The Peabody Orlando

A central Florida favorite for nearly 25 years, The Peabody Orlando—an 891-room winner of the Forbes Four-Star and AAA Four Diamond awards—polished its appeal even further when it completed a dramatic $450-million expansion on September 23, 2010. The project added a soaring 32-story tower and brought the room count to 1,641, including 193 suites. The expanded hotel now features 300,000 square feet of meeting space, including 99 breakout rooms, the pillar-free Peabody Grand Ballroom, the Windermere and Plaza International ballrooms, and two junior ballrooms. It also provided a seven-story parking garage and covered walkways to all sections of the Orange County Convention Center’s seven million square feet of meeting, event, and exhibition space.

Napa, a California wine country–themed restaurant and one of several new food and beverage outlets, overlooks a new three-acre zero-entry grotto pool surrounded by private cabanas and lush tropical landscaping. The bilevel 22,000-square-foot Peabody Spa & Fitness Center invites guests to pop by for an hour or to stay all day.

Despite the tremendous growth and widespread improvements, the hotel took special care to retain the qualities that earned legions of loyal fans over the years: impeccable service, acclaimed restaurants, and top-notch recreational facilities—plus the legendary parade of the Peabody ducks. The atrium lobby’s twice-daily red-carpet march of the mallards, combined with the new conference facilities and devoted staff, promises a crowning feather for any meeting planner’s cap. There are no packages available at this time. There are no hot dates at this time. Posted 01 Nov, 2010 by Concierge Elite Orlando, FL - September 2010 - After a decade of planning and two and a half years of construction, The Peabody Orlando has officially opened the doors to its $450 million expansion. The newly expanded hotel features a 32-story tower, 1,641 ultra-luxurious guestrooms, 300,000 total square feet of state-of-the-art, flexible function space, a 22,000-square-foot, full-service spa & fitness center, three beautifully landscaped pools and ten delectable dining and entertainment options including a new Napa Valley wine-themed restaurant and bar called Napa and a new 6,000-square-foot high-energy lounge called Rocks.
"Nearly 24 years ago, we opened The Peabody Orlando with the intention of changing the landscape of Orlando's meetings and conventions sector, and now with our new expansion we hope to further establish the area as a top destination for meeting planners," stated Marty Belz, president and CEO of Peabody Hotel Group. "As we open the doors to our newly expanded hotel, I'm thrilled by the response and positive feedback from our valued meeting planners, vendors, industry leaders and the surrounding community."
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(Left) New Lobby in 32-story tower, (Rght) 6,000-square-foot Rocks Lounge
(Photos Credit: Preston Mack Photography, Inc.)
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(Left) Peabody Grand Ballroom, (Rght) The Peabody Grand Rotunda, prefunction space
(Photos Credit: Preston Mack Photography, Inc.)
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Originally built in 1986, The Peabody Orlando has become one of the largest Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond hotels in the eastern half of the United States and a landmark in the Orlando meetings and conventions market. The hotel's newly expanded meeting space features an impressive, pillar-free 54,652-square-foot Peabody Grand Ballroom, a 75,000-square-foot Peabody Grand Rotunda designed for networking and registration, a 34,378-square-foot Windermere Ballroom, a 26,923-square-foot Plaza International Ballroom, two junior ballrooms, 99 breakout rooms, three green rooms and five boardrooms, all connected by two covered walkways to the Orange County Convention Center.
"For the last two years, we have watched the construction site turn into a functioning hotel. We've hired more than 400 new employees and added amenities that will leave a lasting impression in the minds of our guests. This is not just an expansion, we've recreated ourselves - from the finishings in our ballrooms and the interior of our guestrooms, to the furnishing in our lobby and restaurants and the lushly landscaped recreation and pool areas," stated Alan Villaverde, president of Peabody Hotels Division and managing director of The Peabody Orlando. "Our employees and partners that have contributed to the success of this project truly have something to be proud of and I'm humbled to be a part of it all and see it come to fruition. I expect that the excitement will not fade now that we're opened, instead it will continue to grow as we play a leading role in attracting new conventions and large groups to International Drive."

In addition to the new meeting/function space, guestrooms feature the Peabody Dream Bed®, high definition 42" LCD televisions, mini LCD TVs in the bathroom mirrors, complimentary in-room refrigerators, cordless telephones and Wi-Fi Internet access. The Peabody Orlando's 891 existing guestrooms were also renovated with contemporary design and luxurious décor and furnishings, creating a seamless transition into the new tower.

