OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS INFUSES SWEETNESS INTO SUMMER

Luxury Hotel Brand Partners with the National Honey Board to Create Honey-Inspired Summer Cocktails & Fare

DALLAS (May 5, 2015) — Omni Hotels & Resorts’ love affair with “nature’s sweetener” began long before Firmenich named it 2015 Flavor of the Year. For years, five Omni properties, with a collective 300,000 bees, have been harvesting their own beehives, and using honey in everything from culinary dishes to spa treatments. Fast forward to 2015 and a natural buzz-worthy collaboration was developed with the National Honey Board (NHB) to create custom-curated menu specialties that reflect the sweet seasonal flavor of summer.

Inspiration for the special menu began during a two-day honey education, tasting and immersion experience at the luxurious oceanfront Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort. During the trip, Omni Chefs, NHB Chef David Guas (author of ‘Grill Nation’ and host of Travel Channel’s ‘American Grilled’) and Omni Mixologist Kim Haasarud (author and James Beard honored-mixologist) combined their collective expertise and creativity to create an array of honey-infused cocktails and dishes that are featured in this year’s Art of Water poolside menu.

“Guests from coast-to-coast can enjoy our special honey-inspired menu filled with the sweet or savory bites of summer, while sipping ‘liquid-gold’ cocktails designed to refresh any summer palate,” said David Morgan, vice president of food and beverage at Omni Hotels & Resorts. “Honey bees create more than 300 different honey varietals in the United States alone, each with a different flavor and color profile, and some of which we have used to create this summer’s menu to offer our guests a stirring experience.”

The cocktail portion of the menu is divided into five regions – Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Texas and West – each featuring local and unique honey-infused cocktails. For example, travelers may find:

At a couple of the Southeast’s most iconic resorts – The Omni Homestead Resort and The Omni Grove Park Inn – guests can enjoy the Honey Grapefruit Crush made with Svedka Grapefruit Jalapeno vodka, wildflower honey water, and a splash of fresh grapefruit and lemon juice.

Guests who take a dip in the pool high in the White Mountains while at the Omni Mount Washington Resort can sample the Honey Melon Mojito featuring Cruzan Light rum, Finest Call Watermelon puree muddled with clover honey water, fresh mint and lime, shaken and topped with a splash of club soda.

To refresh in the west, travelers at the Omni San Diego Hotel can sip on a Pink Moon Shandy made with Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit vodka shaken with orange blossom honey water, fresh lemon and grapefruit juices, topped with Blue Moon Belgian White Ale.

Patrons can enjoy the urban paradise on the rooftop pool in the Big Easy at the Omni Royal Orleans while sipping Wildflower Honey Punch made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Whiskey, Finest Call White Sangria, Angostura Bitters, wildflower honey water, hand-squeezed lime and lemon juices.

On the other hand, after 18 holes of golf at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa near Austin, Texas, guests can relax with the Gold Blossom Margarita or Honey Grapefruit Lemonade, both infused with orange blossom honey water.

In addition to the cocktails, each participating property will feature two honey-inspired entrees, which could include Honey Roasted Chicken Salad, Ale & Honey Braised Brat, Kale Salad with orange blossom honey vinaigrette, and Lemon-Alfalfa Honey Hummus.

The “Art of Water” poolside menus are available at select properties throughout the summer. Full menus, images, and a video highlighting Omni’s culinary use of the honey, may be viewed here http://www.omnihotels.com/culinary/honey-program.

For more information, guests may visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni. Travelers or media can also follow Omni at Facebook.com/OmniHotels and Twitter.com/OmniHotels.

About Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences at 60 distinct upscale hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. With over 20 world-class golf courses and award-winning spa retreats, to dynamic business settings, each Omni showcases the local flavor of the destination while featuring four-diamond services, signature restaurants, Wi-Fi connectivity and unique wellness options. Known for its distinguished, personalized service, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every customer interaction, with a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest loyalty program and the company’s “Power of One” associate empowerment program. The brand is frequently recognized by top consumer research organizations and travel publications. To get additional information or book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni.