December 2011 ACCESS Advantage
- ACCESS Operation Give & Traditions of the Holiday Wreath!
- Keeping it Fresh - San Diego hotels spruce up with extensive makeovers!
- En Plein Air - Connecting Art with Community in Chicago!
Contact the team at ACCESS Destination Services for all of your destination management requirements throughout North America.
ACCESS Operation GIVE &
Traditions of the Holiday Wreath
For more than 30 years, going back to the days of California Leisure Consultants, the team at ACCESS Destination Services has purchased and distributed Della Robbia wreaths, hand-made by troubled and disadvantaged youth at the non-profit Boys Republic in Chino Hills, California. The wreaths, whose sale benefits the programs at Boys Republic, are patterned after a centuries-old ceramic design created by the Della Robbia family of Florence, Italy. Modern Christmas wreaths are a descendant of the Advent Wreath, which first appeared in 16th century Germany. While Advent wreaths were constructed of evergreens, modern-day wreaths are made from anything that can be fashioned into a ring - from traditional evergreens to flowers, leaves, fruit, grapevines and twigs.
This year, ACCESS is expanding our tradition of distributing wreaths and holiday goodwill by supporting a number of local charities around the country. ACCESS Chicago, ACCESS Orange County and ACCESS Palm Springs are supporting Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization founded to perpetuate and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to veterans' resting places across the country. ACCESS San Diego and ACCESS Los Angeles will participate in their annual toy drives with local hotel partners in support of local Head Start programs. ACCESS San Francisco supported Starlight Children's Foundation, which improves the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries. ACCESS Florida donated to Second Harvest Food Bank, whose simple mission is to feed America's hungry.
We are proud of our strong tradition of giving. As 2012 rolls in, look for more opportunities to help our communities through ACCESS Operation GIVE.
Keeping it Fresh - San Diego hotels spruce up with extensive makeovers!
Everything old is new again...thanks to the determination of San Diego's favorite resorts to keep their hotels the best in the world for their exacting guests. Area hotels have nipped and tucked, primped and preened and are now ready for their reveal!
If your plans call for quintessential San Diego, look no further than The Hotel Del Coronado. Possibly the most renowned hotel in the area, The Del, as locals call it, is an expansive Victorian Historic Landmark that sits right on the white sands of the Pacific. An $8 million update of its guestrooms carefully retains the sense of history this 123-year-old Victorian hotel. The renovation will meld state-of-the-art amenities and technology with the timeless beauty and charm that the legendary resort embodies. Last spring The Del renovated its Signature Gardens, which now blend seamlessly with the existing sustainable herb garden that provides seasonal vegetables, fruit and herbs to the hotel's restaurants and spa.
Westin Gaslamp Quarter is one of Westin's first hotels to get the chain's new "For A Better You" design. The company is infusing $25 million into the hotel for the eco-friendly redesign that includes energy-efficient lighting and solar shades. New guest room amenities include such attention to detail as a specially designed table that transforms to hold a room service tray or laptop, new roomier closets with shelves, and Westin's "Heavenly Mirror" with an illuminated frosted border. For the ultimate guest experience, try the Renewal Suite with a water feature, LED candles, butler's pantry, oversized master bathroom and an infinity spa tub. Still to come: upgrades of the hotel's ballroom and meeting space and a complete redesign of its public areas.
Boasting $50 million in renovations of its own, La Costa Resort and Spa now features completely renovated guest rooms and suites, the new Coastal Events Center, two new outdoor event venues and a completely redesigned north golf course. The Coastal Events Center brings together beautiful interiors with state-of-the art technology, including interactive maps and reader boards and a unique live-work space, ideal for planners. And La Costa has added two elegant new outdoor event venues to its already-impressive al fresco locations.
The golf courses at La Costa are legendary, thanks in large part to the legends who have played them: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Mickey Mantle and others. The North Course recently made its debut as the all-new Champions Course featuring a sustainable design. The South Course also got a facelift: four newly re-designed holes.
You won't find a golf course at the Marriott Marquis and Marina because it sits directly on the bay, providing spectacular views of the waterfront. This 25-floor hotel recently completed a $200 million renovation that updated 1,360 rooms and suites and expanded the tropical-themed pool area to include enticing waterfalls, pop-jets for kids, cozy fire pits and the new Tequila Bar and Grille, which offers locally-crafted beers and more than 40 distinctive tequilas. If you love the great outdoors but require a bit of privacy, rent a new private cabana, fully equipped with WiFi, electrical outlets, catering and bottle service. In 2014, look for the Marriott to add two new 40,000 square-foot ballrooms to its already 75,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space.
If you're hosting a one-of-a-kind meeting, check out last year's Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings. Loews Coronado Bay offers inventive meeting choices like hospitality parlors, outdoor gardens and water view terraces. And a recent renovation updated all meeting space, meeting space foyers and guestroom corridors. In 2012 Loews will continue the make-over with a complete lobby renovation, including floors, lighting and furniture. The bar will be moved to a more central location as will the fireplace, and the front desk will be converted to a more guest-friendly pod system. Also slated for change is the Bay Terrace, which will convey an indoor/outdoor feel.
