Wednesday, March 6, 2013

News from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts


Suite Welcomes at The Savoy
The luxury of a suite stay at The Savoy in London now starts before guests even arrive at the iconic front entrance on the Strand.  For guests staying in a one-bedroom suite or above, the grand dame has introduced The Savoy Suite Welcome to ensure that this luxurious property becomes a home away from home. The welcome begins before the guest leaves home with a call from a Savoy butler.  They inquire about any special requests that the team can organize; whether it be a preferred choice of Champagne, tickets to a must-see West End show or simply if a guest likes brown or white toast.  The service also includes complimentary perks such as round trip transfers from all London airports and railway stations, courtesy car drop off within a 3 mile radius (subject to availability), beverages from the in-room private bar, pressing of one garment per person, dedicated 24-hour butler service, high-speed wifi and a welcome amenity. Rates for suites start from £1,095.

Celebrating 2013 Fairmont Birthdays
With an enviable collection of landmark hotels that run from historic treasures to modern marvels, Fairmont hotels are celebrating a number of landmark birthdays and anniversaries this year. One of the world’s most iconic hotels, The Fairmont Banff Springs, turns 125 years young and has a full roster of events and activities planned. Close on its heels and with major renovations in store for 2013 is Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which celebrates 120 years as the world’s most photographed hotel with a new package for guests. On the opposite side of Canada, The Fairmont Empress will be blowing out 105 candles in charming Victoria, British Columbia with special offers in store for guests. Outside of Canada, a few sister hotels are marking milestones of their own – in South Africa Fairmont Zimbali Lodge will celebrate its crystal anniversary of 15 years since opening on the beach in KwaZulu-Natal, while in Boston Fairmont Battery Wharf is looking forward to starting their 5th year in the historic North End Waterfront. In Arizona, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is celebrating a quarter century of luxury.


Gold Key Concierges at Fairmont
Boasting 70 Les Clefs d’Or concierges across the Fairmont brand, Fairmont Jaipur’s Gungun Girish has the distinction of being the first woman in Rajasthan working as a Clefs D’or Chief Concierge. Gungun joins an esteemed tradition of highly trained concierges at Fairmont which includes Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s Anne Mckenna, the first female Clefs D’or member at Fairmont – celebrating her 25th year with the hotel in 2013, and Tom Wolfe, America’s very first concierge. Tom arrived at The Fairmont San Francisco in 1974 after traditional concierge training in Europe. As the founder of Les Clefs d’Or in The United States, Tom with Anne and Gungun are part of a long line of Fairmont concierges inducted into this elite organization, which admits only the most talented concierges across the world.

Shut-Eye in Scottsdale
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has debuted Well & Being at Willow Stream, which features a comprehensive program of services, treatments, activities and retreats that include medically guided, personalized and fully integrated wellness programs. One such offering, the Zeo Sleep Manager treatment, lets guests monitor how well they’re sleeping, how many times they wake up and how deep they slumbered. During their stay they can simply drop by the spa desk to pick up a Zeo and come back the following morning to receive personalized results along with sleep tips and recommendations. For guests who want to know more, a sleep consultation with the resort’s Intentional Living physician can be booked.

Brazilian Churrascaria Makes its way to Dubai
Brazilian Churrascaria has come to Dubai, where Frevo at the just opened Fairmont The Palm is the newest hotspot for travelers in the mood for fun, frivolity and flavor.  Succulent cuts of meat, all served in espeto corridor style, are made in the traditional style of South Brazil where skewers of lamb, beef and chicken are carved at the table.  Boasting a large selection of exotic and colorful salads with a ‘Salad-ista’ preparing customized dishes for guests, Frevo also features a large collection of cachaça (a Brazilian distilled beverage made of sugar cane) based cocktails, including the world famous Caipirinha.  Live music each night brings the vibrant tempo of Brazilian carnival to the resort.

Glow-in-the-Dark Golf
Night Golf at The Turtle Hill Golf Club at The Fairmont Southampton is a sight to see: a glow-in-the-dark Texas Scramble tournament – held completely in the dark.  Guests are given rental clubs and glowing balls and are guided along the course by glowing beacons, making it an evening of golf like no other.  Special prizes are in store for the best scores and best dressed, and in summer, it is a great way to work off dinner, with tee times starting from 9pm. In the winter, guests can fit in a few holes pre-dinner with a 5pm tee time, thus “earning” a decadent post-game meal. A fun way to play one of the best par-3 courses in the world, Night Golf is played every Thursday, and can also be arranged at other times for custom group golf outings. Serious golf lovers looking for a more challenging tournament can try the Bacardi World Par-3 Championship, coming up March 22-24 and featuring a two-day, 36-hole championship golf tournament at The Fairmont Southampton.

