Reblogged from Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia, Relais & Chateaux:

UPDATED     For 2 years now Trout Point Lodge and its proprietors–Vaughan Perret, Charles Leary, and Daniel Abel–have born the brunt of constant Internet defamation and injury to business reputation from bloggers. This has raised questions and concern from friends, guests, professionals in the travel industry, neighbours, employees, and business associates. It’s time to set the record straight in public as well as through the judicial system. BACKGROUND From 2000 until 2010, a prominent Louisiana …

Chez la Tousquet first received diners in 2011, but this year will see padded tables with white linens, crystal stemware, fine china chargers, and silver flatware for an enhanced dining experience unparalleled in the province. This dining room seats up to just 10 persons, either as a private dining room or a more intimate venue for couples.

Following the 2011 season where the table d’hote menu started always offering a fresh, homemade pasta option for the main course, in 2012 the Lodge will offer a choice of 2 full fixed menus, one focused on local seafood.

Trout Point’s cuisine has garnered praise recently, with veteran writer Nigel Richardson giving the Lodge’s food & drink a score of 9/10 in The Telegraph, Departures magazine naming it among the world’s top 10 foodie getaways, and Sarah Barrell writing for The Independent:

Trout Point’s gastronomy looms large on the North American culinary scene. The owners – organic farmers, cookbook writers and restaurateurs – have won numerous accolades, representing three of only a handful of Americans who are members of the French Cheesemakers Guild. The trio have roots in New Orleans and came to Nova Scotia seeking their Acadian heritage – Louisiana’s Cajun culture descends from Atlantic Canada’s 17th century French colonists. Food is a mix of Creole, French and modern North American, with seasonal ingredients drawn from the lodge’s organic garden and surrounding forest.

Couples seeking a romantic, candle-lit dinner can also request seating in front of the fireplace in the main lodge’s Great Room. The longstanding favourite Dining Room remains the venue of choice for most guests as well as those reserving dinner only. Come experience what WHERE Canada recently featured: “a kitchen specializing in Atlantic Acadian cuisine: locally inspired meals that highlight sustainable seafood, foraged ingredients and produce from the extensive on-site garden.”

It’s time to set the record straight in public as well as through the judicial system.

BACKGROUND

From 2000 until 2010, a prominent Louisiana politician named Aaron Broussard, who is of Acadian French descent, owned a vacation home on a lot on the Trout Point Road, in East Kemptville, NS, near Trout Point Lodge. Perret & Leary had known Broussard for many years and Abel once worked for him, so when Broussard visited their new project in the Acadian homeland, he fell in love and decided to build a vacation home there, near the dining and recreational facilities offered by Trout Point.

Broussard loved Nova Scotia, vacationed and brought friends there. Never, however, did Mr. Broussard own any part, or have any management role in Trout Point Lodge–he was simply a neighbour and someone who visited once or twice a year. The Lodge also managed rentals of his property, and has never denied this fact. That Aaron Broussard owned a cottage near Trout Point was no secret or mystery–the Times-Picayune newspaper published just this fact in a July, 2001 travel article. Broussard also had friends in the local community. When a privately-owned postage-stamp lot next to his became available sometime around 2007, Broussard bought that also and built a 2nd, smaller cottage there. He called the two cottages “Black Bear” and “Cub.”

In January, 2010, Broussard had risen to be the elected President of Jefferson Parish and his administration was under federal criminal investigation, particularly related to the activities of Broussard’s Chief Administrative Officer, Tim Whitmer. Broussard was under a great deal of media scrutiny, and news stories about him were popular in the New Orleans area. Mr. Broussard–like many Louisiana politicians–was a colourful and controversial figure. He was in office during Hurricane Katrina, and many blamed him for actions resulting in flooding within the Parish. Nevertheless he was re-elected by the citizenry of Jefferson Parish after the disaster.

On January 6, 2010, in what appears to be a classic example of gotcha journalism, an investigative reporter for New Orleans Fox 8 TV News named Val Bracy arranged to interview Broussard on camera related to the investigations. What she did not tell Broussard was that the President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission–a state-funded Crime Stopper Organization–provided Bracy with access to a complaint letter against Broussard that the Commission was sending that day to the Louisiana State Ethics Administration, which oversees the conduct of public officials.