Some of the construction industry's most experienced and talented engineers, designers and construction professionals from Balfour Beatty Construction US, Metro Construction, LLC and Belz Construction Company, were engaged in the $450 million project. Local architect, Stephen C. Abrams, SCA Design Group, Winter Park, Fla., designed the project. He was also part of the design team for the original hotel back in 1984. Interior architectural design was provided by Wilson Associates. Posted 01 Nov, 2010 by Concierge Elite Orlando, FL - October 2010 - With the recent opening of The Peabody Orlando's $450 million expansion the hotel debuted two of Orlando's newest premier dining and entertainment venues, Napa and Rocks. Napa brings Northern California cuisine and wine country selections to Central Florida. While Rocks, a 6,000-square-foot upscale, sophisticated lounge, services both convention goers and local residences with its nightly live music and elegant ambiance including comfortable sitting areas, luminous lighting and an expansive outdoor patio.
Led by chef Jared Gross, Napa's menu is comprised of organic, farm-to-fork selections offering guests the freshest, most sustainable dining experiences possible. Chef Gross, a member of The Peabody Orlando culinary team since 1997, was recently promoted to chef de cuisine of Napa. Chef Gross and seasoned corporate executive chef, Karl Edlbauer, personally selected the finest produce, meat and dairy from some of the best farms in Florida and throughout the country as the source for many of Napa's menu selections. In addition to the cuisine, Napa offers wall-to-wall uniquely hand selected wines from Napa Valley and around the world. A wide array of bottled beers are also featured including import and domestic selections as well as hard to find microbrews.
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Napa, the Napa Valley wine-themed restaurant and bar
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Rocks, the 6,000-square-foot lounge
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The classic ambience and open floor plan of Rocks sets this lounge apart from the rest. Overlooking International Drive and bordered by over 6,550 square feet of floor-to-ceiling windows, Rocks offers an extensive wine list, bottled beers from around the world and passionately crafted cocktails infused with some of the freshest ingredients, including serrano peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, sage and dill. In addition to the exquisite cocktails, Rocks offers live music seven nights a week and a select bar menu prepared in the Napa kitchen.
"Napa and Rocks are truly unlike anything in Orlando," stated Alan Villaverde, managing director of The Peabody Orlando and president of Peabody Hotels Division. "We're excited to raise the bar in Orlando's dining and entertainment culture and look forward to providing our hotel guests and Central Florida residents with some of the most unique venues in town."

"Prior to opening Napa and Rocks, our culinary team traveled across the country to draw inspiration for the creation of our menu items and select wines from Northern California," stated chef Jared Gross, chef de cuisine of Napa. "Our goal is to share sustainable, fresh flavors with our guests who embrace the farm-to-fork concept."

For more information on dining options and menu details, please visit bit.ly/a8csNG. Posted 23 Feb, 2010 by Concierge Elite Orlando, FL - February 2010 - The countdown is on for the completion and grand opening in 2010 of the monumental $450-million expansion of The Peabody Orlando, the multi award-winning, iconic International Drive meetings and conventions hotel. In preparation for this mammoth expansion, Alan Villaverde, managing director, The Peabody Orlando, and president, Peabody Hotels, recently announced an expanded sales strategy which includes six newly-appointed sales managers. The latest to join Peabody's sales team is Laurie Helley, a highly-regarded professional sales leader who specializes in the West Coast market, and managing executive level meetings.

To fill this position, Peabody sought a candidate who would bring specific sales experience and finely-tuned market expertise to the newly-created position of assistant director of sales. Helley (pictured) will be responsible for the growth of the hotel's share of the lucrative West Coast market, and bookings for the new Executive Meetings Program.

"When our expansion is complete, we will have 1,641 luxurious guest rooms, 250,000 square feet of state-of-the-art, flexible function space, a 22,000 square foot spa and athletic club, a meandering, luxurious pool, and several new restaurants," said Villaverde. "In this highly competitive market, it is essential and imperative that our existing professional sales team be expanded to meet the demand for generating increased business.

"After an in-depth review of candidates, Laurie Helley was appointed to this position because of her outstanding career achievements in our industry," said Villaverde. "Her management and leadership skills are well-known and respected; she possesses superb analytical skills and fully comprehends the importance and challenges of hotel operations.
Helley's reputation for establishing and maintaining long-term business relationships with West Coast clients will be of enormous benefit to Peabody's outreach to that important market."