Street Eats in Vancouver
Vancouver has become renowned for the abundance of ‘meals on wheels’ with a vastly growing Vancouver Food Cart population featuring over 100 carts found around the city. Food Cart cuisine ranges from BBQ and Fish Tacos to Dim Sum and home style Grilled Cheese – there’s a truck to tickle every taste-bud. Together with Vancouver Foodie Tours, Fairmont Pacific Rim has created a package that includes luxurious accommodation, welcome amenity, daily breakfast, a World’s Best Street Eats Tour for two with local Vancouver Foodie Tours, and a food cart city map to note all the favorites. The package starts at $599 CAD per night.

The Art of Cooking
This year a full roster of cooking classes is on the menu at Fairmont Pittsburgh’s acclaimed Habitat restaurant.  For novices and experienced culinaires alike, the courses take place the first Saturday of every month from 1-3pm and cover topics from romantic dinners to Mardi Gras cuisine, sushi and sake lessons, healthy cooking and more. Foodies and cooks of all experience levels are invited to participate in the fun and interactive classes.  Cost is $65 USD per person per class and includes all instruction, materials, an apron and lunch following the course. In Ukraine, Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv is offering a Chef's Apprentice Package for travelers who want to learn to cook an elegant meal for two. An early-morning tour by Audi A8 to Bessarabskiy Market is led by the hotel’s Executive Chef, where guests will select fresh ingredients, which will be showcased in a customized dinner for two prepared by the Chef that evening. A sustainable gift bag filled with fruit sweets prepared by Chef is also included. Rates start at €745.

Japanese Tradition Comes to Singapore
At Fairmont Singapore, Mikuni restaurant is celebrating Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival or Girl’s Day) for the first time in Singapore with a lunch bento and dinner kaiseki menu especially designed for ladies. Traditionally celebrated in Japan on March 3, ornamental dolls are displayed on red carpeted platforms during Hina Matsuri and loved ones unite in prayer for young girls’ happiness and growth. Executive Chef Moon Kyung Soo draws inspiration from the tradition of presenting clam shells during Hina Matsuri, which symbolizes a peaceful and united couple. His Bara Chirashi Mikuni Style is presented in gold and silver tinted clam shells and reveals a coveted treasure of rice, salmon, uni, caviar, sesame and clams. For a sweet and memorable end to the meal, Chef Moon will prepare a pink colored Sakura Mochi and Mikuni Hina Candy. Traditionally served during Hina Matsuri, Chef Moon’s version of mochi is infused with the flavor of seasonal cherry blossoms. Wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf, it is accompanied by an addictively sweet red and white hina candy. The lunch bento is available at $58 SGD per person, while the 7-course Kaiseki menu is priced at $158 SGD per person.

Families Buzzing with Excitement in Vancouver
In Vancouver, artists are known for taking inspiration from nature, and The Fairmont Waterfront wants to bring this experience to visiting children. Granting young visitors a chance to connect with the environment, show off their creative abilities and get rewarded for it, the hotel is proud to partner with the Get to Know Society to inspire youth to go on outdoor adventures and learn about busy pollinating bees and urban green spaces. Families who visit the concierge desk can request all the necessary supplies to create a piece of artwork of the hotel’s happy hives and to book a fun and informational tour of the honeybee apiary and rooftop garden, filled with over 550,000 resident honeybees. Once their masterpiece is complete, the onsite FedEx Office will scan the image and help enter it into a draw for an exciting Pollinator Week prize pack. For each family who enters the contest, The Fairmont Waterfront will give them a copy of the acclaimed book, Big City Bees.

Say Cheese!
In the heart of Quebec, Executive Chef Serge Jost at Fairmont Le Château Montebello has brought buying local to a new level.  This year Chef Jost worked with the Fromagerie Montebello, located down the street from the château, to help develop a new type of cheese similar to the one found in his hometown in France.  This collaboration resulted in a wonderful partnership that continues to flourish - in addition to the special “Crème Fraîche” style cheese these two cheese lovers created, the resort now also uses the popular Tête-à-Panineau Cheese and a wonderful Blue Cheese called Rebelion from the Fromagerie in the kitchen.

Plunge into Paradise
Starting in 2013, Fairmont Mayakoba in Mexico’s Riviera Maya is offering complimentary sea kayaking for all hotel guests. The exhilarating experience takes place close to the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest in The Americas, offering an incredible adventure for adults and children alike. Single or double kayaks are available for couples and families to have fun while surfing the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, and probably even spot a fish or two! For couples, a new dining experience for two is available onboard a private lancha. With the utmost privacy the experience begins at El Puerto for couples to sail the "Venice of the Caribbean" savoring a three-course dinner that ends with dessert at Las Brisas’ dock. Rates for dinner start at $200 USD.

Falcons on the Team at Fairmont Jaipur
The falcon is classified as a schedule 1 highly endangered species according to the Wildlife Protection Act, but this majestic animal has found a home at the new Fairmont Jaipur in India. In the ancient times, falconry was a sport practiced by the Royal families, who hunted wild quarry using trained birds of prey. Shahid Khan, the only living Indian UNESCO certified falconer in India, is the proud owner of four falcons, and even boasts his own captive breeding program. Originally from Jaipur, Shahid comes from a long line of falconers and works with Fairmont Jaipur to keep pigeons away from the hotel.


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