The complaint letter raised, among other things, an allegation from anonymous, confidential sources that Broussard owned a “lodge” in Nova Scotia that he had rented to government contractors. The complaint never mentioned Trout Point Lodge. The implication was that he had committed ethical and/or criminal violations by using his Nova Scotia property in behind-the-scenes money transactions with government contractors, ie, kick-back or “pay to play” schemes. For the news media, this was sensational.

Never informing Broussard about the existence of the complaint, Bracy started to interview him about the complaint’s contents, including his Nova Scotia properties, and if any government contractors had ever rented them or been there. Broussard made clear in the interview that he did not own or manage Trout Point.

Unfortunately for the Lodge and its proprietors, during its January 6, 2010, 9 pm news broadcast, Fox 8 broke the ethics complaint story, and decided to illustrate Broussard’s Nova Scotia properties using video of the Trout Point Lodge web site, including showing images of the lodge, the name “Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia,” and a slideshow of images of the hotel. Fox 8 continued to use images of the Lodge for the next 4 days on every news broadcast about the ethics complaint, federal investigation, and Broussard’s January 8, 2010 resignation from office, not only in its TV emissions but also on its web site. Those broadcasts and Internet publications are now the subject of a defamation law suit in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Fox 8 claims that its publications did not refer to Trout Point Lodge, but only to Aaron Broussard. Trout Point Lodge says it was defamed. Fox 8 has refused to retract.

An important aside is that the Metropolitan Crime Commission–funded by monies from the Louisiana criminal justice system–was actually committing a crime by making public an ethics board complaint. Louisiana Revised Statute Title 42, Chapter 15 e reads:

(12)(a)  It shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, for any member of the board, its executive secretary, other employee, or any other person, to make public the testimony taken at a private investigation or private hearing of the board or to make any public statement or give out any information concerning a private investigation or private hearing of the board without the written request of the public servant or other person investigated. http://www.ethics.state.la.us/Pub/Laws/Title42Ch15.pdf

Soon after Fox 8 News broke their “scoop” on the ethics complaint, a multitude of other New Orleans area news media picked up the story, including with the mistaken information that Trout Point Lodge belonged to Aaron Broussard and was implicated in the complaint. The President of the Crime Commission also gave numerous interviews about the complaint. It appeared on the Times-Picayune newspaper web site, including a photograph of Trout Point Lodge, on the evening of January 6 and was on the front cover of the paper (with photo), above the fold, the next morning. The Ethics Administration, by the way, did not even receive the complaint until the afternoon of January 7, 2010.

Needless to say, Trout Point Lodge was widely confused with being Aaron Broussard’s property, used in criminal activity, and the subject of an investigation. Nowhere was this more true than in online forums and blogs.

Trout Point, Charles Leary, and Vaughan Perret did also sue the Times-Picayune and its affiliated companies in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. The matter was amicably settled out of court last year. Over time, the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper has issued a correction and 2 retractions about its reporting, which can be seen here and here.

Ultimately, the Ethics Board filed charges against Broussard in December, 2010 (which can be seen here), however none of them related to Trout Point Lodge or even to his own Nova Scotia properties. As reported by the Times-Picayune here, the statute of limitations period has now long run on the Crime Commission’s complaint.

Despite the retractions, the criminality of making the complaint public, and the fact that the allegations proved groundless, the blogosphere has continued to attack Trout Point Lodge and its principals, including going way beyond the original false allegations of involvement in government corruption. Mr. Broussard was indicted on federal charges unrelated to anything in Nova Scotia in December, 2011.

DEFAMATION ON THE BLOGOSPHERE

The most persistent, egregious, and conspiratorial of the bloggers has been someone named Doug K. Handshoe, a Mississippi Certified Public Accountant who writes on and publishes the blog Slabbed. Other anonymous contributors to his blog have also defamed the Lodge, Perret, Abel, and Leary. Slabbed has continued the false story that Trout Point Lodge and its principals are involved in Jefferson Parish political corruption. He has taken the law suits against the Times-Picayune and Fox 8 News as proof that there is a coverup underway. He is also mad because the parent of the Times-Picayune, Advance Publications, discovered that he was republishing copyrighted articles in their entirety on Slabbed, including material about Trout Point that had been retracted. When Advance reportedly served a DMCA take-down notice on Mr. Handshoe’s new web host for his url slabbed.org, Wild West Domains/GoDaddy, they froze his account and denied him further service, causing him to return to the blog’s original host, WordPress (which, ironically, is also the host of the Trout Point Lodge blog).

