Winvian Resort

WINVIAN HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS “ELITE” CERTIFICATION

Elite Meetings International selects Winvian as one of
North America’s top properties for group functions

Morris, CT — Winvian is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Elite Certified status by Elite Meetings International (EMI), an innovative company that offers tools to assist top planners in researching the best properties for meetings and incentives throughout North America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe.

Elite Certified status is granted by EMI’s Elite Meetings Advisory Board, a distinguished body comprised of corporate meeting planners and hospitality executives. The board considers the resorts and hotels based on a demonstrated commitment to providing an exceptional group experience. A number of criteria factor into the advisory board’s assessment, including the arrival experience, accommodations, meeting and event facilities, activity options, food and beverage, and most importantly, service.

“Our goal in establishing Elite Certification was to compile a peer-rated resource that recognized those properties that represent the best of the best, independent of affiliation,” says EMI CEO Kelly Foy. “We’re proud to offer Elite Certified status to Winvian. Our endorsement reflects our belief in the exceptional standards that visiting groups can expect.”

“We at Winvian are honored to be the recipient of this important designation as a leading hotel property for off-site meetings and events. To have our hotel be approved by both industry veterans as well as those who do business at our property is a real honor and acknowledgement of our hard work and the dedication and passion of our extraordinary teams.” says Win Smith III, Director of Sales & Marketing, of Winvian.

Winvian, a unique, boutique and confidential hotel property nestled into the fabled Litchfield Hills of Connecticut features 18 custom crafted cottages and one master suite that encompasses the entire second story of the historic Seth Bird House. No less than 15 architects designed the cottages that combine the modern with historical, the whimsical with the traditional.
Winvian features Connecticut’s only AAA 5-Diamond Restaurant and also boasts the prestigious AAA 5-Diamond Award for the hotel. Ideally located just two hours north from NYC, this property is situated on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands and is draped by 4,000 acres of the pristine White Memorial Preserve.
The entire property is available for meetings, off-sites, incentive travel, special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request. This confidential property can be taken over for “Exclusive Use” and buyouts.
Winvian is privately owned by Maggie Smith and is a Relais & Chateaux property.


About Elite Meetings International, Inc.
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International, Inc. (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale, and upscale properties. EMI’s innovations include FaceTime™ (www.FaceTimeScheduler.com), a widely used program for helping buyers and sellers – across any industry – identify synergies, manage appointments, and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP™ (www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com or call (805) 730-1000.

FOR: Winvian FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
155 Alain White Rd.
Morris, CT 06763
(860) 567-9600
www.winvian.com
___________________________________________________________________________________

WINVIAN HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS “ELITE” CERTIFICATION

Elite Meetings International selects Winvian as one of
North America’s top properties for group functions

Morris, CT — Winvian is pleased to announce that it has been awarded Elite Certified status by Elite Meetings International (EMI), an innovative company that offers tools to assist top planners in researching the best properties for meetings and incentives throughout North America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe.

Elite Certified status is granted by EMI’s Elite Meetings Advisory Board, a distinguished body comprised of corporate meeting planners and hospitality executives. The board considers the resorts and hotels based on a demonstrated commitment to providing an exceptional group experience. A number of criteria factor into the advisory board’s assessment, including the arrival experience, accommodations, meeting and event facilities, activity options, food and beverage, and most importantly, service.

“Our goal in establishing Elite Certification was to compile a peer-rated resource that recognized those properties that represent the best of the best, independent of affiliation,” says EMI CEO Kelly Foy. “We’re proud to offer Elite Certified status to Winvian. Our endorsement reflects our belief in the exceptional standards that visiting groups can expect.”

“We at Winvian are honored to be the recipient of this important designation as a leading hotel property for off-site meetings and events. To have our hotel be approved by both industry veterans as well as those who do business at our property is a real honor and acknowledgement of our hard work and the dedication and passion of our extraordinary teams.” says Win Smith III, Director of Sales & Marketing, of Winvian.

Winvian, a unique, boutique and confidential hotel property nestled into the fabled Litchfield Hills of Connecticut features 18 custom crafted cottages and one master suite that encompasses the entire second story of the historic Seth Bird House. No less than 15 architects designed the cottages that combine the modern with historical, the whimsical with the traditional.
Winvian features Connecticut’s only AAA 5-Diamond Restaurant and also boasts the prestigious AAA 5-Diamond Award for the hotel. Ideally located just two hours north from NYC, this property is situated on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands and is draped by 4,000 acres of the pristine White Memorial Preserve.
The entire property is available for meetings, off-sites, incentive travel, special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request. This confidential property can be taken over for “Exclusive Use” and buyouts.
Winvian is privately owned by Maggie Smith and is a Relais & Chateaux property.


