Monthly Archives: September 2016

GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF JASON POOLE

Travel

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, an award-winning AAA Four-Diamond resort owned and managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Poole as executive chef. In his new role, Poole will oversee all culinary operations at the resort to continue to provide fresh, authentic dining experiences for guests.

“We are excited to welcome Jason to the Grand Geneva and look forward to his expertise and leadership with our culinary team,” said Steven Magnuson, managing director. “Jason’s extensive experience and innovative creations will continue to position the resort as a top dining destination in Southeastern Wisconsin.”

With a culinary background spanning more than 15 years, Poole brings tremendous experience and fresh perspective to the resort. Prior to joining the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Poole recently served as executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, overseeing the entire culinary operation. He has also held various chef positions at Hyatt Hotel properties across the country, from California to South Carolina. Poole has demonstrated great success opening multiple restaurants and winning awards within Hyatt Hotels.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa boasts three premier restaurants including Geneva ChopHouse, offering guests the very finest steak and seafood; Ristoranté Brissago, featuring fresh, authentic Italian fare; and Grand Café, serving seasonal, contemporary American favorites in a more casual atmosphere. Poole is looking forward to using simple and classic cooking techniques that highlight the fresh and flavorful ingredients in each dish, focusing on preserving the integrity of the fresh ingredients each season has to offer.

Poole received his formal culinary training from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC. In his free time, he enjoys camping, hiking, baseball and watching Sunday football.

For more information on Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, please visit www.grandgeneva.com.

Source: GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA

RADISSON RED, A NEW LIFESTYLE HOTEL BRAND TO OPEN FIRST U.S. LOCATION IN MINNEAPOLIS THIS FALL

Travel

Radisson RED, a new hotel philosophy and lifestyle brand inspired by art, music and fashion will open its first U.S. location and flagship, Radisson RED Minneapolis this November.

“Radisson RED is a completely new and different hotel concept, it is bold and alive and provides an experience like no other.” said Javier Rosenberg, chief operating officer, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. “We have announced 13 RED hotels globally with key destinations in the Americas including Campinas, Brazil, Miami and Portland.”

Radisson RED is driven and enhanced through local art, music and fashion and appeals to guests who have an ageless millennial mindset. The hotel’s design builds flow between spaces, breaking down walls traditional hotels use to separate areas such as the lobby, restaurants, bars and meeting spaces. The design of the hotel merges these traditional spaces into one integrated, flowing ‘social hive’. The Radisson RED experience is complemented by the RED App that simplifies the guest experience. In addition to providing keyless entry to rooms, the app allows guests the ability to order food, request services with an instant response via SMS, and connect to other guests staying in the hotel.

“RED is unlike any other hotel brand and we are bringing something completely new to the Minneapolis market,” said Ryan Foley, the hotel’s general manager which the brand calls the ‘Curator’, in charge bringing the brand’s bold experience to life by leading a staff of creative, expressive and service driven people. “There is no front desk; we hire and train our staff differently, we simplify the experience through technology and we enhance the experience through art, music and fashion.”

Radisson RED Minneapolis is located at 609 3rd Street South in the East Town neighborhood just steps away from the new U.S. Bank Stadium. The hotel’s lobby has been designed to be a flowing social hive which includes the OUIBar + KTCHN, RED’s restaurant and bar concept. The OUIBar + KTCHN offers fresh and sustainable items inspired by Minneapolis street food. This open space also features a large mural created by local illustrator, Adam Turman, an artist known for his bold style and unique interpretation of Minnesota landscapes.

The hotel offers 164 studios that feature bold design highlighted by modern, yet functional furniture pieces like the picnic table that replaces the traditional desk. The rooms have extra-large windows and a 55” television with an integrated sound bar that guests can easily stream services like Netflix and Spotify® from their own devices. Bathrooms feature a custom red stag tile design the brand calls a ‘Badge of Honor’, another nod to Minnesota and CO Bigelow’s Black Elixir bulk amenities, plus killer lighting.

RED Fitness is a 24/7 fitness center, and the Events & Games Studio is 1,000 square feet of space that includes a ping-pong table and the flexibility to host a variety events.

Radisson RED Minneapolis is now taking reservations for stays beginning November 16. For more information and to book a stay at Radisson RED Minneapolis, visitwww.radissonred.com/minneapoli

THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM DEBUTS NEW SPANISH-LANGUAGE AUDIO TOUR AND VISITOR INFORMATION ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, DURING FIESTA DE LA FAMILIA.

Meetings

On Sunday, October 2, the Kimbell Art Museum will officially debut new Spanish-language audio tours and visitor information during the free Fiesta de la Familia.