Perhaps most importantly, Trout Point Lodge has for years advertised itself on the web site Purple Roofs as being gay-owned and gay-friendly. Mr. Handshoe and his blog contributors don’t like gay people. Handshoe saw the Purple Roofs listing, and started to attack. According to one of the blog’s publications, Abel, Perret, and Leary are “queer fag scum,” and they are repeatedly referred to on the blog as “bitches,” “bottom boys,” “wives”, “blow-buddies,” and “girls.”

Abel, Leary, and Perret do not know Handshoe.

They ignored Mr. Handshoe and his blog for over a year, but when threats and anti-gay hate speech started to appear in a never-ending stream in the Spring of 2011, they served on Handshoe a legal Notice that unless he took some remedial action, they would sue him too in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Handshoe continued to defame and harass.

In May, 2011, in the context of the law suit against Fox 8 TV, Trout Point Lodge had the occasion to have a judge review the Slabbed publications. One of Handshoe & Co’s journalistic heroes, it turns out, is Val Bracy–the reporter who interviewed Broussard.

The judge looked at the blog publications up to that time and returned a reasoned judicial decision, holding at least 2 important things: First, “Trout Point has established a prima facie case that they [the blog's words] were published and were defamatory.” He also said: “Generally the public interest in not allowing individuals to distribute defamatory materials under the cloak of anonymity will outweigh the public interest in protecting such a person’s right to privacy and freedom of expression.”

Second, the judge stated:

in the case at hand, the blogs contain comments based on the actual or perceived sexual orientation of the intended targets. Those comments are clearly meant to be derogatory and insulting. I will not reproduce them here. It is the type of expression that engenders harmful results such as discrimination and hatred. It is not the type of free expression that deserves protection and fostering. . . .  Considering these factors, I am of the view that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the legitimate privacy interest and interests and freedom of expression of the anonymous bloggers.

As Mr. Handshoe would not stop, Perret, Leary, and Trout Point Lodge did–as promised–sue Handshoe, alleging multiple instances of defamation, intentional interference with economic & contractual relations, injurious falsehood, intentional infliction of mental distress, invasion of privacy, and civil assault.

He was twice served with a Notice of Action in accordance with The Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters and then served with an Amended Notice of Action personally at his accounting office in Wiggins, Mississippi. Mr. Handshoe’s reaction to being served the first time was to publish a video clip for the movie Blowback on his blog, and then to scan and publish the whole Statement of Claim against him on Slabbed. (Handshoe frequently publishes violent and/or threatening movie or video clips in reference to Perret & Leary.)

When he was served with the Amended Claim, his reaction was to publish a post entitled “Oh yeah and by the way Charles and Vaughn, Fuck you, fuck you very much.”

This type of venom is very common on Slabbed. One Slabbed contributor named “unslabbed” wrote to Abel, Leary, and Perret:

If I were you BOYS I would keep my head down, not bend over to pick up the soap and ride my horses into the sunset on Brokeback Mountain.

I, one Slabbed Nation member, vow to search you all out to the ends of the earth ( Yes in Switzerland, Hawaii, France, Italy, Canada and Spain ) anywhere any of you have any connections.

I have the time, temperament and now the impetus to set myself to this task. Hold on, it may be a bumpy ride for some of you.

See ya soon, Cowboys.

