Park Hyatt Tokyo is pleased to announce Ben Wheeler as New York Grill & Bar’s Chef de Cuisine. In his new role, Chef Ben brings his culinary passion and creativity to one of Tokyo’s most iconic restaurants.
Born in the United Kingdom, Chef Ben was raised in the Buckinghamshire countryside. From a young age, he felt he belonged in the kitchen and was fascinated experimenting with basic ingredients and turning them into something delicious. His fondest childhood memories were making pastries and cakes with his grandmother.
Chef Ben began his culinary career at The Stag at Mentmore, followed by the Grand Hotel Kempinski Geneva, Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi and Four Seasons Trinity Square London. Thereafter he joined as Chef de Cuisine at Grand Hyatt Kuwait and Atlantis The Royal Dubai as a member of their pre- opening teams.
Japan has always intrigued Chef Ben, from its food, to cars and particularly the culture. He is fascinated by Japanese trends, both modern and traditional, and most of all, the attention to detail and dedication to perform any task artistically and efficiently. Chef Ben’s dream was to move to Japan and immerse himself in its culture, experiencing all five senses throughout the country and particularly the sense of taste and smell.
Food consumes most of Chef Ben’s time, both professionally and personally. During his leisure time, you can find him reading cookbooks and trying new restaurants and bars. In joining Park Hyatt Tokyo, Chef Ben said, “It is an honor to join Park Hyatt Tokyo, with its long history of setting international luxury hotel standards in Japan, both in culinary and service. I look forward to continuing New York Grill & Bar’s story and learning from the Japanese culinary team, while sharing my experiences and new ideas.”
After the completion of scheduled building maintenance, New York Grill & Bar will reopen on April 1, 2024. From April 15 to 18, 2024, Chef Ben welcomes Australia’s Rockpool Bar & Grill’s Executive Chef Santiago Aristizabal for a special four-hands culinary collaboration creating a unique six-course dinner menu. Colombian-born Chef Santiago Aristizabal joined Rockpool Bar & Grill in 2009 and quickly proved himself to be an integral member of the culinary team as his career progressed from Sous Chef to Head Chef to his current position overseeing all three Rockpool Bar & Grill in Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. The limited dinner menu is priced at JPY55,000 per person, including consumption tax and subject to a 15% service charge. Reservations are required. For reservations, please contact New York Grill & Bar at (+81-3) 5323 3458 or visit NEW YORK GRILL | Park Hyatt Tokyo.
About Park Hyatt
Park Hyatt hotels provide discerning, global travelers with a refined home-away-from-home. Guests of Park Hyatt hotels receive quietly confident and personalized service in an enriching environment. Located in several of the world’s premier destinations, each Park Hyatt hotel is custom designed to combine sophistication with understated luxury. Park Hyatt hotels feature well-appointed guestrooms, world-renowned artwork and design, rare and immersive culinary experiences, and signature restaurants featuring award-winning chefs. There are currently 44 Park Hyatt hotels in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Bangkok, Beaver Creek, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Busan, Canberra, Changbaishan, Carlsbad, Chennai, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kyoto, Maldives, Melbourne, Mendoza, Milan, New York, Ningbo, Niseko, Paris, Saigon, Sanya, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, St. Kitts, Suzhou, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Zanzibar, and Zurich. For more information, please visit parkhyatt.com. Follow @ParkHyatt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #LuxuryIsPersonal.
Park Hyatt and Daniel Libeskind Offer Largest Rooms in South Korea, Floor-to-Ceiling Windows, Three-Floor Spa and Residential-Themed Restaurants
NEW YORK (March 1, 2013) – Designed by the Pritzker-prize winner Daniel Libeskind, Park Hyatt Busan opened its doors today. Located in the iconic l’Park development in Marine City and adjacent to Haeundae Beach, the hotel now offers the largest rooms and suites in Busan.
Libeskind has designed the hotel to express the dramatic beauty and power of the environment. The building features a curvilinear geometry and glass façade inspired by the wind filling the sails of a ship, the waves of the Haeundae Ocean, and the camellia – Busan’s symbol flower. The award-winning architect has designed various world-renowned projects, including the World Trade Center rebuilding in New York City.
The interiors have been designed by award-winner, Japan-based Super Potato. Each of the 269 rooms and suites feature natural elements of French oak flooring, granite stone bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for spectacular views of the ocean, Gwangan Bridge and Yacht Marina.
