a young Chef who fuses his Mexican and French heritage. An array of water sports and local experiences await.

www.imantaresorts.com

Twelve Casas and Casonas with private pools and amazing views of the ocean and the adjacent magnificent Jungle.

A view of Bay de Banderas

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

A Conversation with Olivier Deboise Executive Chef of Imanta Resort Set on the pristine beach of Bay de Banderas and at the edge of a mountain jungle reserve, Imanta Punta de Mita offers a worldclass boutique hotel in one of nature’s most magnificent settings.

Chef Olivier Deboise, born of French and Mexican parents brings a blend of his heritage to the culinary experience of Imanta. He has trained and worked at some of the most classic and prestigious restaurants in France such as “L´Étrier” at the Hotel Royal Barrière in Deauville where he worked with world famous Chef Éric Provost and then later in Mexico at Anita-Li in Jalisco, where he worked with leading international chefs Jorge Martinez and Gerardo Cendejas. His philosophy of honoring and celebrating the local tastes and ingredients are evident in each of his culinary creations.

Olivier recently took a few minutes away from the kitchen and his guests to share with us some thoughts on his cuisine and his culinary philosophy.

Design Destinations: What originally inspired you to become a chef ?

Olivier Deboise: That’s very easy to answer. It is a mix of coincidence and the paths of three very important people to memy French grandmother, my Mexican mother and my Mexican nanny. They inspired me since I was a baby to really care about what I was eating. There was always good food on our table and I was always curious about what they were preparing.

Design Destinations: How would you define your cuisine?

Olivier Deboise: It’s actually really simple, my concept is quite well defined. It is all about the product. Our principle is to find the best local products, which are grown in a sustainable way. We focus on the relations between the cooks and the farmers and other suppliers and spend almost as much time on that as in the kitchen. We try to respect he product and to find harmony between the product and the dish.

Design Destinations: How has your cuisine been changed since moving from France to Mexico?

Olivier Deboise: It changed because the products are different. What does not change is the fact that as a chef, your knowledge and experience defines you and the way you treat the product. You create with your basics, your heart and your conviction. That defines you, and even if the product changes, the seasons

By Cynthia P. Howland

change, the trends change, you can never go against your own way.

Design Destinations: What changes have you made in ingredients and cooking style to reflect the local area?

Olivier Deboise: I try to respect the local cuisine while making it more special because we are providing a full experience.

Morning and lunch should be less influenced by concept and must respect tradition and the atmosphere of the resort - it should be simple and unobtrusive. At night, the atmosphere is different. We are in the middle of the jungle with the night and the stars above, where we can enjoy the seasons and the surroundings.

The change in atmosphere lets us change our approach and how we think about food and what we offer, and to focus on our unique philosophy and style.

Design Destinations: How has your cooking and presentation style been changed to reflect the tastes and desires of the discriminating Imanta clientele?

Olivier Deboise: For me it comes very natural since I have worked in some of the very best hotels in France, and have cooked for Presidents, movie stars and many others with very high expectations. Excellence is excellence and to me that is the standard.

Design Destinations: You have had the responsibility of defining the culinary experience at Imanta. How would you describe it?

Olivier Deboise: We start the morning with the best International Mexican dishes done in a classic way. Lunch is simple, with the freshest ingredients possible- And you finish your day in Tukipa, our fine dining restaurant, where we want to give our guest dishes that feel spontaneous and new, using the freshest and most local products.

Design Destinations: What is your signature dish?

Olivier Deboise: The dish I most enjoy is Pescado Zarandeado I learned it from my staff. They, as locals, showed me how to do it perfectly. Also the “Catch of the Day” is a different preparation every day, always freshly caught and uniquely prepared.

Design Destinations: How would you describe Imanta in one sentence?

Olivier Deboise: For our guests it is the most fantastic experience in a luxury resort, feeling almost at home because every stay with us is different because there are so many personal touches.

Chef Olivier Deboise shares his recipe “Octopus Escabeche” on page 9 For more information on Imanta Resort’s dining experiences please visit www.imantaresorts.com 5

DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

FOR A NEW VIEW OF THE ITALIAN RIVIERA CONSIDER KAYAKING

By Janet Rodgers

In Liguria, northwestern Italy, there are 30 superb coastline miles between Portofino and Cinque Terre, perhaps the loveliest of Italy’s thousands of miles of beach. It is here that the Apennine Mountains drop a thousand feet straight down into the turquoise Ligurian Sea. Small, colorfully painted homes cling to the rugged cliffs. Ancient olive trees dot the terraced hills framing the inlets, harbors, bobbing boats, vineyards and scrub – barely accessible even by foot.

