The Rosedon Hotel and Huckleberry Restaurant today re-opened after a month-long closure for upgrades and renovations, with owners Scott Kitson and Lee Petty announcing the acceptance of the historic property into the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group.
Guests, including Kevin Dallas, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Stephen Todd of the Bermuda Hotel Association, were on hand at the unveiling of the exclusive association’s plaque at a small ceremony to both re-open the hotel and restaurant and to celebrate the property joining the group, which comprises over 550 luxury, hand-picked hotels and restaurants.
The full contingent of the property’s staff joined the celebration, all wearing their new Relais & Châteaux pins, which had been earned through rigorous training to achieve the high standards demanded of the Relais & Châteaux brand. Champagne and a selection of delicious canapes from Huckleberry’s new Sea & Farm to Table menu were proffered, giving guests a tantalising taste of what was to come should they choose to dine at the restaurant.
“We are in the third year of our strategic plan to rebrand and put Rosedon and Huckleberry on the map for unique, luxurious boutique hotels. While we identified the possibility of becoming a Relais & Châteaux property early on, it was Nagma Walker, our General Manager, who became the driving force in taking us all to the point where we felt comfortable in applying for Relais & Châteaux status in October 2018” says Scott Kitson, adding, “We are absolutely thrilled to be a member and are especially pleased to say that we have already welcomed our first guests, who are regular Relais & Châteaux followers, even before we officially opened!”
“It was also our decision last year to bring the management of Huckleberry in-house so that we could align the restaurant’s standards with those that we were looking to achieve for the hotel. We purposely used guidelines from Relais & Châteaux to build our own team from the ground up, from our amazing Executive Chef, Matthew Weber, Food & Beverage Manager, Rob Bruni, and Assistant F&B Manager, Jordan Monkman, to an incredible range of staff in the kitchen and restaurant” adds Lee Petty. “The Relais & Châteaux standards don’t just cover the physical offerings of an establishment – they are all about the experience that you give your guests, from the room to the cuisine, to the impeccable service, as well as how you use the destination in itself to enhance that experience. We’re not only offering our hotel and restaurant to our guests. We’re also offering Bermuda.”
Kevin Dallas addressed guests, “Relais & Châteaux is certainly on the radar of the jetsetter audience Bermuda strives for in the National Tourism Plan, so we are very excited to spread the word about this latest news from Rosedon along with all the other spectacular enhancements recently completed there. Everyone at the Bermuda Tourism Authority applauds the Kitson family for its vision and congratulates the entire Rosedon team for earning its way into such a distinguished global fellowship.”
Stephen Todd also made reference to the Relais & Chateaux status in his remarks “The Bermuda Hotel Association members extend our congratulations and best wishes to our member property, the Rosedon Hotel and Huckleberry Restaurant, on being awarded the prestigious and internationally recognised Relais & Chateaux designation, in keeping with their newly upgraded premises. We wish the Directors, Management and Staff much continued success as they create memorable destination experiences for our future visitors”.
The Rosedon Hotel and Huckleberry Restaurant closed for the month of January, as they have done for the past two years, to implement interior and exterior upgrades. This year, fabrics, linens and furniture in the Royal and Luxury rooms have been replaced and improvements made to circulation and workspaces in the restaurant, kitchen and bar. Outside, the gardens have been enriched with new plantings, increasing the number and variety of mature local and tropical plants, and additional areas have been created for intimate dining settings. As part of the increased offerings, Huckleberry will be serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on a daily basis, while brunch will be served on Saturdays and Sundays.