A recent Pew Research Center Study cited Dallas-Fort Worth as having the sixth-largest Hispanic and Latino population in the United States. Recognizing the changing demographic that the Museum now serves, the Kimbell applied for and received a generous grant from The Hearst Foundation in support of expanding the Museum’s Spanish-language offerings to this important, growing audience. Led by Fort Worth City Councilman and former Mayor Pro Tem, Sal Espino, a volunteer committee of local Latino leaders is assisting the Museum’s staff with navigating the planning and production of the initiative, which they affectionately named “Nuestro Kimbell” (Our Kimbell).

“The Kimbell is renowned around the world for the quality of its art and architecture, and from its inception, the board of directors have emphasized the importance of providing free admission so that all may enjoy its treasures,” commented Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum. “The ‘Nuestro Kimbell’ Initiative allows us to effectively engage with a broader, vital audience. We’re eternally grateful to The Hearst Foundation, Councilman Espino and the members of the ‘Nuestro Kimbell’ committee for their support.”

Several of the Museum’s free resources have been translated for “Nuestro Kimbell.” The Kimbell’s permanent collection audio tours, for both adults and families, are now available in both English and Spanish on the Museum’s new Acoustiguide Opus listening devices. The recordings are also available for free on personal smart devices via the Kimbell Audio Tour app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. The permanent collection wall labels describing the works on display have also been translated and are available on the Kimbell App. In addition, the Kimbell’s website,kimbellart.org, now includes kimbellart.org/visita, which provides Spanish translations of the entire “Visit” section. Lastly, the Museum has translated, redesigned and printed Spanish versions of the Museum’s visitor brochures, as well as family gallery guides that facilitate observation and discussion of the art in the galleries. Six gallery guides are provided, with topics including Hispanic Heritage Month, Animals Features, Landscape Details, Sculpture, Portrait Stories and Dia de los Muertos.

Many of the Museum’s visitors’ services staff members are bilingual or are learning basic Spanish to communicate more effectively, and Spanish-language docent-led tours of the permanent collection are available with advanced registration. A new Spanish-language “Nuestro Kimbell”facebook page has launched and will provide updated information about events and Museum information.

Fiesta de la Familia
On Sunday, October 2, 2016, from noon to 5 p.m., during Hispanic Heritage Month, the Kimbell will host an exciting afternoon featuring Latino music and dance performances, face painting, gallery story time, children’s films and art activities. Admission is free.

Kimbell Art Museum
The Kimbell Art Museum, owned and operated by the Kimbell Art Foundation, is internationally renowned for both its collections and for its architecture. The Kimbell’s collections range in period from antiquity to the 20th century and include European masterpieces by artists such as Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Poussin, Velázquez, Monet, Picasso and Matisse; important collections of Egyptian and classical antiquities; and Asian, African art and the art of the ancient Americas.

The Museum’s 1972 building, designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. A second building, designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2013 and now provides space for special exhibitions, dedicated classrooms and a 289-seat auditorium with excellent acoustics for music.

Alaska Airlines will fly to Havana, Cuba, beginning Jan. 5, 2017

Travel

Alaska Airlines will launch historic new flying to Havana, Cuba on Jan. 5, 2017. The daily nonstop flight from Los Angeles is among the first regularly scheduled commercial flights to the island country in more than 50 years, and is the only nonstop flight to Cuba from the West Coast.

“This is a historic year for U.S. travelers, who can now fly to Cuba from the U.S. on scheduled commercial service for the first time in more than 50 years,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska’s chief commercial officer. “We’d like to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation for providing Alaska Airlines the opportunity to operate the only daily, nonstop flight from the West Coast to Cuba.”

The flights were awarded by the DOT in August, and remain subject to approval by the Cuban aviation authorities.
With the addition of flights to Cuba, customers traveling from Los Angeles can reach 22 destinations on Alaska Airlines’ more than 275 weekly flights, and 84 nonstop destinations worldwide via Alaska’s expansive global partner network.

“We are focused on strengthening our presence in the Los Angeles area, with daily service to 25 destinations from four area airports,” said Harrison. “With the addition of nonstop flights to and from two cities in Costa Ricalast fall, and now Havana, we’ll offer up to 87 peak season weekly departures from Southern California to Latin America.”

Customers flying from Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska will also enjoy convenient connections to the new route.

Travel to Cuba requires advance planning. The U.S. government does not currently allow U.S. citizens or travelers flying on U.S. airlines to visit Cuba strictly for tourism. Travelers must fall into one of 12 approved categories, including family visits, educational activities and public performances or exhibitions.

To aid customers interested in visiting Cuba, Alaska is working with Cuba Travel Services, the leading travel company serving the destination with more than 17 years of experience. Customers are encouraged to contact Cuba Travel Services for assistance securing travel visas, hotel lodging, and ground transportation and creating itineraries, among other things.

“We are proud to build a new partnership with Alaska Airlines and excited to contribute in their efforts,” saidMichael Zuccato, General Manager at Cuba Travel Services.
Tickets for the new routes will go on sale today with fares starting from $229. To purchase tickets, visit www.alaskaair.com to find great savings, or call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 or Hearing & Speech Impaired (TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).