One of the world’s finest luxury lodges is once again opening its doors and extending the warmest of welcomes to local people keen to experience an elite luxury hideaway at a special ‘local’ price.
Glenorchy’s Blanket Bay is famous among the world’s elite travelers for its supremely high standards of luxury accommodation, discreet personal attention and service and superb food courtesy of a team of award-winning chefs.
And until October 15 2010 it would like to welcome its supportive ‘locals’ from all over Otago and Southland to sample accommodation, pre-dinner cocktails, à-la-carte dinner, breakfast and carte blanche use of sports equipment and facilities for an extra special, all inclusive package rate of $395 plus GST per person per night.
Blanket Bay General Manager Philip Jenkins said the lodge offered a locals special for the very first time last year, after a decade of operation, and it was such a success many had asked for it to be repeated.
“We were delighted by the response we had and the number of people who came to stay with us from around our Southland Otago local region.
“We had many guests who came to celebrate a wedding anniversary, a birthday, or just to treat themselves to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so we were delighted to share ‘our place’ with them for those special moments.
“We offer this package in acknowledgement of the support of our local residents, a supportive community and some absolutely fantastic suppliers. Without that support, we wouldn’t be where we are today, so this is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to all of them.”
Mr Jenkins said everyone who visited Blanket Bay was always most appreciative of the standard of food and wine on offer at the lodge which was now in the superb culinary hands of new head chef Brendan Downer.
Brendan, 42, originally from the UK, has worked at a range of contemporary restaurants in Queenstown, Auckland and the Coromandel, at a luxury property on the exclusive island of Mustique in the Caribbean and as chef on board private, charter and expedition super yachts, sailing all around the world.
Brendan, supported by long serving Chef de Cuisine Steve Best, has headed the kitchen team at the Blanket Bay since March, and is enjoying the challenge and freedom of creating breakfast and dinner menus which change on a daily basis.
“Guests are treated to a completely unique and exclusive dining experience every evening at Blanket Bay,” he said.
“In the kitchen we use directly-sourced local and New Zealand produce - from our meats to our herbs, cheeses, salads, nuts and oil and we carefully hand-craft all our food right down to making the after-dinner chocolates and churning our own ice-cream.”
“Pre-dinner canapés and a complimentary bar are on offer to guests prior to a delicious five-course dinner, and to finish are coffee and petit-fours.”
“Blanket Bay is about offering pure luxury and guests are free to continue their night in the resort’s games room and bar or unwind in the spa with sauna and Jacuzzi.”
Mr Downer said the hard work of the Blanket Bay kitchen team was epitomized by the recent success of Chef de Partie Joseph Clarke who took out three gold medals at the recent 2010 Southern Lights Salon Culinaire competition.
Joseph, previously the winner of the Salon Culinaire Commis Chef title in 2007, will go on to compete in the finals at the national Nestlé Toque d’Or competition in Auckland in August.
The locals offer is valid from to October 15 2010 and is open to all people who are permanent residents ‘south of the Lindis’ which covers the Otago and Southland regions as well as suppliers to Blanket Bay who live further afield. For bookings or further information, please contact (03) 441 0115 or email information@blanketbay.com.
