Hotel Arts Barcelona Mixes Up Holiday Celebrations American Style

BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwired - Dec 2, 2016) - This Holiday season, Hotel Arts Barcelona is mixing up classic traditions, and offering unique yuletide celebrations particularly suited to American guests. Elements of the festivities, from December through to the New Year, will include: cocktail and oyster stations, weekly mixology workshops, Christmas brunch, blended-family-friendly activities, and finally the installation of Arts 54, which will host a New Year's Eve bash in homage to the illustrious and storied nightclub, to ring in 2017 with American flavor!

According to Visit the USA, the craft cocktail movement has gained popularity in America over the past decade. The success of documentaries such as "Hey Bartender" and interest in speakeasies including NYC's "Employees Only" are evidence of the trend. David Nepove, president of the United States Bartenders' Guild, asserts that emphasis on creativity and quality ingredients sets craft cocktails apart.

As a result of this movement towards the unique, Hotel Arts will offer guests inspired holiday cocktails (as opposed to champagne) paired with regionally sourced oysters from December 7^th to 30^th. Colorado-born head mixologist at Hotel Arts, Diego Baud, will also offer mixology classes for guests, making use of a variety of liquors from December 18^th - 29^th.

Another American-originated trend involving liquor, Sunday Brunch, will be implemented for hotel guests at the Barcelona restaurant Café Veranda throughout the morning of Christmas, and well into the afternoon. (as is the style in the U.S.) A festive, 3-course brunch will be served with a yuletide twist, thanks to the creative oversight of expert bartender Baud. As for menu highlights, a classic brunch staple, smoked salmon will be served as a first course option, sourced fresh from the local Boqueria market and elevated by accompanying trout caviar. A customary local holiday dish, pumpkin and orange soup, will be one of multiple main course options and the traditional Catalan Yule Log will be an essential desert option. Americans will enjoy this sassy, sweet treat to complete the sumptuous meal.

Aside from craft cocktail and brunch appreciation, the trend of multigenerational travel is reflective of the shift in America from nuclear to blended family structures. Therefore, in honor of its progressive guests from the west, the Barcelona luxury hotel will provide blended family-friendly activities well suited to guests from the USA. For one, ginger bread house construction and decoration will be offered to little visitors throughout December. Considering this iconic American ritual is directly related to the publishing of Hansel and Gretel in 1812, and since Barcelona is a UNESCO City of Literature, the inspired holiday activity is fitting.

A mature tradition will be offered strictly to adults throughout the peak holiday period. Beginning December 20th, wine tastings with a focus on various origins will be available in the lead up to Christmas. For families who opt to stay in The Penthouses, butlers can serve accompanying children alternatives (such as sparkling grape juice) in the private setting, upon request. Meanwhile, guardians will be free to imbibe at onsite, adult dining and drinking venues such as Frank's Bar, Arola, and Enoteca.

Finally, as the New Year approaches, American guests of Hotel Arts Barcelona will be immersed in a visual and thematic recreation of a legendary NYC nightclub, at Arts 54. At its peak in the 1980s, the original club hosted icons and celebrities from Cher, to Michael Jackson, to Mick Jagger, Elton John, and more. Guests of the Barcelona city resort will be invited to indulge in the ambiance of '80s glow, don their best decade-appropriate attire or celebrity inspired costumes, and party 2016 away in Barcelona's most elite location, the Grand Salon Gaudi at Hotel Arts Barcelona.

About Hotel Arts Barcelona
Hotel Arts Barcelona boasts stunning panoramic views from its unique location on the waterfront, in the heart of the city's bustling Barceloneta neighborhood. Designed by renowned architect Bruce Graham, Hotel Arts features 44 floors of exposed glass and steel, making it a prominent feature of Barcelona's skyline. The Barcelona beach hotel offers 455 rooms and 28 exclusive The Penthouses featuring sleek, modern design complemented by an impressive 20th century collection of works by contemporary Catalan and Spanish artists. Hotel Arts is one of the premier culinary destinations in Barcelona with 2 Michelin-starred Enoteca helmed by the illustrious, 5 Michelin-starred chef Paco Perez and Arola restaurant with a creative menu of reinvented tapas by Spanish celebrity chef Sergi Arola. Guests seeking a serene escape may enjoy signature treatments by renowned Spanish skin-care brand Natura Bisse overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at 43 The Spa. Recognized as one of the top business hotels in Spain, Hotel Arts provides over 3,000 square-feet of function space overlooking the Mediterranean in Arts 41, for board meetings and conferences as well as social events, weddings and celebrations. The hotel offers an additional 24,000 square-feet of function space, with the main meeting space located on the lower ground and second floors. For more information, please visit http://www.hotelartsbarcelona.com/en

About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, MD., currently operates more than 90 hotels in over 30 countries and territories. More than 40 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. For more information or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com, for the latest company updates, visit news.ritzcarlton.com and to join the live conversation, use #RCMemories. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR).

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