Instead of the usual hiking tour, Tofino Expeditions, the 25-year seakayaking outfitter top-rated by National Geographic Adventure, is now offering a new way to explore this fabled coast – by gentle kayak over the course of 11 days. This soft manner of traveling will provide paddlers with an unusually personal introduction to Italy’s marineria culture (“life of the sea”) And the local fishermen welcome those exploring by sea in a way they do not welcome the hikers.

Thompson, welcomes novices, preferably those with muscles. He calls kayaking a “cadence” type of sport, like cycling or cross-country skiing, where one immersed in rhythmic movement as opposed to having to exert a great deal of s t r e n g t h . F r o m t h e w a t e r, participants will enjoy a unique view of this intensely dramatic and intricate coastline.

”Ready to hit the “reset” button? Need a break? Here is a high-value, top adventure idea for anyone traveling solo.This kind of adventure will lead to connections with other samespirited travelers as well as to amazing discoveries. Aimed to inspire and propel, this is a big time, authentic experience and personally rewarding on many levels. Bon Voyage!”

Beginning in Genoa, the capital of Liguria and birthplace of Columbus, time to explore the city’s labyrinthine medieval old quarter, the 17th century walls, grand cathedrals, a bustling promenade, the enormous “Lanterna” (lighthouse) and the monumental Piazza De Ferrari, the heart of the c i t y.

As you and your small group (12 max) paddle south along the coast of Cinque Terre (“five villages”) there will be plenty of breaks to enjoy short hikes into vineyards and olive groves.

Visiting the car-free fishing village of Vernazza will be a satisfying treat, sampling warm focaccia bread, sipping the vino delle Cinque Terre, A sea kayak is about 18-19 feet long and hiking in ancient Phoenician and carries one or two paddlers. ruins.

Adventure kayaker Grant

MAYER HAWTHORNE

A TRIP BACK TO MOTOWN

By Giovanna Carrascosa

MAYER HAWTHORNE MORE THAN A CONCERT A JOURNEY TO NOSTALGIA.

My first time seeing Mayer Hawthorne was during his “How Do You Do” world tour where his smooth sounds of soul, jazz with a pop edge, funk, and R&B were brought to live. As Mayer was introduced, the stage was lit up with a giant “M” & “H” and a glowing broken heart shaped logo while his band The County had choreographed dance moves similar to The Temptations. The venue was filled with people of all ages. He had the crowd engaged throughout his perfor mance. Encouraging the audience to get up and enjoy themselves, even teaching the

JANET RODGERS

Overnight ferry to the wild isle of Sardinia and the Maddelena Archipelago, a group of 7 big and many small islands, national park a n d U N E S C O Wo r l d Heritage site (one of three on this tour) and explore stone monuments

from 1500 BC, way older than the Etruscans on mainland Italy.

Currently, Janet writes adventure ideas for men and women solo travelers for Forbes.com. For a free subscription to her “One to Go!” Newsletter, please click www.traveltrophies.com

audience how to dance the Errol Flynn.

Set list included songs such as “The Walk” ,”No Strings”, “Henny and Gingerale”, “Just Ain’t Gonna W o r k O u t ” , “ A L o n g Time” (where Mayer taught the crowd a dance called the Errol Flynn), “Dreaming” and paying homage to Hall & Oates singing “You Make My Dreams”.

With his geeky glasses, charm, tailored suits, and soulful sound, Mayer Hawthorne’s shows transports you back to the Motown era. If you din’t know his music and want to know more check out his website, www.mayerhawthorne.com, and check out to see when he will be in your neighborhood I promise you will not be disappointed.

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

Women Chefs: Creatively Kicking Butt in the Kitchen!

By Chanté Owens Creative, passionate and persistent: these are just a few words to describe the new wave of women chefs in the culinary industry. While Julia Child was not the first woman chef, she was the first to set the stage for those women chefs coming up through the ranks; making the difficult French cuisine accessible to the masses, with her entertaining and educational television show, The French Chef, debuting in 1963.

Today, there are countless cooking shows on television featuring a multitude of women chefs; from the standard cooking technique shows, to the more competitive shows like, Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star. Interestingly enough, in 1993, Julia Child was inducted into the CIA Hall of Fame, which was the same year that the Food Network first aired. It could be (unintentionally) the Food Network set to show that women chefs were not just a novelty, but were in for the long haul. As Sous Chef Jennifer Monaco, of Manasquan River Golf Club said, "Seeing women on television being chefs can help those younger women coming up. Because, regardless what industry you are in, when you are starting out, it's hard." I have interviewed dozens of women chefs in the past year, and even though their stories are all different, there are two underlining themes which have permeated for all of them: passion and persistence. They have all had the sheer passion and persistence to pursue a career in the culinary industry, and though it has not always proven to be an easy endeavor, they have taken the challenge head-on and created a space for themselves in an industry that has been very male-dominated.

