With just a few weeks left before the Renaissance Dallas Hotel opens the doors to its 50,000 square feet of new meeting and event space on July 14, 2014, General Manager Mark Woelffer notes that groups at the hotel will be treated to farm-to-table style dining which is currently employed in the hotel’s popular Asador Restaurant and many other high-end eateries.
According to Chef Partner Dean Max, “the farm-to-table concept represents an all-natural, local, sustainable and seasonal approach to creating our food and beverage program. The ideas of simplicity meeting freshness and seasonality are the center of our philosophy. It’s not about flashy ideas or presentations but solid flavors of high quality local product that make us special.”
Max adds that implementing farm-to-table concept is not typical for group banquet and events because of the time investment it takes to source the products and do the production when feeding large numbers of guests at one time.
“It takes more advanced leadership, focus and training than most hotels want to do,” he said. “With the growth of quality food awareness, we recognize it as a huge competitive advantage.”
The Renaissance Dallas Hotel is committed to providing guests with healthier products processed in a safer environment. They believe this focus on localism will have multiple benefits. First, it is important to many local groups who appreciate the hotel keeping the business in the community with people they know and trust. Secondly, it is important to out-of-town guests who are stuck in meetings during their trip because they will now be able to explore this region in a culinary way.
“The physical stress of travel is a burden to the mind and body,” Max said. “Travelers are saturated with boring food and processed junk everywhere they go. Our goal is to provide them with healthy, tasty food and beverages that leave them energized and excited.”
Corporate and social groups visiting the Dallas hotel will benefit from house-made food that is all-natural, heirloom, healthier and at the peak of its flavor because it’s in season. By using seasonal items, the result is simply great taste. The new menus are more detailed with choices that deliver diversity for a more complete and interesting experience.
The new Dallas meeting facilities currently under construction at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel will give the property a total of 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The centerpiece of the new space will be a 16,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom able to accommodate up to 1,500 people for a seated dinner and offering plentiful natural light throughout. Directly above the new ballroom will be the City View Room and City View Rooftop Terrace including an additional 10,900 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for truly unique large-scale events. The City View Room will offer floor-to-ceiling windows and breathtaking views of the Dallas skyline. The architect and contractor for this project is HC Beck. While the new space is opening on July 14, the existing space will be undergoing renovation and will reopen Sept. 1, 2014.
Is rubber chicken a thing of the past? Serving large groups is no easy task, but let us know if there are other hotels serving innovative menus at group events. Comment below or email news@ehotelier.net.
