Bringing Unusual Culinary Discoveries to Guests Around the World

Renaissance Hotels is the official hotel partner of:
Chicago Food + Wine Festival, August 28-30, 2015
Nashville's Music City Food + Wine Festival 2015, September 19-20, 2015

Bethesda, Md., USA - August 24, 2015 - Renaissance Hotels (www.renhotels.com) is known around the world for helping next generation business travelers discover unexpected cultural experiences. Renaissance Hotels today announces a new partnership with Food & Wine and Andrew Zimmern to create a series of unusual tastings around The Navigators Table and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to today's most coveted chefs and foodie insiders.

[Photo: Andrew Zimmern, Credit Steve Henke - download.]

Zimmern, the three-time James Beard award winner who is also beloved by millions as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, will be Renaissance's guest Navigator - the hotels' lifestyle concierge - and bring his unique perspective to The Navigator's Table, a dinner conversation taking place at the newly transformed Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel Friday, August 28, and the Renaissance Nashville Hotel Saturday, September 19. Special guests of Chicago's The Navigator Table will include Christina Grdovic, Senior Vice President and Publisher of FOOD & WINE; Billy Dec, Restaurateur/TV Personality, and Lee Wolen, Executive Chef/Partner, Boka; among others. Guests will taste a range of unconventional flavor pairings curated by Zimmern and indulge in conversation about unexpected discoveries throughout the host city. Exclusive content will air on RenHotels.com and Renaissance Hotel's YouTube channel.

"Renaissance embraces discovery, the extraordinary and the rarified experience as much as I do. I couldn't be more excited to partner with them. I am going to make business really unusual at Renaissance Hotels. As a guest Navigator at The Navigators Table, and with help from my chef friends, we'll give travelers and guests access to food experiences they have never imagined before," Zimmern explains.

"Every Renaissance hotel stay is designed to provide today's business travelers with an unexpected experience and the opportunity to discover what's truly local in food, drink, and culture and entertainment," said Dan Vinh, Vice President Marketing, Renaissance Hotels. "Andrew's taste for the unconventional during his global travels reflects our shared vision around providing next gen travelers with experiences that defy the conventions of traditional business travel. He's our ideal guide to the bizarre and need-to-know in food and culture."

Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel and Renaissance Nashville Hotel, along with Food & Wine and FWx, will host exclusive on-property events inviting guests to mix and mingle with Zimmern and his chef friends while discovering unusual culinary & cultural offerings from famed local establishments and partners. To attend the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel tasting or the Renaissance Nashville Hotel tasting, please RSVP to FWPromotion@goodandwine.com.

On festival grounds, Renaissance Hotels will host a "Discover Chicago" pop-up tent, encouraging foodies and guests to discover Chicago and Nashville through local culinary & cultural delights, unusual hotel experiences, and prize giveaways, curated in partnership with Zimmern and Food & Wine.

As part of its partnership with Zimmern, guests and followers of Renaissance Hotels around the world will have access to behind-the-scenes coverage from the most exclusive event at New York City Wine + Food Festival: "Masters of the Kitchen: An Evening Hosted by Dana Cowin with John Besh, Andrew Zimmern, Jose Garces And Daniel Boulud." Follow Zimmern and his chef friends - John Besh, Jose Garces and Daniel Boulud - as they prepare for Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin's VIP book release party. Content will also feature their favorite local discoveries in New York City.

Travelers and guests can enter for a chance to win an ultimate trip for two to the Chicago Food + Wine Festival, the Nashville Music City Food + Wine Festival or the New York City Wine + Food Festival. By re-tweeting @RenHotels contest announcement, travelers will enter in a chance to win 2-day festival tickets, 2 Toast & Taste tickets, VIP access to Food & Wine/FWx event at Renaissance Hotels, a meet and greet with Andrew Zimmern, and a hotel stay.

Guests can book a stay and check out the full lineup of events and promotions planned throughout the year at Renaissance Hotels by visiting www.renhotels.com/events, www.facebook.com/renhotels. Guests of the hotel who are enrolled in the award-winning guest loyalty program Marriott Rewards® are able to earn points during their hotel stays that can be redeemed for free holidays, flights, hotel rooms and merchandise.

Renaissance Hotels is the official hotel partner for the 2015 Chicago Food + Wine Festival (August 28-30) and Nashville's Music City Food + Wine Festival (September 19-20).

RENAISSANCE HOTELS:
 Renaissance Hotels encourages guests to Live Life to DiscoverSM at 160 hotels in over 35 countries around the world. Each hotel is unique and every stay offers an opportunity to explore local discoveries exclusive to the destination. At Renaissance Hotels, we believe that every guest is a storyteller and we aim to deliver with unexpected experiences meant to be shared. Our signature events in our lobbies, bars and lounges are designed to showcase emerging talent in music, the arts, mixology, gastronomy and more to inspire new discovery. Renaissance Navigators are neighborhood experts who are ready to assist guests in discovering true local flavors and activities. R.E.N. Meetings offers groups an experience beyond a traditional meeting, rooted in creative sensory meeting design and custom-curated local Navigator excursions and networking events. At Renaissance Hotels, we work to ensure that every trip is transformed into an eye-opening, unforgettable journey. Renaissance Hotels believes that since you spend your life working, you should discover the world as you go. To discover more visit www.renhotels.com . For upcoming events visit www.renhotels.com/events .

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ABOUT CHICAGO FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL:
 The Chicago Food + Wine Festival marks a compelling collaboration between C3 Presents, Tim Love (Iron Chef Champion, the co-host of CNBC's Restaurant Startup, and the owner/chef of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Love Shack, TLC Catering, White Elephant Saloon, Queenie's Steakhouse, and The Woodshed Smokehouse in Ft. Worth, TX), and FOOD & WINE Magazine. C3 Presents is the Austin-based event company that produces Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park, Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin's Zilker Park, Austin Food + Wine Festival, Music City Food + Wine Festival in Nashville and more than 800 shows nationwide. Chicago Food + Wine Festival will take place August 28-30, 2015, in Chicago's Lincoln Park. Please visit www.chicagofoodandwinefestival.com for details.

ABOUT MUSIC CITY FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL:
 Music City Food + Wine Festival is produced by GRAMMY-award winning artists (and Nashville residents) Kings of Leon, world-renowned chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management's Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and Austin-based C3 Presents - producer of Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Austin Food + Wine Festival and Chicago Food + Wine Festival.

Contacts:
Verona Carter
verona.carter@marriott.com

Dara Toulch
dara@ballantinespr.com

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