The 50 guestroom and suites Casa Colonial Beach & Spa Resort is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Executive Chef, Angel Mejia, who will oversee all restaurant operations. Chef Mejia fuses exotic indigenous influences to create a unique world-class dining experience.

“We are thrilled to have Chef Mejia onboard,” said Luigi Di Ciaccio, general manager of Casa Colonial Beach & Spa. His expertise at some of Miami’s most celebrated restaurants adds to the exceptional hospitality experience for which Casa Colonial is known.”

Trained at the renowned Gordon Center in Washington, D.C., Chef Mejia has served at some of the best known restaurants in the United States and the Caribbean. Most recently, he served as executive chef for the famed China Grill restaurant group in Miami. Prior to the China Grill, Chef Mejia served as executive chef at Bice Grand Café in Miami, Florida.

The signature restaurant, Lucia was designed by famed Dominican designer Sarah Garcia, whose inspiration for Casa Colonial came from a family vacation to the scenic beach town of Forte Dei Marmi in Tuscany, Italy. To create her own version of a sophisticated beach villa in Puerto Plata, she incorporated varying French and Spanish Colonial architectural styles and added a Caribbean influence to Casa Colonial, utilizing local Dominican materials in the design.

The new Lucia menu consists of one-of-a-kind appetizers like Tris-Viche which consists of tuna, lobster and Chilean Sea Bass ceviches in one single dish and main courses like Duck Connection – grilled breast, crispy leg “confit” and fresh Foie Gras served with rum-mango sauce and mashed pumpkin potato. The Lucia restaurant is open daily for dinner and features stunning views of the resort’s tropical mangrove garden, high ceilings, rich wood floors and dramatic draperies. Lucia also offers a private dining room that includes a wine cellar with an extensive selection of fine wines, including the Ferragamo line of wines.

In addition to Lucia, Chef Mejia will also oversee the resort’s Veranda restaurant which is open for breakfast and lunch and features indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the ocean. Further, guests relaxing at Casa Colonial’s rooftop infinity pool can snack on items from the pool snack bar. Chef Mejia will update both menus to offer guests additional choices focusing on local cuisine.

In addition to the Lucia, Veranda and the pool snack bar, the state-of-the-art Bagua Spa featuring indigenous treatments, fitness center, room service, meeting room, wedding pavilion and private transfer to the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course., guests can also enjoy stunning views of the ocean from the extraordinary third floor rooftop Infinity pool, featuring four Jacuzzi pools and a teak deck with chaise lounges and bar.

Designed by renowned architect, Sarah Garcia, Casa Colonial Beach & Spa was fashioned as a home or “casa” and exudes classic Dominican plantation estate allure. The property was the first member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World in the Dominican Republic, is a member of the prestigious Virtuoso Hotel’s & Resorts Program and was awarded the AAA Four Diamond honor for both the hotel and its gourmet restaurant Lucia.

About Casa Colonial Beach & Spa Resort
Founded in 1988 by esteemed Dominican entrepreneur, Don Isidro Garcia, Victoria Hotels, now VH Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and has established itself as an icon of service and value for travelers to this exotic destination. In December 2004, VH Hotels & Resorts added Casa Colonial Beach & Spa, the first five-star luxury boutique hotel in Puerto Plata and the first Small Luxury Hotel of the World member in the Dominican Republic, to its portfolio. VH Hotels & Resorts also owns Gran Ventana Beach Resort and Victoria Golf & Beach. Defined by elegant architecture, superb amenities and gracious service, each property is uniquely designed and offers a true taste of the Dominican Republic. Ideally situated along the sun kissed shores of Playa Dorada, each resort boasts prime locations for sand, sun and golf, just a stroll away from all of the hot nightlife, international shopping, fine dining and recreational activities that Puerto Plata has to offer.