Charles Masson Joins Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York As Director of Restaurants and Bars

NEW YORK, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles Masson, one of the world's most revered restaurateurs, has been tapped by Baccarat Hotels to be Director of Restaurants and Bars at the brand's flagship New York property, opening December 2014 on 53^rd Street, west of Fifth Avenue.  Masson will oversee the development and daily operations of four distinct culinary destinations within the hotel, including a signature restaurant, bar, grand salon and event venue. In addition, residents of 60 glamorous residences within the Baccarat Hotel and Resorts will have the opportunity to enjoy room service and private dining overseen by Masson.

The partnership was fueled by mutual admiration – the first decorative item that Masson's father purchased for his vaunted midtown French restaurant, La Grenouille was a Baccarat crystal vase. Masson himself is lauded for his elegant flower arrangements that were the heart of the romantic surroundings to which diners were drawn for decades. At Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York, which is owned and is being developed by Starwood Capital Group, the private investment fund led by real estate and hotel entrepreneur Barry Sternlicht, Masson will be instrumental in ensuring that the restaurant and gathering areas are full of life, brilliance and exceptional food.

"Charles' inimitable approach to guest service, paired with his natural connection to the Baccarat brand made this an irresistible partnership," says Barry Sternlicht, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Starwood Capital Group. "We believe he is the ideal person to help us reflect Baccarat's unique legacy and way of life originally conceived by Louis XV as we open the brand's first hotel on its 250th anniversary year.  We are so pleased to have Charles as part of our family."

"Baccarat is the greatest and most historic French luxury brand – one that has long been synonymous with an unparalleled level of artisanship. This hotel and the dining destinations within will redefine luxury in New York and I am thrilled to be a stakeholder in this exciting and iconic project," says Charles Masson.

Shea Gallante, formerly at CRU and Bouley, has been appointed head chef of Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York, and will work hand in hand with Masson to develop the menu at the signature restaurant (name TK). They plan to celebrate classic French classic cuisine with a modern twist for a truly exquisite, yet simple experience. Located on the ground floor, the retail-level venue has been envisioned by designer Stephen Sills.  The space will be timeless, sophisticated and sumptuous with soaring ceilings, myriad banquette seating, oak parquet floors, and perfect lighting to create an intimate dining experience, yet not intimidating.

Gallante and Masson will also collaborate on the extraordinary 60 foot bar and elegant outdoor terrace, grand salon menus, in-room dining and a special catering menu for residents.

Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues opposite The Museum of Modern Art. Featuring 114 guest rooms, the luxurious hotel brings the Baccarat brand to life using classic and reinvented pieces from the collection, as well as compelling contemporary art and furniture.

To celebrate the partnership, Masson has created a beautiful window display of magnificent blooms at Baccarat's midtown store at 635 Madison Avenue, which will be on view starting Wednesday, June 4.

ABOUT BACCARAT HOTELS AND RESIDENCES
Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York, a joint venture between Starwood Capital Group and Tribeca Associates, will redefine the heart of Manhattan, coinciding with the legendary French crystal‑makerʹs 250th anniversary. Closings for the residences will begin over the summer, while the hotel will open in late 2014. Located just off Fifth Avenue on 53rd Street and across from the Museum of Modern Art, the striking 50-story glass tower, created by Skidmore Owings & Merrill, encompasses 60 private residences conceptualized by Tony Ingrao, above 114 guest rooms designed by Gilles et Boissier.

ABOUT STARWOOD CAPITAL GROUP
Starwood Capital Group is a private, U.S.-based investment firm with a core focus on global real estate. Since the group's inception in 1991, the firm has raised more than $16 billion of equity capital, and through its various funds, has invested $13.7 billion representing over $36 billion in assets. Starwood Capital Group currently has more than $29 billion of assets under management. Starwood Capital Group maintains offices in Greenwich, Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles, and affiliated offices in London, Luxembourg, Paris, Mumbai and Sao Paulo. Starwood Capital Group has invested in nearly every class of real estate on a global basis, including office, retail, residential, senior housing, golf, hotels, resorts and industrial assets. Starwood Capital Group and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that includes building enterprises around core real estate portfolios in both the private and public markets. Additional information about Starwood Capital can be found at www.starwoodcapital.com.

SOURCE Baccarat Hotel & Residences