Hotel Effie Sandestin Announces Feb. 2021 Opening and Unveiling of New Culinary Concepts by Acclaimed Chef Hugh Acheson

James Beard Award-Winning Chef Makes Florida Debut at Newest Luxury Hotel on Florida’s Gulf Coast 
 

MIRAMAR BEACH, FL (Oct. 20, 2020) - Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort plans to start 2021 in style with the opening of the new luxury hotel, Hotel Effie Sandestin. Facing setbacks due to COVID-19 that delayed the 2020 opening, Hotel Effie is now confirmed to open February 1, 2021. 

Located between the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Choctawhatchee Bay, Hotel Effie was designed to welcome all guests of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort to an experience that exemplifies genuine southern hospitality and exceptional service wrapped in comfortable luxury. The 250-room hotel features multiple room configurations with thoughtful design and exquisite detail. Taking inspiration from the locale, the fully appointed rooms and suites will welcome guests with a complement of amenities, including an upscale spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, and the only rooftop pool on Florida’s Emerald Coast. Add 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, to include a 13,000 sq. ft. ballroom, plus all of the unique offerings of the hotel and resort, and Hotel Effie is the perfect setting for a dream wedding, corporate meetings, memorable events and unforgettable vacations. 
“Beach to bay accommodations, shopping, dining and championship golf has attracted visitors from all around the globe,” said Sara Becnel, VP of Development and General Manager of the resort. “We are thrilled to pair these resort amenities with the luxurious, yet approachable offerings at Hotel Effie.”

Hotel Effie announced earlier this year an exclusive partnership with Georgia native and award-winning chef, Hugh Acheson, a highly acclaimed James Beard award winner.  Acheson has conceptualized the following four exciting culinary outlets for the hotel:

• Ovide, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, will embrace the fresh, forward flavors and local seafood of the Gulf Coast. The menu showcases Acheson’s creativity and passion for distinctive ingredients and cooking techniques by fusing coastal cuisine with a sophisticated French influence.
• Ara Rooftop Pool & Lounge is both a luxurious pool experience and a stylish rooftop lounge with fine wine, hand-crafted cocktails and original menu by Chef Acheson, where guests can experience the hotel’s vibrant atmosphere and energy. Ara showcases panoramic views, private cabanas, and is the only rooftop pool on Florida's Emerald Coast—truly a unique space for guests and locals alike.
• The Lobby Bar (TLB) is an ideal gathering place and social hub where guests can unwind over creative libations and signature small plates.
• Sweetbay Coffee, a coffee marketplace curated by Acheson, offering a menu of gourmet, grab-and-go selections. 

“We could not be more excited to welcome Chef Acheson as part of the family. His expertise elevates the dining offerings at Hotel Effie to that unlike any other in northwest Florida and is groundbreaking for this area,” said Becnel.

Hotel Effie Sandestin is managed by Highgate, a premier hospitality investment and management company whose growing portfolio includes more than 100 properties in gateway cities worldwide.

Hotel Effie is a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Lifestyle Collection. All guests of Hotel Effie are eligible to enroll in the I Prefer hotel rewards program, which extends points redeemable for cash-value reward certificates, elite status, and special benefits such as complimentary internet to members upon every stay at more than 700 participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts locations worldwide. 

Visit HotelEffie.com to learn more about how to book a vacation, wedding or group event and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  

ABOUT HIGHGATE
Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.

ABOUT HUGH ACHESON
Hugh Acheson is the chef and owner of Five & Ten and The National located in Athens, Georgia, as well as Empire State South and Spiller Park Coffee in Atlanta. He is also the founder of Seed Life Skills, a living, multimedia curriculum built to serve the needs of the modern Family & Consumer Sciences (founded as Home Economics) classroom, empowering youth to be sustainable stewards of food and financial resources. Adding to his list of dining establishments, Acheson opened Atlanta restaurant Empire State South in the summer of 2010 and coffee shop Spiller Park Coffee in November of 2015. Most recently, he opened By George in Atlanta’s historic Candler Hotel in 2019. A six-time James Beard nominee and 2012 winner for Best Chef Southeast, Acheson's fresh approach to Southern food has earned him a great deal of recognition including Food & Wine’s Best New Chef and the Atlanta Journal Constitution Restaurant of the Year. In 2010, Acheson competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters: Season 3.” He returned to the hit series as a judge on “Top Chef” as well as “Top Chef: Duels.” He also hosted Bravo’s online complement to “Top Chef Masters'' Season 5, “Battle of the Sous Chefs.” Acheson's cookbook titled “A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen” won the award for Best Cookbook in the category of “American Cooking” by the James Beard Foundation in 2012. 

ABOUT HOTEL EFFIE 
Hotel Effie, situated on Florida’s Emerald Coast, features 250 guest rooms and suites, four culinary concepts by acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson, a luxury spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, and the only rooftop pool on Florida’s Emerald Coast. The hotel also features 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom. Guests have access to the full complement of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort amenities including more than seven miles of pristine beaches and bayfront, four championship golf courses, 15 world-class tennis courts, a 123-slip marina, and an additional 65,000 square feet of meeting space. Additionally, the Village of Baytowne Wharf, a charming pedestrian village with events, shopping, dining and nightlife, is located within walking distance of Hotel Effie. Visit HotelEffie.com to learn more and follow on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.