Helley will motivate and direct the Peabody's Fastrack meetings team for groups under 275 on peak nights. She will also direct the sales strategies for the hotel's unique Executive Meetings Program which will be targeted to short-term, high-value customers who demand - and are guaranteed - top-notch Peabody Service Excellence®.

Helley began her hotel career as a sales manager in 1986 with the Hyatt Cherry Hill, New Jersey. This was followed by a three-year position as a senior sales manager with the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B.W.I. In 1992 she came to Orlando and worked with the Hyatt Orlando, Kissimmee, where she was associate director of sales. From there, she joined Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa as associate director of sales, then to Wyndham International, Dallas, TX., as regional director of business development. Prior to joining The Peabody Orlando, Helley was a senior sales manager at the Orlando Omni Resort at Championsgate.

A native of Holland, PA., Helley holds a Bachelor of Science, Food Service & Lodging Management degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of Meeting Planners International, Professional Conference Managers Association, National Coalition for Black Meeting Planners and Religious Conference Managers Association.

Helley has two great children, Cassandra 14, and Cole 12. She enjoys family life, a multitude of activities including travel, water sports, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends.

The Peabody Orlando (www.PeabodyOrlando.com) is a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star, and AAA Four Diamond property of Peabody Hotels within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group of Memphis, Tennessee, and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Posted 29 Jan, 2009 by Concierge Elite Orlando, FL " January 2009 " For the 20th consecutive year, The Peabody Orlando, a property of Peabody Hotels within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group, Memphis, Tennessee, has been honored with the Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star award. The hotel is prominent as an upper-upscale member property of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

The Peabody Orlando is one of just two area hotels to have earned such coveted status. Out of 60,000 hotels in the USA and Canada, only 137 of them merit a Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star rating. The daily commitment to excellence and the tireless efforts of both management and staff truly is remarkable, said Shane OFlaherty, president and CEO of Mobil Travel Guide, which is now the worlds premier rating organization for the hotel/hospitality, restaurant and spa industries.

Our continuing success is due to our ongoing, hotel-wide commitment to providing our guests an unprecedented level of service and comfort, a blend of meticulous attention to all aspects of operations, and the extraordinary devotion of Peabody associates to Peabody Service Excellence, said Alan C. Villaverde, executive vice president, Peabody Hotels, and general manager of the luxury, landmark hotel on International Drive, Orlando, Florida.

The Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star rating has defined the industrys highest standard for excellence in hospitality for over fifty years, said Tony Aslanian, the Orlando hotels director of sales and marketing. It is truly remarkable that The Peabody Orlando has maintained its Mobil Four-Star rating for the 20th consecutive year.

The hotel (www.peabodyorlando.com) currently is in the midst of a massive, $450-million expansion (see related news). While construction proceeds on the 34-story, 750-guestroom Peabody Tower, and the Peabody Convention Center, which will add another 150,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art flexible function space, a 2,150 parking garage, a 22,000 sq. ft. Peabody Spa & Athletic Club, and a new Napa Valley wine-themed restaurant, - there are no signs or sounds of construction inside the existing hotel, and business flows smoothly, as usual. Ultimately, hospitality is all about service with heart, and providing meeting planners (www.peabodymeetings.com) and their clients the optimum meeting experience.

Mobil Travel Guide ratings are based on inspections by field representatives, anonymous visits by senior staff evaluators, published reviews and thousands of letters from Guide users. Winners are rated for hotel facilities and amenities, impeccable housekeeping, ambience, dcor, flawless guest service and the very best of restaurants and banquets.

Contact:
MaureenBridget Gonzalez
Carroll Communications Group
for Peabody Hotels
Phone: 352-241-0947 Posted 21 Nov, 2008 by Concierge Elite ORLANDO, FLA. "OCTOBER 1, 2008 -- Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine has once again given its prestigious annual Award of Excellence to The Peabody Orlando. The award was voted on by readers of the publication, the nations professional meetings and incentives planners.

I am constantly amazed at the consistent level of service and commitment to excellence by the associates of The Peabody Orlando, said Tony Aslanian, director of sales and marketing for the hotel. It is a wonderful reaffirmation of our hotels well-earned reputation " and a tribute to our owners and management - that the nations meeting planners continue to vote The Peabody Orlando among the best and most professional of meetings hotels.

