Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando whisks guests away to the Italian Riviera in Orlando, Florida. This Loews Hotel property, a richly themed and inviting simulation of the sunny seaside village of Portofino, features 750 guest rooms, including 45 luxury suites, and copious amenities, including three themed pools, the restorative Mandara Spa and fitness center, and complimentary Universal Express Ride Access that enables guests to bypass lines at most Universal Orlando attractions.

Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando accommodates business meetings and corporate events for up to 1,380 with more than 31 facilities and 42,000 square feet of flexible event space. For memorable meetings, a range of special events including scavenger hunts at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure brings out the kid in everyone. There are no packages available at this time. There are no hot dates at this time. Posted May 30, 2008 by Elite Concierge
View RSS Feed LOEWS HOTELS ELEVATES THE BANQUET EXPERIENCE WITH
THE INDUSTRYS FIRST WINES BY THE GLASS PROGRAM

-- Traditional choice of red or white gives way to broad range of premium, organic, and locally-sourced wines, at three price points --


March 17, 2008 (New York, NY) " Loews Hotels goes beyond the generic red or white at banquets with the introduction of a new wines-by-the-glass program that allows banquet and meetings guests to enjoy their choice of varietal. The first hotel to chain offer a wine-by-the-glass program in banquets, Loews Hotels now features a broad wine selection at three different price points.
The program enhances the traditional banquet experience by introducing a restaurant style of service and a wine list to match, said Ellen Burke Van Slyke, Corporate Creative Director of F&B, Loews Hotels.
Along with the traditional Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, the new banquet bar wine list offers a selection of Sparkling wines, a White Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Merlot and Syrah.
In creating the wine list, Loews turned to winemaking families who have been producing wines for over 100 years to ensure the highest quality. The list also showcases vineyards that engage in sustainable farming. The process began with a list of 400 wines, based on reputation, availability and price point. It was then narrowed to 65. Loews conducted a blind tasting with a panel of 12 experts, including three food & beverage directors, two executive chefs, a certified sommelier, a Master French chef and five other decision-makers. The resulting winners, including several organic and locally sourced wines, were selected to best represent the sophisticated palates of the wide spectrum of our banquet guests, said Van Slyke.
Arranged at three different banquet tiers, with one price per glass of all six wines on each tier, the selection of 16 wines includes:
Select Tier
Kenwood Yulupa Brut
Caposaldo Pinot Grigio
Tunnel of Elms Chardonnary
Forestville Shiraz
Hayes Ranch Cabernet
Sutter Home White Zinfandel

Premium Tier
Chandon Brut Classic
Bancott Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
A by Acacia Chardonnary
Sandstone Merlot
14 Hands Cabernet
Sutter Home White Zinfandel

Luxury Tier
Taittinger Cuvee Prestige Blanc
Tangent Sauvignon Blanc
Paraiso Chardonnay
Brindlewood Syrah
Trinchero Family Cabernet
Sutter Home White Zinfandel


The move reflects an appreciation of our guests more sophisticated preferences, as well as our desire to continually meet and, indeed, exceed their expectations, she continued.
Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada as a subsidiary of Loews Corporation (NYSE:LTR). Located in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, the Loews portfolio features one-of-a-kind properties that go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience. Loews boasts some of the industry's most innovative and successful travel programs, including Loews Loves Kids for families and Loews Loves Pets for discerning animals on the road. For more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com.

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Contact: Emily Goldfischer Michelle Colligan
Loews Hotels Redpoint Marketing PR, Inc.
212-521-2833 212-229-0119
egoldfischer@loewshotels.com colligan@redpointpr.com