Surprisingly, women chefs have no intentions of trying to move their male counterparts out of the kitchen; they want to work together. Chef Melissa Holt, who owns her own catering business and works as a sous chef for Pi Beta Phi Sorority remarked, "I think it’s important to have the female with a male in the kitchen, because it’s a good balance." Even Chef Elise Wiggins, executive chef at Panzano's restaurant in Denver, Colorado commented on her hiring of team members for her kitchen by saying, "I make sure that when I hire the people...I try to look at what their attitude is like and will they feel what this team is all about. Which is no ego. It's all learning, and high bar execution...women have a tendency to take that [feedback] a little bit more, you know? But then there's that inner drive strength that men have also, so there's a balance between the two, and the guys love the girls working with them."

More and more women chefs are entering the professional cooking environment, and in so doing, they continue to raise the bar with their creativity and innovative food combining.

Talented Chef Jeannette Berrios, executive chef of the restaurants at La Concha Resort, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, loves combining French and Asian fusion cuisine, and spoke of one of the signature dishes, "Ok, who needs to be the star [of the dish]? Just like the Tuna Pica where the tuna is the star," Chef Jeannette laughed and continued, "look at me talking of the tuna as if it was a lady! The structure of the protein is the freshness of the fish. Then I put, like a lady, the perfume, but it's my perfume that identifies me - the sauce. Then you have the crunchy of the plantain; the silk texture of the tuna in your mouth, and the freshness from the juice of the Asian products inside."What an incredible and passionate description of a wonderfully inspired dish!

Being well traveled also tends to assist these chefs in creating world class dishes. Many of the women chefs have attended culinary schools in the United States, but completed internships abroad; while some simply traveled on their own time and dime in order to absorb many cultures and tastes, so that their cooking skills could be broadened and enhanced by what they ate during their travels. Chef Elise said, "I figure out where the locals go. I always ask the locals; if I’m going to Puerto Rico, I’m like, where’s the best Mofongo? And they will tell you not to go to the place where all the tourist go to, but to go to the Green Parrot [in Rincon, Puerto Rico]; that’s the kind of thing I’ll do. But if I’m in Italy or France or somewhere else, I’m definitely hitting up at least a Michelin star restaurant to see what all the big hub is, but I also like different levels. [I] like the high-end level and the lowerend level too...because good food is good food."

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

Dorado Beach

The legendary Dorado Beach is redefining luxury in Puerto Rico and becoming the premier destination experience.

Inspired by the legacy of its original developer Laurance S. Rockefeller, Dorado Beach is the premier luxury destination of Puerto Rico. Rich in history and tradition, and home of the The Plantation Resort Residences and the only award winning Ritz- Carlton Reserve the luxury eco-resort has completed its transformation to again become one of the world’s greatest resorts. The sophisticated and contemporary Dorado Beach was designed with one thing in mind: to offer guests the ultimate luxury experience. Set on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, the resort offers beautiful sand beaches, tidal pools for exploring and lagoons for swimming and snorkeling.

Dorado Beach proudly boasts three championship golf courses including the famous East Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and restored and reintroduced as on e of the most impressive golf courses in the world by his son Robert Trent Jones Jr. In addition to the resorts’s two accommodation options, guests enjoy a variety of activities including a 12 million dollar family water park, miles of pristine beaches, restaurants casual to fine dining, Spa Botánico, the ideal spot for contemplation and relaxation of the 5 acres of natures preserve. Dorado Beach

is the perfect vacation for the whole family. A sanctuary for exploring and discovering.

Plantation Resort Residences offers 28 luxurious 3-to-4 bedrooms suites, overlooking the magnificent golf courses.

This resort offers the space and convenience of a luxurious residential experience. Each suite comes equipped with a gourmet kitchen and its own golf cart to allow guests easily and comfortably, access to enjoy the of over 1,400 acres.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is a resort of 114 ocean view suites , many with private plunge pools and setting for Mi Casa, a restaurant by celebrity Chef Juan Andrés, and Su Casa, Dorado Beach’s 4 bedroom Villas recently restored to its original glory and that once was home of Clara Livingston a pioneer in aviation and a close friend of Amelia Earhart.