Handshoe has not confined himself to defamation on Slabbed–which purports to be a legitimate news outlet and a “legal affairs” blog–he has pursued Trout Point Lodge, Perret, Abel, & Leary relentlessly across the world and across the Internet. This includes the following:

• writing with defamatory allegations to reporters who publish positive articles about Trout Point Lodge in mainstream media; this has included the Atlantic Bureau Chief of the Globe & Mail and a business reporter for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. He accuses Trout Point and its principals of buying positive publicity, and the mainstream media of being on the take. Conspiracies abound for Mr. Handshoe.
• publishing “comments” on the online version of positive articles, repeating false allegations and linking to his blog. This has included on positive articles in The Independent and The Telegraph newspapers in the UK. Fortunately, the English newspapers have been very responsive in removing the offensive words.
• using Twitter to defame.
• Publishing defamatory comments on the Nova Scotia Travel Forum of TripAdvisor.com (removed after many weeks in publication)
• Publishing–on the balance of probabilities–a negative review of the Lodge on TripAdvisor (removed)
• Publishing 2 fake complaints about Trout Point Lodge on RipOffReport.com (still there–RipOff is notorious for not removing fraudulent materials and sells “arbitration” services)
• Publishing on the blog WolfvilleWatch that Trout Point was somehow involved in a local Nova Scotia scandal involving the Southwest Shore Development Agency (removed)
• Publishing defamatory remarks and links to his blog on Reddit.com (still there). In most of these publications, he disparages the Lodge’s services and alleged policies and acuses it of fraud in addition to linking it to crimes.

In addition to the allegations of involvement in Louisiana corruption and the mafia, Handshoe has also published that Trout Point Lodge is on the verge of bankruptcy  and that Charles Leary lied to and misled the Nova Scotia judiciary. He has also repeatedly published Leary & Perret’s photographs next to defamatory blog posts as well as publishing photographic montages with offensive anti-gay themes. The photographs of Leary & Perret used by Handshoe are the copyrighted material of the National Geographic Society and the Ashoka Foundation, taken while they were delegates to the 2010 Geotourism Summit at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC. Both National Geographic and Ashoka served DMCA take-down notices on wordpress.com’s corporate owner last fall, but the photographs have simply been republished by Handshoe.

Mr. Handshoe had 45 working days (nearly 2 months with weekends and holidays) to defend the Amended Statement of Claim against him in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. This expired on November 18, 2011.

Mr. Handshoe had even more time to respond, but eventually Leary & Perret received a default judgment order against Handshoe on December 12, 2011. This means that he is deemed to admit all of the charges against him, and the only issue remaining is the assessment of damages by a judge.

It is not too surprising that Handshoe did not defend himself in Nova Scotia Supreme Court. He has publicly called the lawsuit a “defamation scam,” and has referred to Canada and Nova Scotia as judicial “hell holes.” He recently called Nova Scotia judges  ”pinheads.” Perret and Leary are preparing for the assessment of damages hearing. Though Handshoe calls the lawsuit a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and states that he is protected by the United States Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (SPEECH) Act, as another sympathetic blog has noted, he likely will not be so lucky. Perret and Leary are steadfast in seeking legall redress, even if Slabbed and others call them “litigious.” Chapter One of this horrendous and taxing affair is drawing to a close, and Chapter Two will soon  begin as Leary, Abel, & Perret begin their journey to have the Nova Scotia judgment enforced in a U.S. court and to file new claims against Handshoe & Co. in a competent U.S. jurisdiction where he can test out his theories about SLAPP and the SPEECH Act protecting his egregious behaviour from legal redress.

UPDATE: Handshoe is determined to use intimidation and extra-legal tactics to deprive Leary, Perret, and Trout Point Lodge of their day in court. Since being served in mid January with Notice of a damages assessment hearing in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Handshoe has amplified his defamation and harassment. One has to wonder how someone with a CPA designation, graduate of a Catholic high school, and the University of Southern Mississippi can misread and misconstrue documents and facts to such a degree–the only answer being his express malice and his fervent hatred of gay people.  This includes misrepresentation of the words of the US Attorney in New Orleans, misrepresentation of court documents, attempted intimidation of witnesses in another civil court action, and overall a continued attempt to link Abel, Leary, and Perret to crimes and criminal conspiracy without an ounce of justification–pure fabrication and innuendo.  When there is an ongoing federal criminal investigation, this is a very dangerous game for Handshoe & Co. to play. Unfortunately for all those touched by his venom, Handshoe is someone with the mentality of a schoolyard bully using the power of the Internet for harassment and intimidation, taking joy in injuring others.

