The prestigious Relais & Chéteaux association has long provided the discerning traveller with the best private hotels and fine restaurants worldwide. This year, the membership-based hotel and restaurant group adds 45 new members to its collection. Relais & Chéteaux also announces Paulo Coelho, the acclaimed Brazilian author and travel connoisseur, as its 2012 Ambassador. He features in the guide and has written a charming introduction.

This year, three of the new hotel members are in Australia and New Zealand - qualia resort on Hamilton Island, Saffire Freycinet resort in Tasmania and Huka Lodge at Taupo. They are promoted in the new guide, distributed to 800,000 of the world's most discerning travellers and restaurant-goers each year.

Boutique resort qualia has become an iconic Australian resort since it opened in 2007. At the secluded northern tip of Hamilton Island, qualia offers stunning views across the Coral Sea and Whitsunday Islands. Renowned worldwide as a premier retreat, qualia is for spirited travelers wishing to seek out sensory perfection for the body and soul.

On Tasmania's East Coast, nestled in the secluded Freycinet Peninsula is Saffire, a premium boutique property designed to enrich and uplift with its unique environment. Overlooking the wide expanses of Great Oyster Bay, Saffire is a remarkable coastal sanctuary completely in touch with the beauty and depth of nature.

In central north New Zealand is Huka Lodge, at Taupo, a secluded retreat set on 17 acres of stunning parkland, where peace and tranquility are paramount to providing guests with an exclusive hospitality experience. With its unrivaled location on the Waikato River, this boutique lodge is the definitive heritage retreat and one of New Zealand's most long-established lodges, which was first established as a humble fishing camp in the 1920s.

The three new members join Jacques Reymond Restaurant in Melbourne, Tower Lodge in New South Wales' wine region Hunter Valley, Jonah's at Whale Beach in Sydney and Tetsuya's Restaurant in Sydney. In New Zealand there are: The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs on Matauri Bay, Mollie's Hotel of Auckland, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay, Otahuna Lodge in Canterbury, Whare Kea Lodge and Chalet on Lake Wanaka, Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown and in Tahiti, Le Taha'a Island Resort and Spa.

About Relais & Ch�teaux

 Relais & Ch'teaux is an exclusive collection of 518 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 60 countries.

Established in France in 1954, the Association's mission is to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character.

Furthermore, Relais & Chéteaux is also a family of hoteliers and Grands Chefs from all over the world who share a passion for and a personal commitment to ensuring their guests is privy to moments of exceptional harmony. To choose Relais & Chéteaux is to experience an unforgettable celebration of the senses.

From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa, Relais & Chéteaux offers a chance to explore the Route du Bonheur and discover a special place in a variety of destinations. More details....