Dozens of Events and More Than 2.3 million Holiday Lights Will Spread the Spirit of The Season at All Seven Orlando Rosen Hotels & Resorts
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Mary Deatrick, DPR
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ORLANDO (November 6, 2013) – With the holiday season just around the corner, plans are well under way for the extravaganza of festivities planned at Rosen Hotels & Resorts Orlando properties. This year, all seven of the Rosen Hotel & Resorts in Orlando will participate with bedazzling in holiday décor and more than 2.3 million indoor and outdoor lights, arts and cultural performances, plus a smattering of free experiences for guests of all ages to enjoy.
To allow everyone to take advantage of all the programming and festivities on deck, a complimentary shuttle will transport guests between all seven hotels on select dates in December. Departure times can be found at the front desk and posted in the lobby at each property. Special holiday packages and guest room rates are also available on select dates.
Rosen Hotel & Resorts will officially kick off the holidays on Thursday, December 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Rosen Inn International, 7600 International Drive, Orlando, when an official tree will be lit and real snow will fall in the hotel’s beautifully adorned courtyard. Hosted by Harris Rosen, President & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, the kick-off event is free and open to the general public and hotel guests. The official opening to the holidays will also feature fun festivities such as a deejay, carolers, holiday Karaoke, photo booth, winter characters for holiday photos and a cash bar.
While there is a charge for dining and other selected activities, many of events at each of the hotels are offered at no charge and are open to anyone in the community who cares to share in the spirit of the season. For a comprehensive list of the holiday events including specific details such as date, location and any cost, visit www.rosenhotels.com/holidays.
HOLIDAY EVENTS FROM FAMILY TO FANCY
Capturing the true spirit of the holiday season, two hotels will host events to benefit local charities. For the second year, the Rosen Shingle Creek lobby will showcase a Runway to Hope holiday tree with ornaments for sale to benefit the charity, while Rosen Centre will showcase a lobby tree decorated with doggy bows and puppy paw prints to benefit Canine Companions for Independence. Rosen Centre will also host free celebrity holiday storybook readings with Fred Schneider from the B52s and local Food Network talent Emily Ellyn to benefit CCI. The storybook readings are Sunday, December 8 and 15 from 3 to 5 p.m., with sales of ornaments and books to benefit CCI.
New this year, Rosen Centre invites holiday revelers to join them poolside, not for a swim, but for a skate! The hotel will offer ice skating on an outdoor rink located next to its palm tree-lined, tropical swimming pool for a true Florida holiday experience. The ice skating is available select days throughout December and will include plenty for guests to enjoy including interactive face painting, holiday characters, deejay, balloon art, photo booth and more.
Rosen Plaza celebrates the season with its first-ever free Chanukah Family Festival on Sunday, December 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. This community event will feature children’s games and activities, bounce houses, carnival games, traditional food stations, dreidel spinning contests, a latke cook-off among Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ chefs and musical entertainment. The hotel will also celebrate the Eight Nights of Chanukah starting Wednesday, November 27 with traditional music, treats and the lighting at 6 p.m. nightly of a seven-foot Menorah, located in the hotel’s lobby.
Rosen Shingle Creek celebrates its 6th Annual Holiday Lobby Showcase featuring free community entertainment amidst the hotel lobby’s lavish holiday decorations and festooned fireplace. Guests will enjoy the Elizabeth Parsons School of Dance and Windermere Ballet Community Theater performing selections from the Nutcracker Ballet on Friday nights in December and a variety of ballet, tap and contemporary holiday dances performed by Miriam and Val’s School of Dance and the Sanford Soda Pops on Saturday nights. New this year is the hotel’s European Winter Fair, Sunday, December 15 and 22, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., featuring an outdoor European gift mart and culinary crafting with exquisite gifts, crafts, cocktails, chocolate workshops and cookie decorating, among booth offerings. Finally, the hotel reprieves the popular Winter Wonderland Festival for a second year, Friday, December 13 and 20 and Saturday, December 14 and 21, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., transforming the hotel grounds with gently falling snow, holiday carolers, the Shingle Creek Express train, a beautifully adorned 25-foot Christmas tree in the Rose Garden, holiday movies, karaoke, winter characters such as Snowflake Fairies and more. New additions include Christmas wagon rides, the first-ever “Live Remote Controlled Toys” and live Rosen Reindeer with Santa visiting from the North Pole.