Reminiscent of a “home” setting, Park Hyatt Busan’s dining and entertainment offerings include the Dining Room, the Living Room and the residential-style Lounge – all located on the top three floors of the 33-storey hotel. A patisserie, specializing in homemade French pastries and sweets, is located at the ground level.
The Lumi Spa & Fitness center spans three full floors, with a 65-foot, indoor, glass-enclosed swimming pool and whirlpool with full ocean views. There are seven treatment rooms, men’s and women’s saunas, Korean scrub services, 24-hour gymnasium with private fitness studios and a golf simulation driving range.
About Park Hyatt
Park Hyatt provides discerning, affluent business and leisure guests with elegant and luxurious accommodations. Guests of Park Hyatt receive highly attentive personal service in an intimate environment. Located in several of the world’s premier destinations, each Park Hyatt is custom designed to combine sophistication with a distinctive regional character. Park Hyatt features well-appointed guestrooms, meeting and special event spaces for groups, critically acclaimed art, food and beverage programmes, and signature restaurants featuring award-winning chefs. There are currently 31 Park Hyatt hotels in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Baku, Beaver Creek, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Busan, Canberra, Carlsbad, Chennai, Chicago, Dubai, Goa, Hamburg, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Jeddah, Maldives, Melbourne, Mendoza, Milan, Moscow, Ningbo, Paris, Saigon, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington D.C., and Zurich. parkhyatt.com.
Park Hyatt Chennai, Park Hyatt’s third hotel in India and the first Park Hyatt hotel in the “Gateway to southern India,” opened today. Located next to the prestigious Governor’s Residence and adjacent to the thriving green area of the Guindy National Park, the hotel is but a 15-minute drive from the city’s domestic and international airport. It features 201 luxury rooms and suites, two restaurants, the Antahpura Spa, a fully-equipped fitness center, and The Apartment – the hotel’s state-of-the-art meeting facility.
The hotel offers an array of epicurean tastes and experiences with its two restaurants, The Dining Room, overlooking the beautiful lily pond, and The Flying Elephant, opening in early 2013. At the Dining Room, guests can enjoy convenient, all-day dining featuring traditional South Indian cuisine and European bistro favorites. The Flying Elephant will be the hotel’s speciality restaurant offering diners a selection of exotic cuisines in an awe-inspiring ambience.
Designed as a contemporary oasis of wellness and rejuvenation, each of the six treatment rooms overlooking the tranquil greenery of the Guindy at the Antahpura Spa offers a blissful refuge from the strains of modern life. Indulge in a treatment inspired by the legendary therapies from the illustrious lineage of Chettinad or a holistic spa experience, which have been recreated by indigenous herbs and primordial beauty and wellness practices. The hotel’s fully equipped fitness center, Sphere, features hot and cold plunge pools, steam and sauna facilities, a yoga studio, and separate cardio and strength training areas.
The hotel also showcases beautiful, custom-made art installations that have been curated around the concept of Indian textiles and heritage. The impressive series of installations have been set up to lend a distinct character to the spaces and to enhance and create an unparalleled guest experience that is synonymous with the Park Hyatt brand.
Park Hyatt Chennai embraces the serenity of the surrounding Guindy National Park with flowing landscapes and relaxing interiors, complemented by a graceful lily pond dotting the heart of the inner courtyard. The elegant and chic interiors create a unique and calming ambience, reflecting the quiet and refined side of Chennai. With the new developments of Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Sri Perumbudur, and the Guindy Industrial Estate all in close proximity, the hotel provides a serene and tranquil retreat for the astute business traveler in the bustling city of Chennai.
To learn more about Park Hyatt Chennai and the inspiration behind the hotel’s design, please visit http://bit.ly/OnLX4R.
About Park Hyatt
Park Hyatt provides discerning, affluent business and leisure guests with elegant and luxurious accommodations. Guests of Park Hyatt receive highly attentive personal service in an intimate environment. Located in several of the world’s premier destinations, each Park Hyatt is custom designed to combine sophistication with a distinctive regional character. Park Hyatt features well-appointed guestrooms, meeting and special event spaces for groups, critically acclaimed art, food and beverage programmes, and signature restaurants featuring award-winning chefs. There are currently 30 Park Hyatt hotels in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Baku, Beaver Creek, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Canberra, Carlsbad, Chennai, Chicago, Dubai, Goa, Hamburg, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Jeddah, Maldives, Melbourne, Mendoza, Milan, Moscow, Ningbo, Paris, Saigon, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Washington D.C., and Zurich. parkhyatt.com.
