Orlando Food & Wine Weekends to Bring Culinary Focus to Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) September 27, 2012

Culinary fans, wine enthusiasts and foodies will find a delicious “home base” at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek as the luxury resort hotels host the second annual Orlando Food & Wine Weekends, Sept. 28 – Oct. 5, 2012.

For six weekends, the resorts will feature special programming and events aimed to complement and “fill the gaps” around the wildly popular Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival held at the nearby Disney® theme park.

“For the past 16 years, Disney® has done an amazing job of building their Food & Wine Festival at Epcot,” said Peter Kacheris, managing director of Waldorf Astoria Orlando. “As the festival has grown, so has the public’s appetite for additional culinary-focused experiences. We’ve created our Orlando Food & Wine Weekends to highlight our own culinary team while we complement the Epcot festival.”

Orlando Food & Wine Weekends events will be held at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, and at its sister resort, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, which is conveniently located less than one mile from Epcot, and accessible inside the gates of Walt Disney World® Resort.

Event highlights include:

•     A Taste of Waldorf Astoria®

Exclusive tasting menus and wine pairings from the master chefs of many of the most renowned hotels in the Waldorf Astoria brand. Guests will enjoy a degustation menu comprised of some of the most celebrated dishes from Waldorf Astoria hotels around the world, paired with exquisite wines. Offered Friday and Saturday evenings, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m., Bull & Bear.
o    Sept. 28 and 29 – featuring chef Massimo Falsini of Waldorf Astoria Orlando whose menu will feature debut dishes and perennial favorites
o    Oct. 5 and 6 – featuring menu from Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
o    Oct. 12 and13 – featuring menu from Trianon Palace Versailles, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
o    Oct. 19 and 20 – featuring menu from Waldorf Astoria Berlin
o    Oct. 26 and 27 – showcasing Chef Stefan Kauth, executive chef of The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, who will be visiting the kitchens of Bull & Bear to personally prepare an exclusive tasting menu.
o    Nov. 2 and 3 – featuring menu from London Syon Park, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
    Featured menus are posted on http://www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com/food-wine

•     Il Cibo Della Vita

From the kitchen of La Luce by Donna Scala at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, each weekend from October 5 through November 3, a new tasting menu and wine pairing will be unveiled, featuring chef Scala’s newest recipes - many being presented for the first time. As a special treat for our guests, Chef Scala will be on-site October 12 - 13, personally attending to the preparation of her special menu. This series of culinary experiences is certain to be the talk of the town! Friday & Saturday evenings, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., La Luce by Donna Scala.

•     Noche Latina

For those guests looking for a Latin flare, Aquamarine outdoor poolside bar and grille will offer an interactive capirihnas and mojito bar, cigar roller, flamenco dancers, tapas, and new world Spanish wines…the perfect ending to a day filled with incredible culinary experiences. Saturday evenings, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, poolside at Aquamarine at Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

•     Bar du Chocolat and champagne tasting

Decadent, yes. Sinful, perhaps. Most certainly an experience for those with a sweet tooth. Peacock Alley will be transformed into a chocolate-lovers’ dream, offering a cocoa-infused evening of self-indulgence paired with a selection of fine champagnes from Perrier-Jouët. Guests can choose from a signature selection of chocolate treats from the Waldorf Astoria Orlando’s world-class pastry team using recipes from the most romantic points of the globe. Oh, and as if this is not decadent enough… all of the hand-made chocolates are made with product from the world renowned chocolatier, Amedei of Tuscany. Friday and Saturday evenings, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

•     Live Entertainment – nightly at Peacock Alley
•     Astoria After Dark – Adults are not the only ones to have fun. The WA Kids Club is offering a nightly children’s program including dinner and a non-stop roster of fun activities – providing parents some “adult time” in which to experience Orlando Food & Wine Weekends activities. Nightly, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

For a truly luxurious weekend experience, both hotels are offering packages that include a $50 resort/dining credit. The popular Best of Waldorf Astoria package includes deluxe accommodations, a $50 daily dining/resort credit, and complimentary scheduled transportation to Epcot® (and other Disney theme parks). Rates begin from $244 per night. For more information or reservations, please visit http://www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com/food-wine , or call +1 888-353-2009, and reference promotion code PBBWW1.
At Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, the Bonnet Creek Fall Retreat package includes deluxe accommodations, a $50 daily dining/resort credit, daily parking and internet and complimentary scheduled transportation to Disney® theme parks. Rates begin from $179 per night. For more information or reservations, please visit http://www.hiltonbonnetcreek.com/food-wine, or call +1 888-353-2009, and reference promotion code BCFT.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando has put the destination on the map for luxury travelers. Nestled in a nature preserve and conveniently located inside the gates of Walt Disney World, the resort is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of neighboring theme parks. Cara Goldsbury, author of Luxury Guide to Disney World, calls it “stunningly impressive.” “Swank and sophisticated,” she continued, “Waldorf Astoria has redefined local luxury in Orlando.”     
The hotel is part of a unique resort complex that also features the top-rated Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, the championship golf course artfully designed by Rees Jones, which has been named one of the most “playable” courses in the crowded Florida market by two national golf magazines.
Waldorf Astoria Orlando infuses timeless Jazz Age-elegance from The Waldorf=Astoria in New York City, with the vibrant and modern ambiance of Florida. It features 498 guest rooms and suites with sweeping vistas of Walt Disney World and the Bonnet Creek nature preserve. The resort’s 171 stunning suites have been called “the best rooms in all of Central Florida.”

Golf Channel travel writer Brandon Tucker called the resort “an exclusive playground for the adult-minded traveler.” It includes re-imagined versions of famed New York City restaurants include Bull & Bear, Peacock Alley, and Oscar’s. Bull & Bear, the hotel’s signature restaurant, was named Best Fine Dining by Orlando Home & Leisure magazine in its elusive Silver Spoon Awards issue. The hotel’s award-winning spa, which has been profiled by both American Spa and Spa magazines, offers treatments Waldorf Astoria Spa.
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek offers the best of both worlds: a convenient “insider” location accessible from within Walt Disney World property and the peaceful serenity of the surrounding 482-acre nature preserve. Resort amenities include 1,000 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, a 3-acre Florida-style lazy-river pool, a Rees Jones-designed championship golf course, a luxe spa by Guerlain, a full fitness center, and nearly a dozen dining and lounge options, including the award-winning La Luce by Donna Scala.

About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 640,000 rooms in 91 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit http://www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at http://www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, http://www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, http://www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, http://www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and http://www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.