OTHER BLOGS

Other blogs in both Louisiana and Nova Scotia have unfortunately picked up and given credence to the Slabbed defamation, including South Coast Today, published from Shelburne, NS, by a friend of disgruntled former Trout Point Lodge employee Joyce Case-Harlow, who was fired in 2004. (It should be noted that Mr. Broussard has since sold all of his Nova Scotia property holdings). The innuendo on South Coast has included:

• that Leary & Perret have “a defamation claim” against South Coast’s publisher related to “a blog related to SCT” (untrue);
• that “New Orleans [sic] corruption charges” have their roots at Trout Point in Nova Scotia (untrue);
• that Louisiana “officials named in court documents and media stories own properties adjacent to Trout Point Lodge and/or have stayed at the lodge over the years” (untrue, except for Mr. Broussard);
• that “Broussard is the subject of several complaints before the Louisiana Ethics Commission, some of them reportedly connected to charges that he may have operated a ‘shake-down’ scheme in which he enticed vendors doing business with the Parish to rent vacation property he and wife Karen Parker-Broussard owned in the East Kempt Wilderness in Nova Scotia” (untrue, see above and this report);
• that Broussard and his ex-wife rented their Nova Scotia properties directly to third parties (untrue);
• the Broussard’s Nova Scotia partnership Public Works Investments is still active (it has been revoked by the Registry of Joint Stocks since mid 2010);
• that “properties owned by the Broussards and others have been rented at times through a Nova Scotia firm called Kempt Wilderness Lodge Services, whose registered office doubles as a caretaker’s cabin for Trout Point Lodge nearby” (untrue–Kempt Wilderness Lodge Services has never conducted rental activities at Trout Point, nor is it the Lodge’s caretaker’s residence);
• that one of Kempt Wilderness’ partners “had been recently granted land in the area by Trout Point Lodge Ltd.” (untrue);
• that the Times-Picayune only retracted “some of thier [sic] published statements” (untrue, there were 2 blanket retractions, including on the front page of the print edition, above the fold, in bold face font).

In classic bloggers fashion, Handshoe quotes South Coast Today as a Canadian journalistic source, and, visa versa, South Coast quotes from and uses Slabbed as a source of journalistic authority from Louisiana in a stunning whirlwind of false statements of fact.

We at Trout Point have written the above to clarify the questions and concerns that some have raised about the blogosphere allegations, to correct some erroneous online reports, and to set the record straight. We welcome any questions or concerns and can assure that none of this nasty controversy affects the peace and tranquility of the Lodge.

A vast tract of forest, rivers and lakes, Nova Scotia’s Tobeatic Wilderness Area has been called the “wild soul” of the Maritimes. It’s home to black bear, bobcat, moose, river otter and the odd US draft dodger, and when people paddle into it, they can vanish for days.

Then the glossy London Sunday Times travel magazine put Trout Point Lodge amongst its coverage of Canada’s 16 best independent hotels. The Guardian followed in October, 2010, with a travel feature that set the scene:

Built from eastern white spruce, the lodge is a log cabin on a grand scale. Thick trunks form the walls and hummingbirds buzz around the veranda; it feels instantly homely – only with posher linen and better food.

Now within the past few months the Independent chose Trout Point for its “Stay the Night” series, publishing in late October, 2011. Accomplished travel author Sarah Barrell termed the Lodge a “plush and pioneering Canadian retreat.” The beautiful surroundings satisfied a desire to experience pristine wilderness: “It could not be more seductively set, deep in old growth Atlantic forest on the confluence of two, boulder-strewn rivers that are coloured deep amber with peat,” writes Barrell. She also enjoyed the cuisine, noting “Trout Point’s gastronomy looms large on the North American culinary scene.”

In January, 2012, acclaimed writer Nigel Richardson–Deputy Travel Editor at the Telegraph for over a decade and author of 5 books–called the Trout Point “a wilderness lodge with a difference, memorably designed and serving food not to fill your hiking boots but to tickle your palate.” The critical hotel review for his old employer gave the Lodge an overall 8/10 score and honed in on the setting and the food for scores of 9/10. Richardson said of the cuisine: “An innovatory mix of Cajun, Creole and Acadian (French Nova Scotian) dishes using local seafood, plants, mushrooms and herbs from the garden, and homemade cheeses and breads.” He also noted that “light pollution is minimal, making the (organised) stargazing sensational.” Guided star gazing and sky safaris have been a new offering at Trout Point in 2011, which will continue this year.