So maybe you’re more of an Estée than an Ina. That doesn’t mean you can’t create a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast for yourself (don’t worry – no turkeys are involved). We’ve created the perfect holiday menu for the spa-goer. Bon appétit!
Wine
To celebrate
In Argentina, Kaua Club & Spa at Park Hyatt Mendoza’s Wine Antioxident Spa treatment diminishes the effects of an extended afternoon wine tasting. Using grapes to rejuvenate and refresh recipients from head to toe, beginning with a Mendoza’s Wine Body Glow and followed by a facial of choice, aromatherapy massage with wine essence oils, and topped-off with a Grape Body Masque. Restoration is complete!
Passed hors d’oeuvres
Nuts, olives, and caviar
Rehydrate dehydrated skin with Guinot’s Hydra Cellulaire Serum featuring macadamia oil and give skin an extra boost with Guinot’s moisturizing Masque Hydra Beauté with olive wax.
For those indulgent snackers, in Nantucket, The Wauwinet’s Spa by the Sea’s Ultimate Caviar Facial is a 90 minute treatment that hydrates, lifts, firms, and smoothes the skin with protein-rich caviar.
Salad
Cucumber and carrot salad
Banish dark circles and puffiness with Guinot’s Anti-Fatigue Yeux with calming cucumber. To pamper maturing, dry, or stressed skin, spread on a soupcon of ESPA’s Regenerating Face Treatment Oil with carrot extract.
Sides
Cranberry sauce and wild yams
For a radiant complexion, apply Guinot’s Nouvel Eclat fresh radiance exfoliating peel-off mask, rich with cranberry extract, to give your face a “second skin” effect.
ESPA’s Deeply Nourishing Body Cream is the perfect winter moisturizer, deeply moisturizing skin with collagen-strengthening wild yam, along with liquorice, bearberry, and mulberry extracts.
Intermezzo
Ginger, to cleanse the palate
The Lanna Experience at Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa in Thailand uses a species of ginger revered for its ability to cool inflammation, aid digestion, and combat joint and muscle aches during a foot ritual, scrub, body wrap, and massage.
Mains
Instead of wasting perfectly good seasonings on a turkey, use these aromatic herbs on yourself.
ESPA’s 24-Hour Balancing Moisturizer uses white thyme and lavender for a light moisturizing treatment for beautifully soft, clear, hydrated skin.
For an Eastern feast, ESPA’s Men’s Invigorating Body Reviver is bursting with the aromas of lemongrass and thyme – sure to be a hit with the ladies as well.
For a classic English herb, pour a capful of ESPA’s Energizing Bath Oil into your tub and sink back into an energizing rosemary-scented soak. For a double dose of rosemary, slough off dry winter skin with ESPA’s Relaxing Salt Scrub with rosemary and lavender.
Dessert
Pumpkin pie and fruit cake
No vegetable represents autumn quite like a big, orange pumpkin. Sub out the pumpkin pie for a radiant face with ESPA’s Skin Radiance Mask with pumpkin to enliven dull and tired skin.
For a decadent fruity spa treatment, pair Guinot’s Masque Hydra Beauté with its moisturizing fig derivative formula and ESPA’s Pink Hair and Scalp Mud with apricot kernel oil for silky, healthy hair and an immediate moisture boost for soft and supple skin.
Tea and Coffee
Chamomile, Rooibos, and Caffeine
Nothing soothes quite like a warm cup of chamomile tea, so extend that soothing feeling to pacify an irritated or red face with Guinot’s Crème Hydra Sensitive, loaded with calming chamomile.
En lieu of a toasty mug of Rooibos tea, slip on ESPA’s Calm and Soothe Mask, a deeply comforting treatment to help cool and mollify skin prone to redness made with Rooibos tea.
Liven up those limbs with a good dose of caffeine with Guinot’s Double Minceur Ciblée gel cream. The contouring cream helps tone and targets the initial process wherein fat starts to store itself.
While officially launching January, 2012, this September the Park Hyatt hotel brand begins the transformation of its acclaimed Masters of Food & Wine event into the new Park Hyatt ‘masters’, a global series of seasonally- and locally-inspired culinary weekend workshops that will take place four times per year at the change of the seasons. Through engaging and interactive programming, both resident and visiting gourmands and oenophiles can become ‘masters’ of regional cuisine. The new Park Hyatt ‘masters’ will preview its fresh philosophy and lighter programming across 19 Park Hyatt hotels internationally during the weekend of September 23, 2011. The official launch of Park Hyatt masters in January 2012, and all future quarterly Park Hyatt masters programs, will take place on the same date at all Park Hyatt hotels worldwide.
