Domestic

An updated installment of Red Lion Hotels Corporation’s Americana Classics Culinary Series was available April 10 through June 30 in food & beverage outlets and room-service at 31 participating full-service hotels. Seasonal items included in the newest Americana Classics Culinary Series menu were jalapeño bites, spring shrimp and fruit salad, big Bleu Angus burger, and warm sweet cherry cobbler. Posters, food menu inserts, cocktail menu inserts,a nd guestroom table tents were used throughout participating hotels to promote the menu selections. (See "Red Hot" for a complete description of Red Lion's F&B initiative.)

Guy Hemond was promoted to the position of Corporate F&B Manager for Omni Hotels. Hemond will continue to retain his title as director of F&B for the Omni Boston Parker House and have the dual responsibility of carrying out corporate F&B duties assigned to him. Highlights of Hemond’s career include an appointment to the Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts curriculum advisory counsel in 2004, as well as being named Food & Beverage Director of the Year 2003 for Hotel F&B Executive Magazineand Omni Hotels Operations Exec of the Year 2003.

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas opened its 2,846-square-foot, 209-seat covered outdoor patio amidst a garden poolside setting at Verandah. Featuring comfortable banquette-style seating, overhead ceiling fans, and large palms, the Verandah serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days per week.

Huntington Beach-based Broughton Hospitality Group has hired Cheryl Welch as GM of their recently opened Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon in northern California. Welch’s management background in the hospitality industry ranges from catering sales manager, to F&B director, to GM in varied and prestigious organizatons such as Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Piccolinos Italian Restaurant, and the French Laundry. Welch joins the Broughton team from the Hidden Valley Lake Association in Lake County, California where she served as Food and Beverage Director for the past four years.

The Old House restaurant, located at Santa Fe’s Eldorado Hotel & Spa, unveils new menus under the direction of the award-winning restaurant’s newly appointed executive chef, Paul Wade. Wade introduced new menus that feature an innovative culinary cuisine blending local ingredients and contemporary American influence of the region. Wade’s flavor-driven menus integrate Southwest products highlighting local ingredients. He plans to work with area farmers and growers to ensure that he fully utilizes and showcases all the local resources at his disposal. Sample menu items include the Maverick Ranch Shaved Beef Ribeye Sandwich; Tuscan Kale & Ricotta Ravioli; Chileño Ranch Duckling; Bee Keeper’s Honey Spice Cake and a tasting of “single origin” El Rey chocolates. To complement the new cuisine, the Old House has also undergone renovations including a redesigned lobby entrance and enhanced furnishings and artwork.

With many airlines charging for meals, the Carnegie Deli and Buckingham Hotel Manhattan paired up in May to provide traveling guests a box to-go lunch. With the NYC To Go package, suite guests received a hand-delivered box lunch of raditional New York lunchtime fare: Carnegie Deli’s legendary and huge corned beef on rye sandwich, pickles, and a Dr. Browns Crème Soda. Carnegie Deli is a nationally known quintessential Jewish “kosher style” delicatessen located at Fifty-fifth and Seventh Avenue in New York. The Buckingham Hotel, now celebrating its 75th anniversary, is located on 57th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan and has hosted the world's top classical musicians and othe celebrities for generations. Amenities at the Buckingham include a complete pre-arrival concierge service, full-service business center, inroom high-speed anywhere-Internet connection, wired meeting space, Patrons’ Lounge (showing Carnegie Hall-themed movies every night), and a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center with private shower and sauna.

The Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake, California, made its debut on April 1 as Lake County’s first and only boutique hotel. The Tallman Hotel is a Victorian hotel with an adjoining saloon and stagecoach stop that was originally built in the 1890s when Upper Lake was frequented by gun-toting cowboys and visitors to the area’s many hot springs. Over the years, the hotel went through various name changes and eventually fell into disrepair. The Tallman Hotel has now been lovingly restored and the adjacent Blue Wing Saloon has been recreated, using historic photos to capture the original look and feel. The hotel is decorated in a rustic chic aesthetic with antiques, custom handcrafted furniture, and hand-painted murals. The authentic look and feel transports patrons back to a simpler time, but geo-exchange heating and cooling systems and solar panels on the roof and modern facilities all produce a comfortable, state-of-the-art, eco-friendly environment.

The Langham Hotel in Boston has appointed Mark Sapienzato the position of executive chef. Chef Sapienza will oversee the hotel’s two restaurants, Cafe Fleuri and Julien, in addition to the banquet kitchen and private dining rooms. Sapienza originally joined the hotel in 1998, and his arrival marked the first time in the property’s history that an American chef was selected to lead the French-Mediterranean kitchen. After a brief intermission from the hotel, he has now regained the position he once held as executive chef. Chef Sapienza has received numerous accolades from colleagues and food critics: he was part of the winning team at the Viking Celebrity Chef Cook Off at the Spinazzola Gala this year; he was chosen among other celebrity chefs, such as Jacque Pepin, to prepare Julia Child’s Legion of Honor dinner at Julien in 2000; and he was honored with an invitation to present a dinner at The James Beard House in New York in 2000.

International

Nakheel, developer of more than $30 billion in real estate in Dubai, and the Trump Organization have unveiled a design for the Palm Trump International Hotel & Tower, centerpiece of the Palm Jumeirah. This $600 million stunning 48-story mixed-use hotel and residential building anchors the trunk of the manmade palm-shaped island that lies off the coast of Dubai. The development will include a selection of high-end boutiques, fine dining, signature roof top restaurants, bars, swimming pools, and a luxurious spa and health club.

The Melia Cabo San Lucas hotel in Mexico has recently undergone a multi-million dollar renovation and is celebrating its revamped image. The hotel is nestled on the sands of Playa Medano with magnificent views over the Sea of Cortes. Most areas of the hotel, including all 144 of its guestrooms and suites, were redesigned to combine contemporary international design with a uniquely Mexican flair. New features include the beautifully renovated Passion Club restaurant and lounge; the newly opened Nikki Beach Club; and an exclusive VIP floor "The Level,"which has 42 rooms dedicated on the exclusive sixth floor to meeting the discerning needs and tastes of VIP guests. This floor also contains private rooms like “the Living Room” and special amenities like “the Pillow Menu” to guarantee top quality for VIPs.