If cozy and romantic is your goal, L'Auberge Del Mar might be your place. L'Auberge recently undertook a $26 million facelift, and the results are alluring. Its award-winning restaurant, Kitchen 1540, serves up local, organic produce and free-range meat and seafood from exclusively sustainable sources...all offered in its dynamic seasonal menu. L'Auberge also now has an enticing Barista Bar, where guests come for the delicious coffee and stay for the cozy atmosphere.
If your plans call for the newest of the new, consider Manchester Grand Hyatt. For this hotel, 2012 will be the year of change, with major renovations planned for guestrooms, meeting facilities, lounges, restaurants and public space. The redesign will give the hotel an overall contemporary, upscale San Diego look and feel. Manchester Grand Hyatt claims its place as the largest waterfront hotel on the West Coast and offers more than 125,000 square feet of flexible, indoor and outdoor meeting space, including 41 breakout rooms...perfect for your super-sized event.
Come explore what's new in San Diego! If the sun and sea don't seduce you, these million-dollar transformations will!
En Plein Air - Connecting Art with Community in Chicago!
En Plein Air, a French expression meaning "in the open air," was the theme behind a recent corporate dinner event at Chicago's historic Palmer House Hotel. Scheduled during Chicago Artists' Month, the ACCESS Chicago team was further inspired by the Palmer House and its original matriarch's rich artistic history. 10 local artists were commissioned to create original works of art on the grounds of the hotel - painting in and around hotel guests and staff in the weeks prior. On the night of the dinner, 36 of the 49 original works, now framed, were hung on upright trusses, lit only by pin spots to evoke a contrast between the simplicity of the art and the ornate decor of the Palmer House Hotel ballroom.
At the dinner, paintings were auctioned, using "Palmer dollars" as currency - play money designed and printed by the ACCESS team. Dinner guests departed with original works of art, or one of the 60 limited-edition reproductions that had been hand-signed by the artist, matted, framed and gift-boxed. The En Plein Air event created a unique connection between the modern art community and the early 19th century Chicago art society co-founded by its benefactor, Bertha Honore Palmer. It further symbolized the client's involvement in the community, as well as its civic leadership, and was the ideal tribute to the hotel's position and history. To learn about incorporating history and culture into your next meeting or event, contact the destination experts at ACCESS Chicago today.
Cookin' with ACCESS
Butternut Squash Soup and Holiday Beer Tasting Recommendations!
This tasty holiday soup comes courtesy of Chef James Gottwald of Rockit Bar & Grill - Chicago.
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 large Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 gallon water
- 4 oz butter
- 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Salt to taste
Directions:
Cook squash and onions in a large stock pot with water until tender, about 30 minutes. Blend in remaining ingredients with a hand blender, or in batches in a bar blender (use caution if using a bar blender). Season to taste with salt. Pass through a fine mesh sieve or china cap.
Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy!
Holiday Beer Tasting Recommendations!
In addition to our monthly ACCESS recipie, we thought we'd give you some recommendations for holiday-inspired brews to enjoy this season!
Samuel Smith's Organic Cider
Samuel Smith's is an independent brewery in North Yorkshire, England that produces a wide range of beers. Along with the Organic Cider, a majority of Samuel Smith beers are vegan. This cider is dry and crisp, full of apple flavor with a touch of vanilla. This is a classic example of English hard ciders and goes well with holiday meals.
Bootlegger's Brewery Pumpkin Ale
Bootlegger's Brewery is a microbrewery located in Fullerton, California. A classic fall beer, Bootlegger's Pumpkin Ale is a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast. Tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses and brown sugar were added to give this beer a rich pumpkin pie flavor and smooth finish. This is a perfect beer to drink while you sit back, relax and enjoy our Southern California holiday season.
Ridgeway Brewing Reindeer Droppings English Amber Ale
Ridgeway Brewing, located in England, makes this traditional English Amber Ale for winter. Reindeer Droppings has a hoppy smell with notes of toffee and fruit. The taste is noticeably bitter with hints of apricots, dried flowers and dried fruits. According to the label it is "sweet like California raisins, but bitter and pungent like a freshly peeled grapefruit, lip-smackingly tasty." Reindeer Droppings is a unique version of Amber Ale that is best when sipping in front of a fire on a cozy winter night.
Delirium Noel
Made in Belgium by family owned Brouwerij Huyghe, Delirium Noel is a special holiday edition Belgian Strong Ale. It has a deep malty flavor with notes of dried fruit and spices. This brewery is well known for a year-round beer called Delirium Tremens. Like their more popular seller, Delirium Noel has relatively high alcohol content but still manages to maintain a smooth and sweet taste. Always a crowd pleaser, Delirium Noel is a perfect gift to bring to holiday parties and is best enjoyed when shared with family and friends.