Led by Park Hyatt chefs and sommeliers, masters-in-training will learn about top-notch, seasonal cuisine in three hands-on ‘courses’ on the designated day:
In the Field: Interaction with artisanal food or beverage purveyors
In the Kitchen: Onsite cooking and prep workshops
In the Moment: Tips on service and presentation
“Our guests actively request one-of-a-kind, culturally rich experiences that have a take-home element, particularly in food and beverage,” says Achim Lenders, vice president of food and beverage, international, for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “It is a natural evolution to transform our Park Hyatt Masters event into something more simple and interactive; pairing guests with local chefs and vintners to become masters themselves, and letting guests see the destination through local eyes.”
Individual hotel itineraries showcasing regional produce and producers during the September preview include:
- Park Hyatt Zurich will host a Swiss grape harvest, a workshop on Switzerland’s female winemakers, and a boat trip across Lake Zurich to a winery for a bottling lesson and picnic.
- Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Southern California will start the day with a farmer’s breakfast, then a visit Carlsbad Aquafarm where participants will meet the resort’s seafood purveyor, followed by a local wine and cheese tasting.
- Park Hyatt Mendoza will host an interactive cooking class with special recipes created for it based on a signature olive oil produced in a nearby grove exclusively for the hotel’s restaurant.
- Park Hyatt Maldives will take guests by boat to a nearby island to meet a local grower and after selecting ingredients, they will head back to the resort, first stopping to fish for their dinner in the waters surrounding Hadahaa Island. The day concludes with a chef-led cooking class on traditional Maldivian cuisine using the fresh ingredients collected that day.
The quarterly Park Hyatt masters events will take place around the turn of each season on the weekends of January 13-15, March 23-25, June 24-26 and September 21-23, 2012. All classes will be limited in size to ensure maximum interaction for each master-to-be, which, depending on the property, will be between eight and 25 guests. Participating guests will be provided with recipes and/or tasting notes associated with their experience, and photos and videos of Park Hyatt masters demonstrations will be shared with the Park Hyatt masters community on the brand’s Facebook page – facebook.com/parkhyatt.
Participating Park Hyatt hotels for the preview of Park Hyatt masters in September (as of August 2011) include:
In North America – Aviara (Carlsbad, Calif.), Beaver Creek, Chicago, Toronto, Washington
In South America – Mendoza, Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
In Europe – Hamburg, Paris, Istanbul, Zurich
In Southwest Asia – Goa, Maldives
In the Middle East – Jeddah, Dubai
In Asia – Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Saigon
Workshop itineraries and pricing will vary from place to place and will be available to reserve directly through each hotel’s concierge. Beginning August 1, more details about the global program, the calendar of events, pricing and additions to participating properties will be available at www.mastersfoodandwine.com.
Park Hyatt’s twenty-fifth annual Masters of Food & Wine kicks off March 31st in Mendoza, and what better location to introduce the renowned festival than the heart of Argentina’s winemaking industry and one of the great wine capitals of the world?
The ‘quaffability’ of Mendoza’s Malbecs and Tempranillo grapes come from vines planted at some of the highest altitudes in the world, at an average of 900 meters above sea level, which allows for decreased temperature, exposure to the sun’s strongest rays, and greater “thermal amplitude”—the difference between day and night temperatures. In most regions, grapes stop growing properly at around 1000 meters.
The team at Bodega Catena Zapata winery has its own Research and Development program, which investigates various aspects of high altitude viticulture on the Malbec variety of grape. The result is a more intense, robust grape with colors, aromas and taste unique to the region—which we can appreciate, even without science. It’s a good thing we have nice things to say about Mendoza Malbecs, because these grapes are notoriously thin-skinned.
Crowded beaches… Sun-burnt skin… Sand in inappropriate places… Sigh. Ditch the hand-held fan and take a detour from the average getaway this summer with an unexpected vacation. Bundle up in the southern hemisphere and experience Australia and Argentina’s winter season, discover the cool misty air in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, or take in the beauty of the snow-capped peaks in India.
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Seoul is spicing up to be quite the culinary destination this autumn with the Park Hyatt Masters of Food and Wine festival held at Park Hyatt Seoul, October 29 to November 8. While the tradition of an annual food and wine festival was sparked more than twenty years ago, Park Hyatt’s celebration of its foodie roots is stronger than ever.
