2012-12-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Dorchester unveils Gingerbread Hotel and Sweet Emporium for children. The Dorchester has kicked off the festive season with the unveiling of a children’s Sweet Emporium and gingerbread replica of the hotel for Christmas, 1:100 the size of the actual building.
A creation conceived by the hotel’s executive chef Henry Brosi and executive housekeeper Jutta Asta, the gingerbread hotel measures 5.5” wide by 4.5” tall, weighs in at approximately 60 kg and features over 2000 individual pieces of gingerbread baked by the hotel pastry team. The model of the front of the hotel is almost identical to the frontage of the world-famous building, with all nine floors lit from the inside, six replica balconies, 116 windows and the four famous front doors.
The gingerbread model of the hotel was constructed directly from the original blue print produced by The Dorchester’s architect when the hotel first opened in the 1930s. 200 pats of butter were used in its creation, alongside icing sugar snow and pastillage (decorative icing) used to portray distinctive features such as architectural ‘D’ at the top of the building. Adding a little Dorchester glamour, backlit silhouettes suggest scenes that might be taking place behind the hallowed walls, such as guests getting ready to go out, children receiving presents and figures dancing the night away…even Father Christmas can be spotted.
Children visiting the hotel during December will be swept into a magical experience at the Sweet Emporium by ‘Sweets in the City’ tucked inside a festive nook in the lobby. Captivating illustrations line the Sweet Emporium walls and a bounty of traditional English sweets await, such as giant twirl lollipops, chunky candy canes, and retro classics that include barley sugar, rhubarb and custards, flying saucers, dolly mixture, liquorice torpedos, giant chocolate coins and oversized fizzy jelly cables. A carousel adds to the attraction and two life-sized toy soldiers stand guard at the door for sugar filled appointments.
Speaking about the edible masterpieces, general manager and regional director UK, Roland Fasel commented, “The festive season is traditionally a time to create a little magic for children, but it has been the talk of the hotel in the lead up to December and all 600 of our staff – many of whom have worked here for over 25 years – have been excited about seeing our gingerbread hotel and sweet emporium unveiled for Christmas.”
The Dorchester’s gingerbread replica will be on display at the entrance to The Promenade until 12th night.
Notes to editors:
The Dorchester
The Dorchester is situated in the heart of London’s Mayfair on Park Lane, with 250 rooms and suites designed in a classic English residential style, affording expansive views of Hyde Park. Alexandra Champalimaud redesigned 22 new Dorchester and Park Suites in 2012, fusing contemporary comfort with timeless glamour. A wide range of dining is available to guests in The Promenade, The Bar and The Grill, China Tang and three Michelin star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. The Dorchester Spa reopened in May 2009 after a multimillion transformation to offer indulgent pampering in a glamorous art deco setting. The Dorchester’s ten banqueting rooms, including The Ballroom which was renovated in September 2011, offer a wide selection for hosting various events, from intimate dinners to cocktail receptions of up to 1,000 guests.
High resolution images can be downloaded from: leonardo.com/dorchestercollection
Dorchester Collection
Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world’s foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA, each of which reflects the distinctive culture of its destination. By applying its unrivalled experience and capability in owning and operating some of the greatest individual hotels, the company’s mission is to develop an impeccable group of the finest landmark hotels through acquisition as well as management of wholly-owned and part-owned hotels, and to enter into management agreements.The current portfolio includes the following hotels (in order of them joining the group): The Dorchester, London; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; Le Meurice, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan; Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles; Coworth Park, Ascot, UK; 45 Park Lane, London; and Le Richemond, Geneva.
dorchestercollection.com
For further press information, please contact:
Rosanna Fishbourne (nee Crawley)
Area director of communications
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7319 7062
rosanna.fishbourne@dorchestercollection.com
Press office
General enquiries
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7319 7055
PRUK.TDL@dorchestercollection.com
thedorchester.com coworthpark.com 45parklane.com
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THE DORCHESTER UNVEILS FESTIVE GINGERBREAD REPLICA HOTEL