Portico Luxury Villa Collection Launches Food-Focused Vacations

Designed exclusively to meet the needs of families seeking an alternative to typical hotel and dining experiences, Portico's new Gourmet Pantry program and portfolio of Sur La Table Holiday Homes seamlessly blend the inspiring flavors of a gourmet escape within the comforts of a home-away-from-home.

In response to growing consumer demand for pairing luxury escapes with inventive cuisine, Portico and Sur La Table will unveil two curated offerings for travelers. Portico's new Gourmet Pantry enhances the club's existing personalized pre-trip grocery-stocking services with a selection of ingredients from Sur La Table that cater to both regional and global palettes. Additionally, the club's new seasonal collection of Holiday Homes enables members to celebrate the holiday season in residences decorated for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah - with kitchens equipped with essential cooking tools from Sur La Table to create memorable holiday meals.

“What is one of the defining features that sets us apart from luxury hotels? Our gourmet kitchens,” says Cathy Ross, COO of Portico. “The kitchen is the heart of every home, a place where you spend time with the ones you love. Portico's partnership with Sur La Table brings families together in the kitchen and around the table by creating a residence that truly feels like their own home. The one difference from your home and ours? You don't have to do the dishes on a Portico vacation – we've got that covered thanks to daily housekeeping in all of our residences.”

Portico Holiday Homes

Reservations are now open to Portico members for stays in any of Portico's four Holiday Homes available from November 1, 2013 – January 31, 2014. Located in the premiere Colorado destinations of Beaver Creek, Vail, Telluride and Snowmass, each Portico Holiday Home will feature kitchen essentials hand-selected by Sur La Table along with recipes and guides for Thanksgiving or other holiday entertaining. Adding to the exclusive Sur La Table items, each kitchen will be stocked with top-of-the-line brands including: KitchenAid®, Le Creuset, Chicago Mettalic® and Kuhn-Rikon. To further enhance the holiday experience, each home will be outfitted with festive seasonal décor and a table impeccably decorated for a meal with family and friends.

“Food and travel go hand in hand. We are excited to provide the tools, inspiration and expertise to those eager to create holiday meals while on vacation. For Portico members, carrying on food-focused traditions doesn't have to end simply because they choose to get away,” says Eli Winkler, VP of Marketing for Sur La Table.

Portico's Gourmet Pantry

Portico's Gourmet Pantry, curated by Sur La Table, provides members with a comprehensive selection of home kitchen necessities that range from illy® Coffee and Stonewall Kitchen® Farmhouse Pancake Mix to Sur La Table DOP Genovese-Basil Italian Pesto and Italian Tagliatelle Pasta. Priced at $218.20* the standard kit can be pre-ordered and shipped to Portico residences nationwide prior to a member's arrival by their Escapist SM, there to assist each member with pre-trip planning. To further enhance the culinary experience, Portico members will have the opportunity to add a selection of locally inspired items that complement locations in which the Gourmet Pantry is available such as Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company's Maine Clambake for a stay in New England or D'Artagnan Frenched and Denuded Rack of Lamb for a weekend in Sonoma.

Sur La Table joins Portico's expanding offering of culinary inspired travel, which includes its recently announced Chef Series. Debuting with famed Aspen chef, Andreas Fishbacher, Portico's Chef Series features custom recipes and private chef experiences with world-renowned experts. Since launching in May 2012, Portico has expanded its reach to more than 64 of the world's most sought-after destinations, seeking to re-define the future of family travel and burgeoning trend of multi-generational travel by offering a carefully curated collection of one- to eight-bedroom luxury residences appealing to couples, friends and families alike.

*Pricing for the standard Gourmet Pantry includes tax and shipping. Orders must be placed with an Escapist 5-7 days prior to arrival.

For more information on the Sur La Table Holiday Home and Gourmet Pantry program, visit https://www.porticoclub.com/surlatable