Criteria for the Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine Award of Excellence are:
*Outstanding service *Excellent accommodations
*First-rate meetings/function space *Efficient set-up and arrangement of social events
*Superior catering *Exceptional ambience, easy access.
The Peabody Orlando continues to win these major awards and accolades because of our Peabody Service

Excellence, a patented hotel service delivery culture. Our associates performance rivals the best of any hotel workforce because they are trained to perform daily as a team, with flair and style, to our guests total satisfaction, commented Aslanian.

The Peabody Orlando is a Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star, AAA Four-Diamond property of Peabody Hotels, within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Posted 21 Nov, 2008 by Concierge Elite ORLANDO, FLA. " OCTOBER 6, 2008 " The Peabody Orlando announces its green initiatives titled, The Greener Peabody " C.A.R.E., Conserve And Recycle for our Earth. Many of these initiatives have already been in place for some time, but we have significantly stepped up our efforts to go even greener, said Marshall Kelberman, director of rooms for this landmark, luxury hotel on International Drive. Kelberman also heads up the hotels Greener Peabody committee.

Frankly, its everyones responsibility to design " and then execute " practical green initiatives for our planets sake and for our children and grandchildren, said Kelberman. Ours is a hotelwide initiative in which all associates are given the opportunity to express their opinions and make suggestions to identify and then help us achieve our goals. Some of the responses have been outstanding in their thoughtfulness and can-do, will-do attitudes. From CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs), identifying areas for energy savings, to water conservation efforts which could save up to 80 percent, and the pro-active, hotel-wide recycling of glass, paper, plastics and cans, we have already achieved so much, thanks to the amazing input of our associates and theencouragement of our owners and management.

Some of The Peabody Orlandos Greener Peabody initiatives:
Support of the Department of Interiors Federal Duck Stamp Annual Art Contest to promote the conservation and preservation of migratory wildfowl habitat.
Support the Annual Wings N Water Festival in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, a renowned marine, wildfowl/wildlife research institute.
Hotel-wide energy management system
Installation of CFLs in all guest rooms
Low-flow showerheads installed in all guest rooms " 2.5 gallons per minute
Already awarded Oil & Grease Prevention Program Registration Certificate by Orange County Utilities Department, Water Reclamation Division
Active co-mingling recycling program with Waste Management
10,000 pounds of leftover food donated annually to Second Harvest Food Bank
Purchase locally-grown and organic foods and products whenever possible, such as: produce, poultry, eggs and meats. When purchasing wild-caught fish/seafood, we follow the recommendations and guidelines of MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)
Purchase and serve condiments and beverages in bulk: juice, iced tea, coffee, and water in pitchers (banquets)
Just-in-time buying
Paperless Press/Media kits in digital format
Optional linen reuse program/guest choice
Fluorescent lighting converted from T12 to T8 lighting " uses less energy
Electronic communications such as BEOs, Daily Events, 90-day forecast and 11-day forecast, employee request forms, employee applications, annual associate reviews, marketing materials, and client contracts & resumes
Meeting room light conversion program
Printer cartridges recycled
Routine maintenance of window gaskets to maintain proper insulation.
Portable water coolers available upon request for meetings to reduce waste
Purchase fair trade, shade grown or organic coffee
Offer vegetarian selections
Offer biodynamic, sustainable or organic wines
Use 100% cotton napkins
Provide dedicated TV channel to meetings for area information to reduce printing
Offer paperless check-out
Environmentally responsible cleaning products in use in kitchens and public areas
Partially-used guest room amenity products not removed
Encourage vendors to minimize packaging materials, to use recyclable, biodegradable shipping and packing materials; consolidating orders to reduce transport costs
Menus currently printed on post-consumer paper
Soy inks used in pastry preparation
Use local, seasonal and/or organic flowers that minimize damage to ecosystems andconserve biodiversity
Centerpieces and decorations reused
Only non-hydrogenated cooking oils (canola) and participation in spent cooking oil removal and recycling program
Tinted windows in guest room tower to reduce cooling loss
Open, un-depleted guest room amenities donated to Edgewood Boys Ranch