“Just to be mentioned in the Telegraph‘s series of highly critical hotel reviews is an honour,” said Lodge chef/proprietor Vaughan Perret, adding, “we seem to be the only accommodation in Atlantic Canada the papers has recommended. We also thought that Sarah Barrell’s coverage was great. It’s rewarding with experienced outside reviewers really appreciate what we have to offer.”

Trout Point Lodge is also the only hotel in Atlantic Canada selected for the United Kingdom-based Conde Nast Johansens guide to luxury hotels and spas. Johansens independently inspects each property included in the guide every year.

The new members include 25 in Europe, 7 in Asia, 3 in Australasia and 10 in the Americas, making 2012 a record year for the Association.

Each property contains a breathtaking piece of history, unique charm, the finest service and elegance. Candidates have been selected not only for their culture and art de vivre, but also for their originality, and unparalleled authenticity.

Relais & Châteaux is undoubtedly today the most beautiful way of discovering the world.

A longing for the Deep Blue Sea

Anne de Bretagne (France):  the bracing air of the Jade coast at a contemporary villa and lookout post over the sea
Bellevue Syrene 1820 (Italy):  the Gulf of Naples on the horizon and the Italian jet set in Sorrento
La Peschiera (Italy): a former Bourbon fishery and now the an ultimate resort for lounging seaside on the Adriatic coast
Ocean House (USA):  the New England seashore at the foot of this magnificent Victorian mansion in Rhode Island
Wanakarn Beach Resort & Spa (Thailand): near Phuket, in one of the fifteen villas on the beach
Huka Lodge (New Zealand):  on the banks of the Waikato River just upstream from the mighty Huka falls, far away from it all
Saffire (Australia):  in the middle of Freycinet National Park in Tasmania, on the shores where migrating whales and dolphins come to play
Qualia, Great Barrier Reef (Australia): pavilions of wine maker and sailing enthusiast, Bob Oatley, on Hamilton Island overlooking the Coral Sea

A quest for fine cuisine
Fine cuisine is an obligatory component of the soul and the spirit of the Association, in both its stand-alone restaurants as well as all its hotels. The 2012 Guide includes 14 new Grand Chefs Relais & Châteaux, the elite of this international fellowship of talented chefs. They all, each in their own, individual way, contribute their contemporary signature to the realm fine cuisine.

Kashiwaya Restaurant (Japan):  in the purest Japanese culinary tradition in Osaka.
Le Moût Restaurant (Taiwan):  dishes which inventively combine French expertise and the flavours of Asia.
Del PostoRestaurant (USA): at the heart of New York City with classical Italian dishes revisited at in a contemporary palazzo of mahogany and marble
Marea Restaurant (USA):  on Manhattan’s Central Park South, Italian dishes inspired by the sea
De Lindenhof (Nertherlands):  a magical, almost fairy-tale break, reflected as much in the décor as in the dishes
Chalet de la ForêtRestaurant (Belgium):  on the edge of forest on the outskirts of Brussels
Restaurant Guy Lassausaie (France):  at the gateway to the Beaujolais region
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie (Great Britain): in Scotland in a theatricalsetting
Maison Decoret (France): with inventiveness at the fore; in Vichy in a Napoleon III brick chalet
Ramon Freixa Madrid Restaurant (Spain): superb Mediterranean cuisine, in the Spanish capital
Villa Crespi (Italy): a spectacular Moorish villaon Lake Orta
Hotel Restaurant Spa Rosengarten (Austria): with influences from the Orient, in the heart of the Austrian Alps
Restaurant Europea (Canada):  all-defying experimentation with the local terroir in Montreal
Combal.Zerorestaurant (Italy): cuisine as an artistic expression at the Rivoli Museum of Modern Art, near Turin