About Elite Meetings International, Inc.
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International, Inc. (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale, and upscale properties. EMI’s innovations include FaceTime™ (www.FaceTimeScheduler.com), a widely used program for helping buyers and sellers – across any industry – identify synergies, manage appointments, and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP™ (www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com or call (805) 730-1000.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Widness
Widness & Company Public Relations
Tel: (646) 375-2239
E-mail: rebecca@widness-co-pr.com

BON APPETIT! WINVIAN LAUNCHES NEW COOKING SCHOOL IN SPRING 2011 WITH A SCRUMPTIOUS RANGE OF ITALIAN AND FRENCH CLASSES
AAA Five Diamond Chef to Helm the Classroom
LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT – January 2011 - Savor the mouth-watering aromas of bubbling bolognese, melting butter, roasting vegetables, fish and herbs wafting through the new state-of-the-art kitchen at Winvian. This delicious experience will take place at the property’s new Cooking School at Winvian, the AAA “Ten” Diamond resort in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. The Cooking School will launch in spring 2011.
From a classic two-hour introduction class on mastering savory pasta dishes or delicious pastries and treats, to more in-depth, longer courses, The Cooking School at Winvian offers a class option for visiting guests and locals alike. Dishes will evoke the feeling of a cozy French bistro, Italian trattoria or a friend’s vacation home in Provence. Guests will cook with herbs, salad greens and vegetables from Winvian’s garden and with seafood and game sourced as locally as possible.
“We want guests at Winvian to relish in relaxation and experience the exceptional food and accommodations. The Cooking School will teach special dishes that can easily be made by the home cook and taken home as a token of their experience at Winvian,” said Maggie Smith, proprietor of Winvian.
Executive Chef Chris Eddy, who helped earn Winvian’s restaurant the AAA Five Diamond award - the only new USA restaurant to achieve this honor in 2011 – will lead all classes. Pastry Chef Gilles Ballay will oversee the pastry sessions.
Winvian Classic Classes, two hours in length each weekend, will be offered on an on-going basis throughout the year, ideal for guests and locals. Students will learn how to liven up classic Italian recipes in the Pasta Classic Class, and learn how to make just-flown-in-from-Paris-treats in the Pastry Classic Class.
Winvian’s Three Day Classes, 15 hours of instruction, will be a great option for ladies’ getaways, couples looking to reconnect, or groups of friends. The Wednesday-Friday class will be offered during select weeks throughout the year, with the days devoted to stocks, soups, and sauces, basic French techniques, and protein preparation. Spa treatments may be woven in before and after classes to pamper these aspiring chefs.

- more -
THE COOKING SCHOOL AT WINVIAN LAUNCHES / 2

The Winvian Intensive Cooking School will offer six 8-hour days of instruction over a six week period on consecutive Wednesdays in March and April and again in November through mid-December. This is another great opportunity for locals wanting to really hone their culinary skills. The schedule offers in-depth teaching of classic French cooking techniques, concentrating on salads & eggs, hearty soups & stocks, basics of vegetable cooking & bread, classical cooking methods for fish, preparation of poultry dishes, and preparation of red meat dishes.
The gleaming, state-of-the-art kitchen features 550 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 12 students. State-of-the-art Viking appliances will provide aspiring chefs the opportunity to sample one of the culinary industry’s premier equipment.
Winvian, the private and whimsical AAA Ten Diamond retreat – the property also received Five Diamonds for its accommodations – ideally located just two hours from NYC, houses 18 luxe cottages and one suite on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands. Nightly rates at Winvian start from $650 for two a la carte (breakfast included) and from $1,250 for two all-inclusive (full breakfast, room service, lunch, picnics, spa snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, after dinner petit-fours). A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate. The entire property is available for special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request.
For additional information on the Cooking School at Winvian and class schedules, or to book reservations, please visit www.winvian.com or call 860-567-9600.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Widness
Widness & Company Public Relations
Tel: (646) 375-2239
E-mail: rebecca@widness-co-pr.com