The Peabody Orlando is a Mobil Travel Guide Four Star, AAA Four Diamond rated property of Peabody Hotels within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group, Memphis, Tennessee. The hotel currently is undergoing a major, $450-million expansion projected for completion in the fall of 2010. At that time the hotel will feature: 1,641 ultra luxurious guest rooms, 210,000 square feet of state-of-the-art function/exhibition space, a parking garage for 2,100 cars,
22,000 square foot Peabody Spa & Athletic Club, Napa Valley Wine-themed restaurant overlooking a new exotic grotto pool, Food-On-The-Go outlets throughout. Posted 11 Sep, 2008 by David Adelson Orlando, FL - August 2008 - Readers of Association Meetings magazine, the nation's top association meeting planner journal, again have bestowed the coveted Inner Circle award on the Peabody Orlando, International Drive's original, custom-designed, landmark meetings hotel. The unique, strategically located property, directly opposite the Orange County Convention Center, currently features 891 guestrooms, 57,000, sq. ft. meeting space, and is undergoing a $450-million expansion, adding guest rooms and meetings/exhibition space for totals of 1,681 guestrooms, and 210,000 sq. ft. of flexible function space. Completion is projected for fall of 2010, and in the meantime, it's business at usual at this Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond rated hotel.
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The Peabody Orlando Earns Inner Circle Award of Association Meetings Magazine"Congratulations to The Peabody Orlando (www.peabodyorlando.com) for winning the prestigious Inner Circle Award for the eleventh time," said Sue Pelletier, editor of Association Meetings magazine. "Properties that win this highly selective award were chosen by association meeting planner readers of our publication for their excellence in terms of food and beverage, guest and meeting room quality, catering and convention services, audiovisual and technical support of their meetings." A total of seventy Inner Circle winners in the hotel/resort, convention center and CVB categories, won the Inner Circle Award: fifteen CVBs, 15 convention centers and 40 hotels and resorts in the US, Canada and overseas.

The nation's association meeting planners are among the meetings industry's most important clients for a hotel such as The Peabody Orlando which specializes in association meetings. "Since we opened our doors for business in 1986, The Peabody Orlando has been serving association meeting planners and their clients with our renowned Peabody Service Excellence, ensuring flawless, memorable meetings," said Alan C. Villaverde, executive vice president, Peabody Hotels, and general manager of The Peabody Orlando.

"The Inner Circle Award of Association Meetings magazine represents the independent evaluations of the nation's professional meeting planners who book and then evaluate association meetings. This award is an impressive re-affirmation of The Peabody Orlando's total commitment to serving association meeting planners and their clients."

The Peabody Orlando is a Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond property of Peabody Hotels within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group, and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
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Contact:
MaureenBridget Gonzalez
Director, Corporate Communication
Peabody Hotels
407-345-4521 Posted 29 Aug, 2008 by David Adelson Orlando, FL - August 2008 - Meetings & Conventions magazine has just announced the winners of its prestigious Gold Key Award for 2008, among them, for the nineteenth consecutive year, Orlando's landmark meetings and conventions hotel, The Peabody Orlando. For over 30 years, this award has been bestowed upon the world's finest meeting properties.

"The Gold Key Award has set the bar for excellence among industry awards," said Lori Cioffi, editor-in-chief, Meetings & Conventions magazine. "The Peabody Orlando was selected as one of the best hotels of its type by our readers, the nation's professional meeting planners."

Since opening its doors for business November 1, 1986, The Peabody Orlando has maintained its legendary ability to provide meeting planners and their clients, state-of-the-art facilities, top-quality F+B/catering, and the best possible guest services through its registered Peabody Service Excellence culture.

"This distinction is an impressive tribute to the dedication and commitment to excellence of our associates, who provide meeting planners and their clients the ultimate experience of flawless, memorable meetings," said Alan C. Villaverde, executive vice president of Peabody Hotels, and general manager of The Peabody Orlando (www.peabodyorlando.com). "It is gratifying that for the 19th consecutive year, meeting planner subscribers to Meetings & Conventions magazine, one of the nation's premier professional journals for the meetings industry, again voted The Peabody Orlando one of the world's best meeting venues."

The annual Gold Key Award of Meetings & Conventions magazine is one of the most important measures of The Peabody Orlando's success, because it is voted upon by thousands of meeting planners who have experienced the hotel's service and facilities, and can vouch for them. Readership of Meetings & Conventions magazine represents some 70,000 corporate, incentive and association meeting planners, who vote for those hotels that surpassed their expectations in all aspects of the meeting planning process during the year.

This year, meeting planners based their selection of Gold Key Award winners on several criteria: overall attitude of meeting staff; quality of meeting rooms; availability and quality of guest services; quality of food and beverage service; proficiency and ease of handling reservations; availability of A/V and other technical/support equipment, and possible range of recreational facilities on- and off-property.

The Peabody Orlando is a Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond property of Peabody Hotels within the portfolio of Peabody Hotel Group, and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
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Contact:
MaureenBridget Gonzalez
Director, Corporate Communication
Peabody Hotels
407-345-4521
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