The Landings St. Lucia Adds New F&B Team

Resort Appoints Ivan Grondona as Food & Beverage Manager and Richard Tonks as Executive Chef

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. April 16, 2009

APRIL 16, 2009 - The Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort, announces the appointments of Food & Beverage Manager Ivan Grondona and Executive Chef Richard Tonks, who are now showcasing their culinary expertise at the resort's dining venues including The Beach Club restaurant and the Viscount Lounge.

Ivan Grondona brings 14 years of industry experience to St. Lucia. Before arriving to the Caribbean, Grondona worked as the beverage manager at the Renaissance Chancery Court in London for three years alongside The Landings' current Managing Director Richard Lyon. Prior to that, Grondona served as the bar manager at Le Meridien Piccadilly in London, where he was in charge of hiring and training staff and creating the budget. Grondona also held tenure at the Hempel Hotel in London, where he was deputy restaurant manager.

Richard Tonks, who has more than 25 years of fine dining experience, joins The Landings from Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa in The Maldives where he was executive chef in charge of developing menus and implementing innovative concepts. Previously, he was senior resort chef and catering manager at Mark Warner Ski Holidays, overseeing kitchen operations of 14 chalets in the French, Austrian and Italian Alps. Additionally, Tonks has held leadership positions on culinary teams at luxury properties around the globe, including the Sofitel St. James Hotel in London and the Windsor Golf and Country Club in Kenya, as well as CCA International's prestigious private clubs in Hong Kong and London.

"We are excited to welcome Ivan and Richard to the F&B leadership team," said Richard Lyon, managing director of The Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort. "Their combined expertise will undoubtedly enhance the gastronomic experience for our guests as we embark on this new chapter of The Landings, and look ahead to the opening of our fine dining restaurant, The Palms."

The Beach Club at The Landings serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as in-room dining. The menu reflects Caribbean and Mediterranean influences, and utilizes the island's seafood and fruit from local farmers and markets. Culinary creations include regional and international favorites with a twist. The resort's Viscount Lounge, located in the grand arrival pavilion, features premium wines and spirits, a Tapas-style menu and commanding views of the yacht harbor. Scheduled to open in 2009, the resort will unveil an additional gourmet restaurant, The Palms.

The Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort, is the most luxurious full-service resort of its size on the island, spanning 19 acres and nearly 800 feet of St. Lucia's most stunning beachfront. In December 2008, The Landings St. Lucia unveiled 60 new villa suites, bringing the resort's total to 122. Each of the one-, two-, and three-bedroom spacious suites boast a fully equipped kitchen and two large balconies or landscaped terrace, many with heated, jetted plunge pools. The resort offers a private yacht harbor, two tennis courts, three pools, and a 7,000 square-foot RockResorts Spa. The Landings is opening in four phases and will have 231 suites once complete in 2010.

For more information about The Landings St. Lucia, please visit WWW.ROCKRESORTS.COM or call 877-657-ROCK (7625).