BON APPETIT! WINVIAN LAUNCHES NEW COOKING SCHOOL IN SPRING 2011 WITH A SCRUMPTIOUS RANGE OF ITALIAN AND FRENCH CLASSES

AAA Five Diamond Chef to Helm the Classroom

LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT – January 2011 - Savor the mouth-watering aromas of bubbling bolognese, melting butter, roasting vegetables, fish and herbs wafting through the new state-of-the-art kitchen at Winvian. This delicious experience will take place at the property’s new Cooking School at Winvian, the AAA “Ten” Diamond resort in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. The Cooking School will launch in spring 2011.
From a classic two-hour introduction class on mastering savory pasta dishes or delicious pastries and treats, to more in-depth, longer courses, The Cooking School at Winvian offers a class option for visiting guests and locals alike. Dishes will evoke the feeling of a cozy French bistro, Italian trattoria or a friend’s vacation home in Provence. Guests will cook with herbs, salad greens and vegetables from Winvian’s garden and with seafood and game sourced as locally as possible.
“We want guests at Winvian to relish in relaxation and experience the exceptional food and accommodations. The Cooking School will teach special dishes that can easily be made by the home cook and taken home as a token of their experience at Winvian,” said Maggie Smith, proprietor of Winvian.
Executive Chef Chris Eddy, who helped earn Winvian’s restaurant the AAA Five Diamond award - the only new USA restaurant to achieve this honor in 2011 – will lead all classes. Pastry Chef Gilles Ballay will oversee the pastry sessions.
Winvian Classic Classes, two hours in length each weekend, will be offered on an on-going basis throughout the year, ideal for guests and locals. Students will learn how to liven up classic Italian recipes in the Pasta Classic Class, and learn how to make just-flown-in-from-Paris-treats in the Pastry Classic Class.
Winvian’s Three Day Classes, 15 hours of instruction, will be a great option for ladies’ getaways, couples looking to reconnect, or groups of friends. The Wednesday-Friday class will be offered during select weeks throughout the year, with the days devoted to stocks, soups, and sauces, basic French techniques, and protein preparation. Spa treatments may be woven in before and after classes to pamper these aspiring chefs.

- more -
THE COOKING SCHOOL AT WINVIAN LAUNCHES / 2

The Winvian Intensive Cooking School will offer six 8-hour days of instruction over a six week period on consecutive Wednesdays in March and April and again in November through mid-December. This is another great opportunity for locals wanting to really hone their culinary skills. The schedule offers in-depth teaching of classic French cooking techniques, concentrating on salads & eggs, hearty soups & stocks, basics of vegetable cooking & bread, classical cooking methods for fish, preparation of poultry dishes, and preparation of red meat dishes.
The gleaming, state-of-the-art kitchen features 550 square feet of space and can accommodate up to 12 students. State-of-the-art Viking appliances will provide aspiring chefs the opportunity to sample one of the culinary industry’s premier equipment.
Winvian, the private and whimsical AAA Ten Diamond retreat – the property also received Five Diamonds for its accommodations – ideally located just two hours from NYC, houses 18 luxe cottages and one suite on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands. Nightly rates at Winvian start from $650 for two a la carte (breakfast included) and from $1,250 for two all-inclusive (full breakfast, room service, lunch, picnics, spa snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, after dinner petit-fours). A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate. The entire property is available for special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request.
For additional information on the Cooking School at Winvian and class schedules, or to book reservations, please visit www.winvian.com or call 860-567-9600.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CONTACT: Rebecca Widness / Annie Fitzsimmons
Widness & Company Public Relations
Tel: (646) 375-2239
E-mail: rebecca@widness-co-pr.com / annie@widness-co-pr.com


CONNECTICUT’S WINVIAN RESORT RECEIVES SECOND AAA FIVE DIAMOND AWARD

Whimsical Litchfield Hills Relais & Chateaux Now Has a Diamond for Every Finger

LITCHFIELD HILLS, CT, October 2010 – For the second time in as many weeks, Winvian, the private resort and fine dining restaurant tucked in the northwest corner of Connecticut, has received the AAA Five Diamond Award for excellence in accommodations. Earlier this month, Winvian received the AAA Five Diamond Award for its outstanding dining.

Additionally, Winvian was voted one of the Top 25 Best Small U.S. Resorts in the November 2010 issue of Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s prestigious World Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Winvian, a private and whimsical retreat ideally located just two hours from NYC, houses 18 luxe cottages and one suite on 113 acres of meadows and woodlands. Nightly rates at Winvian start from $650 for two a la carte (breakfast included) and from $1,250 for two all-inclusive (full breakfast, room service, lunch, picnics, spa snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, after dinner petit-fours). A 13% gratuity and 9% CT State tax will be added per night to the room rate. The entire property is available for special celebrations and lavish weddings with rates upon request.

For additional information on Winvian, or to book reservations, please visit www.winvian.com or call 860-567-9600.

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