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He's one of the best chefs in the world and Peru's culinary ambassador but now Gastón Acurio has his eyes set on launching a series of hotels.
Peru This Week reports the acclaimed chef, who already has restaurants around the world, will expand two of his brands: Marca Chicha and Nativa.
''[Marca] Chicha is the only one of our ventures without plans to expand abroad,'' Acurio told Peruvian media. ''We want to turn Chicha into a Peruvian destination brand, where each location is like a small embassy dedicated to the city in which it stands.''
The chef is currently building his first hotel near Machu Picchu, a venture that costs around $10 million. He is also remodeling a colonial ranch near Peru's capital city of Lima for $4.4 million. Staying at one of his hotels will cost about $400 a night.
Acurio's longterm plans include building hotel-restaurants in lesser known areas of his country such as the Amazon and the scenic mountanious region of Ancash.
Plans for expanding his Nativa brand include opening hotels in Patagonia, Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia. ''We want the Nativa brand to grow and become a leader in Latin America. We want to re-write the rules of hospitality in this continent,'' the chef said.
Acurio's flagship restaurant Astrid & Gastón currently ranks 14th on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.
WATCH: The Trailer For Finding Gastón, A Documentary