Dorado Beach is a 45 minute drive from San Juan, on the northern coast of Puerto Rico. During your visit to Dorado Beach you must make a mandatory stop in Old San Juan, characterized by its narrow, blue cobblestone streets and flatroofed brick and stone buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th century; or simple explore what Dorado Beach has to offer which is a destination by itself.

For more information please visit www.doradobeach.com

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

FERMENTED GRAPE JUICE AND TERROIR

By Ronald Rens

“In the end of the day it is just fermented grape juice!” I remember being shocked by this statement when I first visited Bordeaux some 25 years ago. I had read all the books on Bordeaux, had done tasting courses and taken classes in the technical stuff.

As an eager young collector I cherished the first Mouton Rothschild of my collection and dreamed of wines like Margaux and Latour.

At the time I was tasting the 1985 vintage at a Cru Bourgeois Chateau, nested deep in the Médoc. The chateau owner, well into his eighties, snorted at my question on the aging potential of this young vintage: “Wine

is made to be drunk, not to be kept forever in a cellar.” From this quaint old man with his bad teeth and broken finger nails I learned my first lesson on terroir.

Terroir, I learned had everything to do with the soil quality and the gravel content. Further more he told me that terroir had to do with drainage, whether the vineyard was on a slope and how it was oriented towards the sun. He went on about the microclimate and how vineyards need to be protected by the pine forests against the strong winds. The old man then lowered his voice and looked at the door to see if an enemy secret agent was eavesdropping. “That and another 80 secret ingredients make up

for terroir and this terroir is unique for Bordeaux”.

He was right, as I discovered driving through the world’s largest fine wine producing area, the wines change in character from one appellation to another and even between neighboring properties. “But in the end of the day it is just fermented grape juice!” the old man added when I was leaving his property carrying a few cases of his delicious 1985.

This fermented grape juice became the basis behind my life long passion for the beautiful Bordeaux region and its intriguing wines.

I remember driving around this first of many times in this region and I felt like a child in a candy store. Look here, this is Margaux! And now we are in Saint Julien! I remember being awed looking through the gates of the impressive First Growth Chateau Margaux. I felt proud to have a bottle of wine in my cellar that had been produced at this Palladian palace. Little did I know that less then 20 years later I would be living in this region, owning a smaller version of Chateau Margaux and organizing wine tours to Bordeaux…

The Bordeaux Beauty Contest In my classes and books I had learnt about the appellations and classifications of Bordeaux.

It is true; the French at first appear to have done everything possible to make this system incomprehensible to us mere mortals. Classifications on top of Appellations; it is an entire new language to learn. An appellation is like the pedigree of a wine. The appellation is ruled by a law that tells you where the wine has to come from but also handles constraints like yield restrictions, pruning and of course which grape varieties a wine grower can use. Bordeaux alone has 57 of

“Octopus Escabeche” by Chef Olivier Deboise

Garnish

Preparation

1 Medium size Octopus

1 Grated Ginger 1 Medium size onion - chopped 1 Carrot - chopped 1 Celery- chopped 2 Cloves of minced garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the octopus in water with all the ingredients until tender (about 45 minutes).

these appellations. On top of that there are the Classifications (Grand Cru Classé in French). A classification is like a beauty contest for wine (but to win this contest you have to stay beautiful for centuries…).

In the Médoc there are two classifications.

One that changes every so many years, and one that hasn’t changed any of its five levels since 1855, with of course one exception (Mouton Rothschild).

By the way there is another exception: one chateau in another appellation was included in the 1855 Médoc system (Haut Brion). The same classification was applied to the sweet wines from the Sauter nes region south of Bordeaux. Here the beauty contest allowed for only two levels. Again with one exception of course, this time for a super beauty (Yquem). Bordeaux offers two more of these beauty contest classifications; one in the PessacLéognan, South of Bordeaux and one in Saint Emilion on the left bank of the Garonne River. Enough to dazzle any novice wine lover. Visiting the region still remains the best way to get a feel for all of this.

More information on Bordeaux Wine Tours: The Bordeaux Wine Experience: www.BXWINEX.com

6 Serrano chilies 6 Baby onions ( Baby red radishes 6 Baby carrots split in two 1 Cup of white vinegar 1/2 Cup of lime juice 2 Tsp of oregano Salt to taste Sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Boil the vinegar, salt, oregano and finish with the lime juice.

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

Spa Botánico at Dorado Beach A natural haven designed to inspire and rejuvenate.

