Grace Hotels Group Expands Into the Wine Region of Argentina With a Hotel and Residential Villas Development to Open in 2012

ATHENS, Greece, November 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grace Hotels Group (http://www.gracehotels.com), best known for its award-winning boutique hotels on the Greek islands, has begun its expansion into the Americas with the announcement of the Grace Cafayate hotel, spa and residential villas development in Calchaqui Valley in the northwest of Argentina. The hotel and villa complex, which will have up to 52 keys, will form part of 'La Estancia de Cafayate', a secluded 1,250 acre residential and sporting estate in the heart of an area famed for its spectacular scenery, outstanding wines and equestrian sports.

The Grace Cafayate opens in early 2012 and will comprise a main hotel building plus a further 20 Grace branded residential villas for sale. The villas will be fully managed by Grace Hotels and each will add luxury suites to the hotel's inventory when the villa owners are not in residence. Thus, a Grace Residence represents either a 'home away from home' or a valuable source of rental income for its owners. All accommodation will enjoy breathtaking mountain views. The two signature 'Grace Suites' represent the finest, most spacious accommodation in the hotel.

The restaurant with its open kitchen will offer a unique dining experience, bringing together Grace Hotels' international culinary creativity with some of the finest local produce, including organic foods from the Grace Cafayate herb, vegetable and fruit gardens. Dining guests will also be able to tour the hotel's extensive wine cellars. Adjacent is a wine and cigar bar. The main hotel building will also feature a library complete with roaring fireplace, a health club, spa and swimming pool. The luxurious Grace Spa will feature some innovative treatments carefully designed to harmonise with the region. These include signature therapies based around locally sourced crystal salt and grapes and grapevines from the Cafayate vineyards.

The architecture at Grace Cafayate hotel will embody the elegant simplicity that has become a Grace hallmark but, as with other properties in the collection, great care will be taken to pick up design cues from local traditions and echo the dramatic surroundings.

Grace Cafayate will offer a rich lifestyle experience to its guests and residence owners. They will have access to all the superb facilities at La Estancia de Cafayate that include an 18 hole golf course designed by Bob Cupp, a lively club house and polo fields as well as access to the vineyards to sample the wines produced on the estate. There are extensive hiking and biking trails around the valley and across the sand dunes. The Grace Cafayate complex is being created in conjunction with Grace Hotels' sister company, First South American, an experienced developer of over 3 million sq ft of prime real estate in Argentina. Prices for the residential villas start at $520,000.

For hi-res photography of all Grace hotels go to: http://gracehotelsgroup.fotoseeker.com

    Further Assistance:

    Clemmie Mason-Pearson
    Indigo PRCo Tel: +44(0)20-7259-1140
    Email: [email protected]

SOURCE The Grace Hotels Group