Auberge Resorts-Led Investor Group Completes Purchase Of Napa Valley's Five-Star Calistoga Ranch

MILL VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Auberge Resorts, the premier developer and operator of boutique luxury resorts and private clubs, today announced the acquisition of Calistoga Ranch, the award-winning Napa Valley luxury resort from Olympus Real Estate. Auberge helped develop Calistoga Ranch for Olympus and has operated the resort since its opening in 2004, earning repeated honors from Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Andrew Harper's Hideaway and other media outlets that routinely name Calistoga Ranch one of the best resorts in the world.

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"Auberge Resorts has been involved with Calistoga Ranch since it was on the drawing table, and we have been proud to see it acclaimed as one of the best resorts in the world," said Mark Harmon, CEO, Auberge Resorts. "We are so pleased to add Calistoga Ranch to our portfolio, and we're excited to have such esteemed partners in this venture who share our commitment to the Napa Valley and to creating an exceptional luxury resort experience in this very special destination."

Joining Auberge Resorts in the acquisition is a respected team of real estate investors and leading winemakers with demonstrated business acumen and deep Napa Valley roots:

• AJ Capital Partners, Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners based in Chicago, 
  is a dynamic hospitality and real estate investment firm with a goal to acquire, reposition and develop highly sought after resorts and hotels in major metropolitan areas and prestigious resort destinations.  AJCP owns and operates unique hospitality assets throughout the world and is an owner of Auberge Resorts.  www.ajcpt.com
• William P. Foley II, founder of Foley Family Wines, a collection of leading wineries that includes Foley Estate Vineyards and Winery, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards and Winery, Merus, Firestone Vineyard and Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery. Foley is also Chairman of the board of Directors for Fidelity National Inc. (NYSF: FNF) and founder of Foley Food & Wine Society, a private club dedicated to all things related to food, wine and travel.
• Michael Uytengsu, a founding partner in Tusk Estates, one of Napa Valley's most exclusive boutique producers of premium Cabernet Sauvignon, and a former investment banker and entrepreneur behind successful brands such as Sunshine Biscuits, Keebler Foods, HK Anderson and Somersault Snacks.

"We are thrilled about our partnership with Auberge Resorts and look forward to working with Mark Harmon and his team to take Calistoga Ranch to the next level," stated Bill Foley, CEO of Foley Family Wines. "This was a natural alignment, given our deep ties to the community of Napa Valley."

Set in a secluded 157-acre canyon in upper Napa Valley, the five-star Calistoga Ranch is a favorite destination for leaders in the entertainment industry, professional athletes, Silicon Valley titans and wine country aficionados who seek tranquility, luxurious food and wine and a connection to the alluring Napa Valley lifestyle.  Fifty contemporary guest lodges clad in cedar and gleaming copper feature a series of freestanding rooms connected by expansive trellised decks. Thoughtfully positioned among stands of oak and eucalyptus, ancient boulders and streams, the lodges offer an indoor-outdoor lifestyle with pristine forest views, outdoor living rooms and private outdoor shower gardens. Guests enjoy the Bathhouse spa, where treatments take place in lodges next to a running stream, and the private Lakehouse Restaurant overlooking Lake Lommel. A Cabernet vineyard, wine cave for private celebrations, miles of hiking trails, yoga and meditation deck, fitness center and swimming pool are available for use exclusively by resort guests and owners of the resort's 25 member lodges. Vintner-hosted events, tours and viticulture programs offer an entrée into the Napa Valley lifestyle.  Calistoga Ranch commands some of the highest rates in California with average rates rivaling its sister resort Auberge du Soleil at $1,200 a night.

About Auberge Resorts
Auberge Resorts is a collection of exceptional hotels, resorts and private clubs, each with a unique personality that assures a memorable guest experience. While Auberge Resorts nurtures the individuality of each establishment, all are characterized by a set of communal elements: intimate, understated elegance; captivating locations that inspire exceptional cuisine and spa experiences; and gracious yet unobtrusive service. Among the Auberge collection of distinctive properties are: Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, Calif.; Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley, Calif.; Solage Calistoga, Napa Valley, Calif; Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.; Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo.; the Malliouhana Hotel & Spa, Anguilla; and The Auberge Residences at Element 52, Telluride, Colo., and Pronghorn Resort, Bend, Ore., with several others currently in development. For more information about Auberge Resorts, please visit http://www.aubergeresorts.com/. Follow Auberge Resorts on Facebook at facebook.com/AubergeResorts and on Twitter at @AubergeResorts.

SOURCE Auberge Resorts