Saint Lucia’s Cap Maison has always been the island’s premier culinary destination, with an all-encompassing focus on gastronomy, from Chef Craig Jones’ culinary masterpieces to the endlessly lovely walk-in wine cellar.

Now, the resort is upping its game, becoming the latest Caribbean hotel to join the Relais & Chateaux portfolio. Cap Maison had to meet the association’s criteria for “excellence and outstanding cuisine,” anchored in core values of local focus, humanity, sharing and commitment.

“Relais & Châteaux is an association I have admired for a long while and I am delighted that we have become a member of their group of distinguished independent hotels,” said general manager Ross Stevenson, who has been at the helm of the 50-room resort since it first opened in 2008. “This is the culmination of a journey that has seen our restaurant The Cliff at Cap, led by the talented Chef Craig Jones receive great reviews for his refined French-Caribbean fusion cuisine. Our priority has always been on personalized service, staff training and retention, and we have recently refurbished all our communal areas and suites to ensure a comfortable, stylish and elegant stay for our guests.”

The resort, perhaps best known for its celebrated Cliff at Cap restaurant, is set at the northern tip of Saint Lucia, perched above a beautiful cliffside beach (alongside the spectacular Naked Fisherman beach bar).

“I am delighted to welcome this new member to the Relais & Châteaux collection, complementing our other properties in the world,” said Laurent Gardinier, president of Relais & Chateaux. “We share with Cap Maison a taste for authenticity and a respect for the terroir–they are dedicated to preserving and sharing the culinary, cultural, architectural and natural heritage of their region.”

Cap Maison is the epicenter of hospitality energy in northern Saint Lucia, which is getting another boost with the imminent debut of Cabot’s highly-anticipated new Point Hardy Golf Club and luxury community, the most anticipated new golfing destination in the Caribbean in decades.

There are now seven Relais & Chateaux-branded resorts in the wider Caribbean, with locations in Dominica, Anguilla, Cap Cana, St Barth, The Bahamas, Grenada and now Saint Lucia.

For more, visit Cap Maison.