HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – DECEMBER 2015

In this issue: meeting package deals you will want to book
Florida Culinary Students win French education trip
NEW ONE-STOP MEETING WEBSITE FOR LOS ANGELES
meetLA.com is the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s new website designed for meeting professionals seeking to book business in that famed city. Critical tools include:
Find a Venue – Users can discover L.A.’s robust portfolio of venues including hotels, unique event spaces or the Los Angeles Convention Center and filter between L.A.’s regions, attendee numbers (from 50 to thousands), meeting room totals and minimum square footage to immediately obtain targeted results.
Compare Venues – Selected locations can then be quickly compared with detailed descriptions and up-to-date meeting room specifications.

• Interactive Mapping – An integrated Google map displays selected venue locations, estimated distances, nearby attractions and public transportation routes.Readily accessible from all mobile devices, info will be current for new and refreshed hotels, group dining, green meetings and airport options. Planners can easily contact L.A. Tourism sales staff directly with a click of a phone number or email.

http://www.meetLA.com.

• For the past six Decembers, I have been a judge for the annual Orange County Public Schools Culinary Competition, a part of the Florida statewide Pro-Start Competition. I revel in the skills in which these culinary and hospitality students are being groomed. After all, they represent our future chefs, caterers, kitchen and hotel staff. So it is with great joy that I applaud The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Broward Chapter for presenting a $2,500 check to the J.P. Taravella High School students to participate in an international culinary exchange program. These students were selected after winning first place at Florida’s statewide ProStart competition in 2014, which allowed them to compete nationally in Minnesota. The check enables them to travel from December 29 through January 9, 2016 and study at one of France’s top hospitality schools, Lycée hotelier Georges Frêche. “As we grow the tourism industry in South Florida, it is critical that we develop a strong ‘bench’ to ensure the ongoing success of our destination as a world-class venue. Our participation and support of educational programs such as Florida ProStart and the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, shows our commitment in developing our leaders of tomorrow in an industry that is so critical to the success of our state, county, city and overall destination.  The students traveling to France on this exchange program represent some of our best and brightest,” said FRLA Broward Chapter President and Sonesta Ft. Lauderdale General Manager, Eduardo Fernandez.

 
 
 

• CULINARY STUDENTS TAKE FLIGHT TO FRANCE
• Readily accessible from all mobile devices, info will be current for new and refreshed hotels, group dining, green meetings and airport options. Planners can easily contact L.A. Tourism sales staff directly with a click of a phone number or email.

www.FRLA.org;
COMING SOON! 
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Caesars Palace Las Vegas’ iconic original tower, the Roman Tower, is being reborn. With a birth date set for January 1, 2016, the $75 million renovation of the newly named 587-room Julius Tower is part of a $1 billion investment. “As we enter into our milestone golden anniversary year, we continue to reinvent Rome…and Las Vegas,” said Gary Selesner, Caesars Palace regional president. “We set the standard of luxury when we first opened our doors almost 50 years ago and are proud to continue to raise the bar for excellence in every way.”  As one might anticipate, Roman-inspired décor, furniture, and color palette amp up the theme. Neutral colors are accented with a pop of freesia yellow and a touch of Aegean blue. The two-toned stone pattern in the bathroom and a double sink floating vanity should appeal to travelers. The new Julius Tower rooms also feature custom artwork that combines photographs of Roman statues with artistic hand drawn costumes meant to inspire the notion of a Caesars Palace themed Vegas “show girl.” Important to planners: Julius Tower is in close proximity to the Caesars Palace Conference Center. The state-of-the-art facility features 300,000 sf of elegant classical Roman design that can be configured into 25 separate breakout rooms. www.CaesarsMeansBusiness.com
I can hear the roaring RAH of the Dallas Cowboys when the 300-room luxurious Omni Frisco Hotel opens in 2017 as the cornerstone of The Star development. The hotel will be anchored by the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and The Ford Center, possibly the largest indoor stadium for amateur football in the country with seating for 12,000. “The design and style of the hotel will honor the history of the Dallas Cowboys and the unbelievable progress of the city of Frisco. This hotel will be a true collaboration that reflects the local flavor of Frisco,” said Mike Deitemeyer, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. The Omni Frisco Hotel is expected to capture the essence of Frisco’s motto “Progress in Motion” and will honor the Dallas Cowboys rich history. The 16-story hotel will contain artwork featuring sketches of Cowboys Ring of Honor inductees and a fourth-floor rooftop pool and deck to accommodate up to 400 guests. Vital to meeting planners, the Omni Frisco Hotel will have 24,000 sf of meeting space, inclusive of a 13,000 sf ballroom.
Beverly Garlington, Omni’s global director of sales for the southwest: bgarlington@omnihotels.com; (512) 840-1551; www.omnihotels.com; (800) The-Omni
HOT DEALS!          

Book the exclusive Brockett Hall in London between January and April for a 24-hour conference and receive a smashing deal of 275 pounds per person. Located 22 miles from Central London, this package also includes: exclusive use of Brocket Hall with traditional Butler service; Three servings of tea, coffee and biscuits; Light lunch; Three-course dinner with coffee and chocolates; and an Overnight stay with full English breakfast.
Julie @ 01707 368700; events@brocket-hall.co.uk
Book your next meeting of at least 15 rooms for two nights at the recently-renovated Shula’s Hotel by March 31, 2016 and get concessions that include two complimentary junior suite upgrades for VIPs; one complimentary drink for each guest upon check-in, and 20% off guest room attrition. There are discounts for AV equipment rental, no resort or parking fees, and even free meeting space. There’s more, but you have to make that call or send an email to find out all the details. Shula’s Hotel is 12 miles from Miami International Airport and 22 from Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
Maria Pellitero, (305) 820-8053; maria.pellitero@donshulahotel.com

Looking to heat up winter’s chill? Head to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii for a savings of 30% on five-night stays or 25% for four-night stays. Book by March 21, 2015. The deal is good for most stays from April 3 through June 13. Book early and get an extra $50 resort credit for each night of the stay if you reserve through January 10.
Design Hotels has some special offers in Spain, Austria, Germany, Colombia, and France. They are premier hotels, many boutique sized. Too many fabulous places and amenities to name. Judge for yourself.
www.designhotels.com
Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries.  She is a Contributing Editor-Writer for Prevue Magazine and is an active member of ISES and MPI. She writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, Karen has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. karenkuzsel@earthlink.net; www.ThePsychicLady.com; @karenkuzsel; @thepsychiclady