Guests are invited to Raise a Glass and Toast during a Social Hour Celebration
PHOENIX – Sept. 27, 2013 – On Sept. 30, 2013, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel turns five years old! What better way to celebrate the past five years than with a month-long wine series that culminates with an exclusive Sheraton Social Hour wine gathering and celebratory toast in the hotel’s Park Lounge lobby from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s fifth birthday coincides with the regional Sheraton Social Hour celebration as it becomes the fourth property to participate in the wine tasting series. After the successful global rollout of Sheraton Social Hour, the brand’s signature premium wine pairing program, the Sheraton brand team chose five properties across the U.S. to host the Social Hour events. The experiential series kicked off at the Sheraton Chicago on June 24 and then traveled to Seattle, with other key cities including Kansas City and Boston. Want to raise a glass? Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG) wine enthusiasts are invited to RSVP for a chance to gain entry to the invitation-only event while simultaneously getting the opportunity to toast happy birthday to Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
“By blending the two celebrations together, we have the opportunity to offer our guests a truly unique experience,” said Mike Ehmann, general manager of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. “The Sheraton Social Hour program features some of the most highly rated wines in the world where business and leisure guests alike can gather and connect in a comfortable setting while sharing thoughts about premium pours from notable wineries.”
Bubbling up to the Celebratory Toast
Starting on Sept. 30 and leading up to the Oct. 22 event, one of four hand-selected wines will be featured each week during Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s usually scheduled Social Hour series where guests can compare two 2oz premium pours for only $5. This series takes place Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m. in the hotel’s Park Lounge lobby. The fifth – in honor of the hotels birthday – will be unveiled with a grand birthday toast at the Sheraton Social Hour event held at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 22.
Sheraton Gets Social
The Social Hour program, which was developed by today’s premier wine experts and the brand’s global food and beverage team, offers guests a specially curated menu of premium wines by the glass and weekly tasting events. In North America, the program features Sheraton Selects, an upgraded premium wine menu comprised of a rotation of eight or more wines by the glass and bottle, all rated by Wine Spectator. All Sheraton Selects wines will be rated above 85 and at least four offerings will be rated 90+. The program features renowned wineries such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Northstar, Columbia Crest, Antinori, Col Solare, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte and Eroica.
Toast with Sheraton
SPG members will receive exclusive access to these tasting events where they will have the unique opportunity to sample the premium Wine Spectator rated wines served during Social Hour. During the festive events, guests will be encouraged to join the conversation and share their favorite wine experiences on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram using #SocialHour.
Want a taste? Local SPG members of legal drinking age are invited to attend the intimate events. Space is limited, so RSVP now to RSVP.phoenixdowntown@sheraton.com. Not an SPG member? Then enroll at SPG.com for access to exclusive benefits like entrance to the main celebratory Sheraton Social Hour event, held at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Oct. 22.
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel to Wine and Dine Guests
General Manager Mike Ehmann will host the birthday toast with a marquee selection during the regional Sheraton Social Hour celebration at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Oct. 22. Additionally, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Business Development Manager Eric Hatch will be on-hand to educate guests about the event’s premium wine selections and describe the tasting notes in each featured glass.
Event attendees and SPG Members will sample wines paired perfectly with dishes designed by the culinary team at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. The Chateau Ste. Michelle “Indian Wells” Columbia Valley, Red Blend 2010 offers a boysenberry flavor from the Syrah with a luscious backbone from the Merlot and some spice from the other varieties. This wine will be paired with a duck breast tostada and chipotle-fig jam. The Wine Spectator 90-rated Chateau Ste. Michelle “Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills,” Cabernet 2010 offers black current flavors, hints of sage and elegant tannins. This wine will be paired with pumpkin whoopie pies. Another Wine Spectator 90-rated wine, the Stella Maris Columbia Valley, Red Blend 2008, is a very approachable, versatile wine that offers layers of smoke, vanilla, spice, raspberry, and cherry flavors on a soft and silky palate. This wine will be paired with smoked chorizo, artichoke and melon with pistachio vinaigrette. Next up is the Domaine Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley, Brut N/V. With its delicate flavors of apples and citrus and lively acidity, Michelle Brut is the perfect accompaniment for a wide array of foods. Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut will be paired with a smoked salmon flatbread with olive tapenade and herb mascarpone. And finally for the birthday toast of the evening, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Epernay, Brut Reserve N/V, a Wine Spectator 90-rated rich and creamy marquee selection that yields flavors of dried fruit, nut and spice notes of fruitcake, with lemon meringue, quince and honey. This elegant and refined Champagne will pair perfectly with lobster medallions and sweet creamed leeks.
Celebrate with a Great Rate
Starting Sept. 30 in honor of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s birthday, the hotel is inviting people to Pay Your Birth Year. With this special offer for two or three night stays, guests receive rates equal to their birth year! The first night rate is $205 with the second and third nights equal to the guest’s birth year. For example, a guest born in 1950 would pay a rate of $205 the first night and $50 for the second and third nights. This birthday offer is available through the end of the year by calling (866) 716-8134 and mentioning rate code BIRTHDAY or visiting www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com.
For more information on Sheraton Social Hour, visit www.Sheraton.com/SocialHour. For more information on Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, visit www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com. For more information on Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.sheraton.com or Facebook. Follow Sheraton on Twitter.
About Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel opened on September 30, 2008, as the largest hotel in Arizona with 1,000 guestrooms. The hotel features signature services and amenities such as Sheraton Fitness® powered by Core Performance, the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper™ Bed and the Link@Sheraton experienced by Microsoft®. Set in an urban oasis, the hotel offers guests a 4,500-square-foot outdoor pool and sundeck with an adjacent rooftop herb garden. The hotel provides more than 80,000 square feet of flexible, state-of-the-art meeting space and a restaurant, District American Kitchen & Wine Bar, with bar and lounge. It is located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix and adjacent the Phoenix Convention Center. For additional information or for reservations, please visit www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com.
About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels in nearly 70 countries around the world and recently completed a $6 billion global revitalization and is now in the midst of an $8 billion global expansion over the next three years. Sheraton is owned by and is the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,162 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
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