The company’s four leisure hotels – Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando and Rosen Inn closet to Universal – invite families to visit each hotel’s lobby to write and mail letters to Santa via a special North Pole mailbox. On select nights, little ones can catch a glimpse of busy elves as they make their rounds emptying the boxes of wish-filled letters to deliver them to Santa. The elves will also share holiday cheer with story telling and sing-a-longs, while families can capture holiday moments with a special photo booth. For a girlfriend’s holiday getaway or for the arts and crafts enthusiast, the four hotels have created the “Making Memories, Scrapbooker’s Delight” package December 6 and 13 that includes a special evening of wine, cheese and scrapbooking.
HOLIDAY FEASTS AND DINING EVENTS
With more than 15,000 pounds of turkey and close to 6,500 pounds of ham to be served by Rosen chefs this season, feasts and holidays go hand-in-hand at Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek. Guests are invited to enjoy extensive holiday buffets with unlimited wine or champagne on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, as well as special menus and dining options at each hotel’s fine dining and casual buffet restaurants throughout the season.
Rosen Shingle Creek hosts its annual Nutcracker Tea with English-style service and ballet performances on Sunday, December 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., while Food Network personality Emily Ellyn is back for another “Mad Men” holiday cocktail party Saturday, December 7 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Ellyn will stir up retro-rad fun with cocktail making, hors d’oeuvre tasting and holiday cooking demos.
Sunday, December 8 and 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Santa and the Rosen Centre chefs will show guests young and young-at-heart the art of cake pop decorating. The hands-on event is included with the purchase of the Café Gauguin lunch buffet and includes a visit from Santa, holiday carolers and other activities. Santa returns to the buffet on Friday, December 6 and 13 and Saturday, December 7 and 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. to visit and help children write letters, included in the purchase of the Café Gauguin dinner buffet.
Santa will also make a stop at Rosen Plaza’s breakfast and gift event at Café Matisse Saturday, December 7, 14 and 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Santa will visit with children, pose for photos, as well as help each child select a gift that can be wrapped. The holiday extras are included in the purchase price of the buffet. On Friday and Saturday nights beginning December 8 through 21 from 6 to 11 p.m., the hotel’s lobby lounge will come alive with the sounds of the season including carolers, Classic String Duo and live jazz courtesy of the Solid State Trio. The lounge will also offer special holiday drink specials.
ROSEN HOTELS & RESORTS HOLIDAYS BY THE NUMBERS
2.3 million holiday lights
15,236 pounds of turkey
8,400 glasses of champagne
6,420 pounds of ham
3,670 pounds of sweet potatoes
1,530 pounds of cranberries
408 poinsettias
All seven Rosen Hotels & Resorts are centrally located within minutes of Orlando’s world-famous theme parks, attractions, shopping and entertainment. Each offers complimentary hardwired and Wifi internet access and complimentary daily scheduled transportation to select theme parks (reservations required). More than 30 dining and lounging options are available among the seven hotels to please any palate — from buffet dining and 24-hour onsite deli/convenience stores to tapas, sushi, flatbreads and Rosen’s Perfect Pizza. In addition, Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn International and Rosen Inn closest to Universal feature a Kids Eat Free Program in their buffet restaurants, while upscale dining is available at Jack’s Place at Rosen Plaza, Everglades at Rosen Centre and AAA Four Diamond A Land Remembered steakhouse and Cala Bella Italian Bistro at Rosen Shingle Creek. Complimentary transportation is available for any hotel guest to enjoy the award-winning Shingle Creek Golf Club, The Spa at Rosen Centre and The Spa at Shingle Creek.
For more information about holiday events, dining and overnight packages available at Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando, visit www.rosenhotels.com/holidays or call reservations at 866-337-6736.