PHOENIX – (Nov. 22, 2013) – Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel is offering special holiday rates this season starting from $99 so you can connect with friends, family and neighbors to discover a winter wonderland of festive decorations, special holiday events and delicious holiday cuisine. Guests will enjoy dishes served at District American Kitchen and Wine Bar and marvel at a gingerbread house village creatively decorated to the theme of “The Polar Express” on display inside the hotel’s Park Lounge lobby. At Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, holiday fun is for everyone!

Breakfast with Santa Claus
It is full steam ahead into the Holiday Season with District American Kitchen and Wine Bar’s Annual Breakfast with Santa Claus on Dec. 14 and 15. This year’s event features a scrumptious seasonal breakfast, along with a special guest appearance from Santa Claus. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the District Harvest Table will feature a bountiful buffet with a ham carving station, gourmet omelets made-to-order, a bloody Mary bar, endless mimosas, and so much more! Kids and families can connect by decorating holiday cookies, having pictures taken with Santa Claus, and gathering in the hotel’s Park Lounge to view a beautifully decorated Christmas tree surrounded by elaborate gingerbread houses that are on display from a gingerbread house competition. Invite friends, family, and neighbors to rekindle fond holiday memories while savoring traditional American comfort foods served with a classic twist. At District American Kitchen and Wine Bar, the holiday breakfast creations showcase artisan products, herbs from the restaurant’s rooftop garden, and sustainably farmed produce from local growers. Prices for Breakfast with Santa Claus are $31 for adults and $15.50 for kids 12 years old and younger.

“This time of year is all about creating memories, sharing in the holiday spirit and gathering together with friends and family,” said General Manager Mike Ehmann, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. “Guests will savor holiday dishes while admiring the festive décor displayed throughout the hotel.”

Holiday Décor
A magnificent 12-foot Christmas tree serves as the centerpiece of the hotel’s Park Lounge while more than a dozen other Christmas trees, twinkling lights, poinsettias and holiday wreaths adorn the hotel.

“We even built a custom train set that meanders through an intricately designed holiday village surrounding the tree,” Ehmann said. “Many creatively decorated gingerbread houses are displayed among the faux snow, bridges, tunnels, and train depot. With such a magical site, you’re instantly reminiscing about fond childhood memories.”

For its fifth year, the hotel’s gingerbread house contest fosters healthy community competition since prizes are awarded for the top three winners through a monetary donation to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. The gingerbread houses are available to view all throughout the Holiday Season, showcasing each contestant’s creativity. This year’s gingerbread house theme takes inspiration from the movie, “The Polar Express.” Finalists will be judged in mid-December and based on five categories: (1) Overall Appearance; (2) Originality and Creativity; (3) Difficulty in preparation; (4) Precision; and (5) Consistency of theme.

Christmas Day Dinner
Then on Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, family feasting can begin as early as 11:30 a.m. with a decadent three-course meal and wine pairing served until 9 p.m. First course is a choice of wild mushroom bisque with crispy shallots and opal basil or roasted baby beets and Brussels sprouts with Crow’s dairy whipped goat cheese and agave mustard vinaigrette. Second course is a choice of Christmas ham with Saigon cinnamon glaze, herb marinated beef rib-eye with tamarind jus, or grilled salmon with fennel and chestnut salad. Second course is served with: Yukon smashed potatoes with mama’s gravy, citrus zest green beans, and MJ pull-apart rolls with garden herb butter. Third course is a salted caramel and hazelnut truffle tart with sweet cherry ice cream and hazelnut dust.

Prices for Christmas Day dinner are $32 for adults, $16 for kids 12 years old and younger, and $16 for the wine pairing.

Spirits of the Season
If you’re still craving something sweet and savory, mixologist Matt Tobey from District American Kitchen and Wine Bar has created the Hog Nog in honor of the Downtown Phoenix Spirits of the Season cocktail competition, which is available for $9 during the Holiday Season. The Hog Nog features Schreiner’s bacon infused with Rogue hazelnut spice rum, house-made cinnamon eggnog, and a candied bacon garnish. What is Spirits of the Season? It’s a self-guided holiday cocktail competition that features festive concoctions from more than 10 Downtown Phoenix bars and restaurants. Anyone can vote! Last year, District American Kitchen and Wine Bar won with the Santa’s Bellini cocktail. Voting is open Nov. 30 – Dec. 18 in the quest to crown the Most Spirited Holiday Cocktail of 2013. www.surveymonkey.com/s/spirits-vote

Reservations
Restaurant reservations are required. Call (602) 817-5400 or visit www.districtrestaurant.com.
Complimentary three-hour self-parking validation is available.

Stay the night at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel with holiday rates starting from $99. To book, visit www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com/holiday or call (866) 716-8134 and mention rate code HOL13.

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 District American Kitchen and Wine Bar
District American Kitchen and Wine Bar is designed to meld into the fabric of the downtown Phoenix core, embracing its inherent energy with open-air patio seating, local artwork, and live entertainment or DJs. Open for breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner, the restaurant serves the best of American cuisine, wines, beers, and classic cocktails. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar features a rooftop garden, supports local food purveyors, and offers a wide selection of sophisticated yet accessible regional fare. Patrons can expect new twists on classic favorites as well as traditional favorites reinvented. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar is located at the northwest corner of Third Street and Van Buren in the heart of downtown Phoenix. For restaurant reservations, please call (602) 817-5400 or visit www.districtrestaurant.com.

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