The journey of Spa Botánico begins when you enter the Apothecary portal where you are welcome by the sights and scents of myriad local botanicals, abundantly displayed in urns and beautifully suspended from the ceiling above. This magical room is a museum for your senses. The herbs are used to create concoctions of botanical infusions which are the principal element in the many treatments designed to lift your spirit and transport you to an unforgettable level of serenity. The unique spa menu features a selection of treatment influenced by the history of Puerto Rico’s healing traditions. The healers known as Manosantas used locally collected herbs, healing oils and affirmations.

The spa was artfully designed to integrate into the setting and the natural world. Unique water features, hidden gardens, and a wide variety of plants and other foliage adorns the

gardens, reminding you at every turn and pathway that you are in a magical and special place.

Your experience transcends the offerings and experience of a traditional spa as you are introduced to the serenity of a natural reserve. Spa Botánico offers hidden and unique hideaways, canopies in the tree houses or verdant private gardens complete with outdoor showers, where you may choose to receive your relaxing and purifying treatments.

The rituals are uncommon as the place: Try the Rainforrest Reconnection, the Tamarind For Two or the Citrus Soufflé. Spa Botánico is a place to be savored: take a day and discover its enchantment and your own inner sanctuary. This experience is unique, and is available exclusively on Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. For more information visit www.doradobeach.com

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DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

BUCHHALTER INTERNATIONAL GROUP ABOUT THE COMPANY Founded in 2013 by Franz E Buchhalter with the mission to offer personalized service by representing a selective number of destination experiences. Our strategy is to engage with a limited number of clients so that we may maintain sensitivity to their needs and requirements while surpassing their expectations.

The executive team has more than seventy-five years of professional experience in the travel industry ranging from luxury hotel brands to retail agencies to cruise lines and exclusive tour companies. This dy n a m i c p rov i d e s B u ch h a l t e r International Group with diverse, indepth industry knowledge that benefits their clients.

The company’s sales force is located strategically in key locations of the United States, providing our clients with the coverage needed to position their brands. Our team is young, dynamic, passionate and has extensive experience in marketing, presenting and promoting brands.

Each one of them has been selected for their ability to engage clients, their communication and presentations skills and their extensive qualifications to represent our clients and to become an extension of their sales and marketing efforts.

Franz’s professional career expands more than 25 years of experience in the travel industry working in executive management roles with several hotel and travel c o m p a n i e s s u c h a s We s t i n International, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and Abercrombie & Kent where he held

the position of Vice President of Sales responsible for the direction of all the sales activities for the global brand; and lastly with Kerzner International Resorts where he worked for 15 years as Vice President of Sales for the Americas directing the leisure sales strategy for the company’s Bahamas portfolio that i n c l u d e d t h e g r o u p ’s l a r g e s t investment. He has performed an array of services from opening and marketing, to positioning and selling international brands, including One&Only Resorts in the leisure market in the Americas. One&Only Resorts is considered today as one of the top luxury hotel brands in the world. His professionalism, creativity and understanding of the luxury market has earned him the respect and trust of key luxury consortia and marketing alliances such as Virtuoso, Signature and American Express, amongst others. His accomplishments have been recognized in several trade publications. He has been a frequent panelist and a speaker at industry events.

Buchhalter International Group has formed marketing alliances with key industry providers to offer clients a full service program ranging from brand identity, digital marketing, public relations to social media.

To become a global brand, Buchhalter International Group recently established an office in Germany covering Europe, Middle East and Africa and for this task Anita Cremer, a longtime sales & marketing professional was recruited.

Anita has 25 years of experience in

the Airline, Tour Operating and Hotel industr y in Sales, PR, Marketing and Hotel Operations in the Middle East, Maldives, Mauritius, South Africa, Turkey, Switzerland and Italy. Her extensive international experience and know- how of the luxury markets, profound insights and knowledge of destinations, local markets, exclusive associations and relationship build-ups is of enormous benefit to our company and to our partners. Anita has worked with 5 s t a r h o t e l c o m p a n i e s, m e d i a companies and tour operators in Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, North and South America, South Africa, Australia and the UAE/Gulf.

During her professional career Anita headed the sales and marketing divisions and pre-opening teams of One&Only Resorts, the Kempinski group and independently owned hotels such as the Mardan Palace.

Currently the company is in the process of establishing an office in South America to develop the southern region.

Buchhalter International Group is a new company with big ambitions honoring the initials of the company.

For more information please visit www.buchhalterinternationalgroup.com

DESIGN DESTINATIONS MARCH 2014

ON OUR NEXT ISSUE

BUENOS AIRES

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The city that / never sleeps

A new look at the most romantic places in Italy

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FROM A TEENS PERSPECTIVE Having fun traveling with teens

ANTIGUA GUATEMALA Nestled between volcanoes and a world of history

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