A search for solace in nature: wide open spaces and tranquillity
La Bastide (France): in Gascony, at an 18th century charterhouse, with hundred-year-old plane trees in a mock Italian palazzo
Hôtel Au Cœur du Village (France): in the heart of Les Aravis ski resort in La Clusaz
Castillo de Arteaga (Spain):  in Urdabai Natural Park in a castle built at the request of Napoleon III
Ballyfin Demesne (Ireland): the quintessential Irish Regency mansion set in a wonderful garden estate
Greywalls Hotel and Chez Roux (Great Britain):  in Scotland next to the Muirfield golf course
Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island (Great Britain): a 120 hectares island exemplifying the essence of the Highlands
Het Roode Koper (Netherlands): Veluwe forest in the Netherlands, at the former residence of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
Schlosshotel Burg Schlitz (Germany): in the former hunting grounds of one of the finest estates in 19th century architectural style
Hastings House Country House Hotel (Canada):  Head for the gardens on Salt Spring Island, just across from Vancouver
Twin Farms (USA): amidstthe flowers and pristine wilderness of Vermont
The Ranch at Rock Creek (USA):  quintessentially the American Wild West
Awasi (Chile); set among the legendary Atacama desert of geysers, volcanoes and salt flats
Jinmai Brilliant Resort & Spa (China): in the Yunnan province, set amidst the largest ancient tea garden in the world
Bettei Senjuan (Japan): views of the cherry blossoms carpeting of Mount Tanigawa

A thirst for city life

Saint James Paris (France):  a stone’s throw from the Champs Elysée, ‘the most beautiful avenue in the world’, in the capital’s unique château-hotel.
Hotel Le Place d’Armes (Luxembourg): in the historic centre of the town, with an astute combination of different styles
Beau-Rivage Hotel (Switzerland): views of Lake Neuchâtel in every direction
Neri Hotel & Restaurant (Spain): Barcelona from the roof terrace of the medieval palace and 18th century stone-built mansion
The Yeatman (Portugal):  in Porto, imbued with the essence of its wine and local culture
The Surrey Hotel & Spa (USA): an elegantly restored Beaux-Arts townhouseon Manhattan’sUpper East Side
Algodon Mansion (Argentina): a 1920s mansion with an impressive collection of contemporary art in Buenos Aires, at the heart of its chic district, La Recoleta
JE Mansion (China): in the heart of Beijing’s commercial and business district, in a paean to Chinese tradition
Villa Samadhi (Malaysia): a haven of peace at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s urban jungle

Whatever you may be seeking, these 45 Relais & Châteaux properties will amply meet travel and culinary desires of all facets, and will not be at a loss to stimulate new ones… there are still a further 473 properties to discover or re-discover. Follow the Guide.

The Guides, which are celebrating their 30th year of publication, have attracted a loyal readership throughout Europe and the Americas by guaranteeing that each Recommended property undergoes a rigorous annual inspection process to ensure exceptional quality is maintained. A property is specially selected for its dedication to the highest standards of comfort, unique personality, warmth and service, impressive facilities and surroundings. Only then is it awarded the “Condé Nast Mark of Excellence” wall plaque. This distinctive sign is a visible endorsement for more than 10 million of the world’s most discerning and experienced travelers.

“We do all the research for you”, says Lesley O’Malley-Keyes, Condé Nast Johansens Vice President and Publishing Director for the Americas. “Our inspectors visit all the properties to make sure that each meets the exacting standards of the Guides and in turn the expectations of our 10 million readers. The Guides help you to pick your perfect vacation – whether it’s relaxing on a beach at Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos, enjoying an exquisite romantic getaway at the historic country house hotel Blantyre, in Lenox, Massachusetts, or escaping to a luxury lodge resort like the Wickaninnish Inn in British Columbia, Canada. We make it easy.”
For the first time the collection includes full service private villas combining outstanding facilities with privacy.

A breathtaking photo of Kenoa – Exclusive Beach Spa & Resort in Brazil graces the cover of the 2012 edition, and featured new properties include The Mark in NYC, The Betsy in Miami, Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg CA and Llao Llao Hotel & Resort in Patagonia.

The Condé Nast Johansens website (www.condenastjohansens.com), a vital part of the Condé Nast Johansens benefits, reflects the varying ways in which the Guides’ users research hotels and destinations. The user friendly website allows visitors to find a hotel by country, state, island, or by special offer such as “spa” or “beach” breaks. The site also sends an availability request directly to the hotels. Other features of the site include a meeting venue finder, spa finder, special offers, and online gift certificate purchasing.