This season’s event features a new selection of renowned Chefs and sommeliers. Each will host expertise-specific seminars and cook up a range of gastronomic masterpieces – from foie gras dishes, to Japanese, Korean and Thai dishes, and even pastries and desserts.
Highlights of the festival include Michelin-star executive chef Ulf Braunert of the Palace Luzern in Switzerland as well as Park Hyatt Seoul’s own executive chef, Stefano Di Salvo.
The culinary carnival kicks off with a special lunch and dinner presented by Chef Braunert on October 29 and a welcome cocktail reception on November 2. Hone your culinary knowledge the following evening in The Salon at the wine seminar with Hyatt Regency Incheon’s Sommelier. Or head to the asian cuisine cooking classes, where participants are schooled in the preparation of Asian recipes, foie gras dishes, Mediterranean cuisine, and more.
Make sure to stroll on over to The Gallery Park Ryu Sook for the art gallery dinner complete with Korean art and Asian cuisine, and revel in the notes of an international vocalist as three chefs present Asian flavors at The Timber House bar. Masters of Food and Wine Seoul will culminate in a gala dinner, uniting world-class cuisine and wines.
Featured chefs of the event will include:
For the past three years, Masters of Food and Wine has been hosted by the Park Hyatt properties in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, highlighting South American cuisine and the ever-expanding Argentinean wine world. A spin-off of the festival was also held this past September at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme.
Executive chef, Jean-François Rouquette, of Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme‘s Michelin-starred Pur’ restaurant, has invited six internationally celebrated chefs to join him for the first Paris-based Park Hyatt Masters of Food and Wine event, from September 21-25, 2009. Highlights include Jean Sulpice, executive chef of L’Oxalys, a one-Michelin- star restaurant in Val Thorens, France, and the up-and-coming Benjamin Toursel of L’Auberge du Prieuré in Moirax, France.
For more than twenty years, Park Hyatt has hosted an annual food and wine festival to showcase its serious dedication to its F&B program. For the past three years, Masters of Food and Wine was hosted by the Park Hyatt properties in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, and focused on South American cuisine, with a heavy emphasis on the ever-expanding Argentinean wine world.
This September a spin-off of the Masters festival kicks off in Paris with a VIP cocktail party at the hotel where guests will have the opportunity to meet the participating chefs, followed by a series of exclusive dinners orchestrated by Rouquette and his guest chefs over the next four nights. In addition to the dinners, the hotel will offer a special cultural program, Discovery of Paris, which includes cocktail classes taught by the Park Hyatt barman Yann Daniel, a journey to Billecart-Salmon Champagne house, and a tour of the Boucheron factory.
Featured chefs of Masters of Food and Wine Paris:
- Alex Atala, executive chef of D.O.M. restaurant in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
- Filippo Gozzoli, executive chef of The Park restaurant at Park Hyatt Milan (Italy)
- Jean Sulpice, executive chef of L’Oxalys, a one Michelin star restaurant in ValThorens (Savoie – France)
- Brian McBride, executive chef of Blue Duck Tavern restaurant at Park Hyatt Washington (USA)
- Benjamin Toursel, executive chef of L’Auberge du Prieuré in Moirax (Lot & Garonne, France)
- Mads Refslund, executive chef of MR, a one Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen (Denmark)
*Chef biographies are available upon request
Le Pur’, Le Bar, and La Terrasse at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme will serve as the backdrop for the events each evening. A menu will be created each night by two of the chefs, and served at Le Pur’, for 150 Euros per person. The chefs will also offer an exclusive nightly tapas selection at Le Bar and La Terrasse.
The Malbec will be flowing February 10-15 2009 at Park Hyatt‘s annual Masters of Food & Wine festival. Located in Argentina for the third year in a row, Palacio-Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires and Park Hyatt Mendoza will open their kitchens for a series of intimate gourmet meals and wine tastings, highlighting the best of Argentina while combining the talents of guest chefs from around the globe (Alain Passard and Jean-Francois Rouquette, for example).
This five day culinary celebration serves up lunches, dinners, and culinary demonstrations held in spectacular settings such as private homes, vineyards, and distinguished local establishments, all at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Mendoza’s wines will be the feature as acclaimed sommeliers and wine experts present special wine pairings at each day’s repast.
For more details, visit http://www.mfandw.com.ar.