In February 2011, internationally renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will premiere Spice Market London in the new W London – Leicester Square hotel.  This South East Asian-inspired restaurant will be the sister restaurant of the iconic Spice Market in New York and is set to be the most eagerly anticipated opening of 2011.

Three Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the toast of the New York restaurant scene.  Since the acclaimed Vong restaurant closed in 2003, Londoners have been clamouring for his return to the capital and this opening will reunite him with the original Vong team.  Chef de Cuisine Tim Tolley was Head Chef at Vong for four years and General Manager Bertrand Pierson was at the helm from 2000-2003.  They return to their former roles, supported by many other members of the Vong ‘dream team’.

Inspired by the vibrant street life of South East Asia, Spice Market will enchant diners with delectable and adventurous flavours.  Jean-Georges has created a menu exclusively for Spice Market London featuring exotic curries and spices, which will be expertly executed by Tolley to create bold and tantalising dishes.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Spice Market’s striking interior will transport diners to an opulent paradise from the moment they enter the restaurant from Soho’s Wardour Street.  Designed by Amsterdam-based Concrete, the venue will offer a unique blend of the authentic old-world feel of Spice Market NY and the contemporary architecture of the new W London, a ten-storey new-build structure veiled in translucent glass which will change colour according to the time of day, ambience of the area, or happenings in the hotel or city.

W London and Spice Market are set to appeal to a global audience of jetsetters and local tastemakers alike. Vongerichten’s latest Spice Market is the third Spice Market to open within a W property, the other two being in W Atlanta (USA) and W Doha (UAE).

www.wlondon.co.uk

www.spicemarketlondon.co.uk

SOCIAL MEDIA REPLACES PHONE AND E-MAIL AS WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH ON THE ROAD, SHERATON UK SURVEY REVEALS

Loved ones on the road are these days more likely to keep in touch through social media rather than by phone or email, according to a survey released by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, home of “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft”. More than 65% of respondents in the UK study use social media to stay in touch with family and friends while travelling; more than a third (36%) say they would rather log on than make a call to share good news.

Overall, survey respondents ranked social media as an absolute must-have in their lives with 37% saying they “could not live without” social media sites.  One-fifth of respondents said they log in multiple times each hour.  Habits barely shift on the road with one fifth of respondents saying that they also check social networking sites multiple times an hour while travelling.

Conducted by STUDYLOGIC LLC, the study surveyed 1,000 people via phone in the UK to coincide with the recently completed roll-out of Sheraton’s signature offering “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft” – a technology-driven social hub that keeps travellers connected 24 hours a day at nearly 400 hotels around the world.  www.sheratonbetterwhenshared.com

For the full results or more information on the Social Media study please contact the UK PR team.

Starwood continues Chinese expansion

On 15th December 2010, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that its global powerhouse Sheraton Hotels & Resorts will open three more hotels in China before the end of January, including its third in Shanghai and first hotel in Wenzhou, one of the most developed economic centres of Zheijang Province on China’s south-eastern coast.

The first to open was Sheraton Wenzhou Hotel on 28th December 2010, followed by Sheraton Jiangyin Hotel on 31st December and Sheraton Shanghai Hongkou Hotel on 15th January 2011. With the addition of these three new hotels, Sheraton will boast a portfolio of 35 hotels in Greater China, with another 29 in the pipeline.

Starwood’s largest brand, Sheraton boasts a current portfolio of 400 hotels in 75 countries and 92% awareness among business travellers, higher than all other global hotel brands. Following the recent completion of its $6 billion revitalisation campaign, Sheraton is now investing another $5 billion to add approximately 35 new hotels to its portfolio by the end of 2013. Half of the new Sheraton hotels will open in China.

www.sheraton.com

THE LUXURY COLLECTION HOTELS & RESORTS LAUNCHES “THE COCKTAIL COLLECTION”

On 15th December 2010, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts launched The Cocktail Collection with renowned mixologist and recently-appointed Global Explorer, Greg Seider. The Cocktail Collection is a compilation of 38 inventive drinks inspired by the indigenous flavours of the world’s most fascinating and desirable destinations and created exclusively for The Luxury Collection.

Designed to provide a sensory journey, Seider’s transporting creations such as ‘Pinakona Coco’ (inspired by Hawaii), ‘The Raymi’ (inspired by Peru), ‘Tears of Chios’ (inspired by Greece) and the ‘Mandarin Sidecar’ (inspired by China) will be served selectively at The Luxury Collection properties.  The Luxury Collection features more than 75 properties in more than 30 countries.

Paying homage to the brand’s rich history is the signature ‘The Last Cocktail’ which will have a special place on every hotel’s bar menu around the world. A tribute to The Luxury Collection’s Italian heritage, the spicy and aromatic cocktail combines hints of dusted clove, Italian juniper berries, the flavours of fresh pear and rosemary and the crisp bubbles of locally-produced Prosecco to provide both an olfactory and palate-pleasing voyage to the Tuscan countryside.

Greg Seider, The Luxury Collection’s newest Global Explorer, has been creating some of the world’s most inspired cocktails for more than a decade. He joins Andrea Fazzari, an award-winning, world-renowned photographer, as The Luxury Collection’s second Global Explorer.

The Global Explorer programme celebrates the vibrancy of the world’s most enchanting travel destinations through the eyes of the world’s foremost innovators. Representing a broad cross-section of disciplines and personal endeavours, Global Explorers are at the forefront of their field. www.luxurycollectionexplorers.com.

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON DEBUTS IN BANGKOK ON 2ND DECEMBER 2010

With its first hotel in Thailand, Four Points by Sheraton has brought its hugely popular promise of uncomplicated comfort and exceptional value to one of Asia’s commercial and cultural hubs.  Located in Sukhumvit, Bangkok’s trendy entertainment and commercial district, the 268-room property offers some of the largest guestrooms among the city’s midscale hotels along with one of the city’s coolest rooftop bars and a specially curated “Beer Vault”.

The hotel features 249 guest rooms and 19 suites, all designed with clean architectural lines and warm contemporary furnishings.  As at all Four Points hotels, guests enjoy free high-speed wireless Internet and complimentary bottled water.  Dining options at Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok include all-day restaurant The Eatery, caf­e-deli Wrapped and The BeerVault – headed up by Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok’s own Beerkeeper Chris Foo – providing guests with local and international hand-crafted brews from Four Points by Sheraton’s Best Brews® programme. Guests can also sip cocktails while enjoying the sunset from the hotel’s rooftop bar, Ambar.