Readers also interact and find suggestions via the new Condé Nast Johansens social media sites on both Facebook: www.facebook.com/CNJohansens and Twitter: www.twitter.com/CNJohansens. Brand new in early 2012 will be the innovative and interactive Condé Nast Johansens iPad application featuring the entire collection of hotels.

The 2012 Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts and Spas – The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific – and the entire Condé Nast Johansens international collection of guides will be available from mid-November at select bookstores nationwide and major online bookstores. Consumers can also purchase Condé Nast Johansens Guides by calling the US Toll Free +1 800 564 7518 or via the online bookstore at www.condenastjohansens.com.

The complete international collection of Condé Nast Johnasens includes:
Recommended Hotels & Spas, Great Britain and Ireland
Recommended Small Hotels, Inns and Spas, Great Britain and Ireland
Recommended Hotels and Spas, Europe and the Mediterranean
Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts and Spas: The Americas – Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific
Recommended Luxury Spas
Recommended Venues

About Condé Nast Johansens

Condé Nast Johansens is owned by Condé Nast Publications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Advance Publications and Condé Nast International, which publishes a wide portfolio of magazines around the world, including Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, The New Yorker, GQ, Tatler, Vanity Fair, Brides, Glamour and Wired.

Art de vivre topics will include:

• Wines 101 plus themed wine tastings such as Wines of Spain, Bordeaux Regions, or Nova Scotia selections
• Cheese appreciation
• Hot & cold smoking techniques
• Espresso expressions
• Gourmet mushrooms

Planned for May, June, September, and October, 2012, classes will be limited to 10 participants and encompass about 2-3 hours spent learning about special aspects of food & wine.

The cost is $100/person in addition to the regular Lodge rates for room and Half Board.

The purpose of the Art de vivre series is to provide special insight into the finer aspects of living relative to food & drink.

Cheese appreciation will cover the different types of cheese—from soft bodied, surface-ripened ones like Livarot to hard, grating cheese like Reggiano Parmigianno—as well as how to store, age (affinage), and serve cheeses, including the cheese course within a multi-course meal.

Espresso expressions will explore the basics of coffee cultivation, quality, and roasting and then demonstrate how to make the perfect cup of espresso and cappuccino. How to select and operate an espresso machine—including a comparison of 4 different machines at the Lodge—will conclude the class.

The Smoking class will introduce the techniques for infusing seafood and meats with savoury smoke flavour, naturally, including how the Lodge makes its own acclaimed smoked salmon. In the Gourmet mushrooms session, guests will learn about the different kinds & qualities of edible mushrooms—wild & cultivated—as well as how to select and store them.

Trout Point Lodge proprietors Vaughn Perret and Charles Leary operated an award-winning, diversified organic farm before moving to Nova Scotia. They were among a handful of North Americans inducted into the French Guilde des fromagers in 1994 and operated an acclaimed New Orleans restaurant that featured their farm’s organic vegetables, cheeses, and exotic mushrooms. They have cooked at Trout Point since 2000, which has won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence each year since 2007. This year, Departures magazine chose the Lodge among the world’s top 10 foodie getaways.

The Lodge has also announced dates for its 3-day, 2-night Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School program. This all-inclusive culinary vacation including accommodation, meals, hands-on instruction, and field trips will be held May 18-20, 2012: Mediterranean Cuisine with an emphasis on seafood as well as June 15-17 and September 28-30, 2012: Seafood Cookery.

About Trout Point Lodge Nova Scotia’s only member of Relais & Chateaux, the Lodge consists of 7 deluxe guest rooms, 2 suites, and 2 cottages. Trout Point has achieved a 4 1/2 star rating from Canada Select since opening in 2000 and won the inaugural Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award.

A perfect way to give a Trout Point gift is through Gift Certificates purchased online!

Nature trails wind through Trout Point’s 100-acre wooded estate, where astute hikers may glimpse beavers, deer, bears, turtles, eagles, moose, and more. Since the grounds abut the vast Tobeatic Wilderness Area—a rugged expanse of wild rivers, rocky lakes, remote islands, old-growth forests, and remarkable glacial landforms—outdoor activities abound. Swimming, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking, wildlife watching, and catch-and-release fishing are just a few.

Trout Point was also named among the “top 10 for backcountry luxury” by Men’s Journal earlier this year.