Zemi Beach House (Zemi), the award-winning boutique property nestled on Shoal Bay East announced the promotion of Chef Emanuele Sabatini to Executive Chef of Zemi Beach House’s culinary team. Additionally, Zemi Beach House announced Eduard Balan is joining the expert bar team as their newest Rhummelier, alongside veteran Princess Anthony. Sabatani and Balan’s experience will be a great contribution to Zemi’s food and beverage team as Anguilla continues to pave the road to becoming the Caribbean’s culinary capital.

Born in Rome, Chef Sabatani’s passion for cooking surfaced at an early age. Prior to joining Zemi’s culinary team as Sous Chef in October 2021, Sabatani attended Scuola Alberghiera Ladispoli (a hospitality school) in 1993 and began his career as Chef de Partie at Hotel Columbus in 1999. In 2006, Sabatani had the opportunity to work for major events such as Festival del Cinema, institutional dinner in Villa Madama and an event in the Olympic Stadium in Rome, followed by becoming a part of the official restaurant at the Italian Pavilion at World Expo in 2008. Sabatani’s extensive international experience continues at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, where he decided to stay in China and work for Radisson Blu for seven years.

“Joining Zemi Beach House’s culinary team here on the beautiful island of Anguilla has given me a sense of freedom to be as creative as I can be with the use local ingredients such as sustainably fresh-caught fish and lobster,” says Chef Sabatani. “As the upcoming Anguillan Culinary Festival will showcase, Anguilla is on track to be the culinary capital of the Caribbean, and with the assistance of my wonderful culinary team and the whole-hearted people of Anguilla, I’m looking forward to delivering a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at Zemi Beach House.”

The news comes on the heels of Anguilla’s first Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE), an epicurean festival taking place May 11th-15th. Zemi Beach House will be participating with a VIP Rum Tasting event at the famous Rhum Room where guests will be able to savor selections from the resort’s 100 small-batch, single-estate rums. Leading the VIP Rum Tasting will be Zemi’s newest Rhummelier, Eduard Balan, as well as Princess.

“Zemi’s atmosphere at the famous Rhum Room offers an incredibly unique experience to guests, and I’m excited to work alongside Princess and the team to mesmerize Zemi’s customers with an explosion for the senses through a new style of mixology with creative flair and rare techniques,” says Rhummelier Eduard. “Our ACE VIP Rum tasting event will allow guests and travelers from all over to truly experience and discover the many different styles and taste profiles offered here at the Rhum Room and on the island.”

Eduard Balan found his passion for the hospitality industry while working for several Michelin-starred restaurants and Chefs in Italy, where he quickly learned the art of pairing drinks with food to create the perfect marriage of flavors. After moving to the U.K. in 2014, Balan was Bar Manager at Aqua Shard, followed by becoming the Bar Manager at D&D in London. In 2017, Balan participated in the Waqar Pisco Cocktail competition winning 1st place in the U.K. out of 45 opponents, and third place in Europe.

“Chef Sabatani and Rhummelier Eduard have been a tremendous asset to Zemi’s F&B team, and we’re excited to share our savory flavors with the world at the upcoming ACE event,” says Antoine Alsayah, Director of Sales & Marketing.

In anticipation of the upcoming ACE event, Zemi Beach House is offering three packages to travelers for stays from May 9th-17th of May. Offers include: The Foodie, The Gourmet and The Connoisseur.

Over the course of the last year, Zemi was awarded a recommended property by 2022 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards, #3 Best Caribbean Resort by USA Today 2022 Reader’s Choice Awards, Wellness Hotel of the Year by Caribbean Journal, #4 Best Hotel in the Caribbean and #2 in Anguilla by U.S. News & World Report 2022. Current offers include Another Night on Us, where guests are treated to the fifth night free, in addition to the Sweeten Your Stay Package with $75 daily resort credit.

Zemi features two main restaurants and unique dining and wellness experiences, including the Rhum Room and the Zemi Thai Spa, set in a 300-year-old Thai House with 15,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor space. Additionally, guests staying with Zemi can experience three extraordinary pools with cabanas accompanied by personal poolside service as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a grass tennis court, morning vinyasa flow yoga sessions and beach volleyball. Accommodations include rooms and residence-style beachfront and penthouse suites with fully accessorized kitchens, private terraces, wine fridges and in-suite washer and dryers, to name a few.

Zemi Beach House is part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 17 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi and access to the Hilton Honors mobile app. Zemi Beach House is an approved property meeting all CDC guidelines and Hilton Clean Stay standards.