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Fri/Sat/Sun May 18~20, 2018

Marriott unveils unifi ed loyalty

program MARRIOTT International has announced that it will introduce a new set of unifi ed benefi ts across Marriott Rewards under The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Pre-ferred Guest (SPG) programs. The programs start in August and will create an incredibly rich hospitality loyalty program in which members will earn more points faster than under the prior programs — on average 20 percent more points for every dollar spent.

For the fi rst time, members will have the power to book stays and earn or redeem points in 29 par-ticipating global brands compris-ing 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and regions.

Additionally, the Moments expe-riential platform has expanded to more than 110,000 experiences in 1,000 destinations from must-see attraction tickets and tours for purchase by cash for all guests, to once-in-a-lifetime events only available to members using points, including the new bespoke Moments Live event series.

Beginning in August, members will be able to combine their sepa-rate Marriott Rewards, the Ritz-Carlton Rewards and SPG accounts into a single account spanning the entire loyalty portfolio.

The Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Pre-ferred Guest names will continue to live on under the new set of unifi ed benefi ts until a new program name is introduced in 2019.

Also beginning in August, trav-elers will have the ability to book stays across the entire portfolio for the fi rst time on Marriott.com, SPG.com and the Marriott and SPG apps, or by contacting cus-tomer engagement centers.

“In August, members will be able to earn and redeem across the entire portfolio of participating hotels and earn elevated benefi ts and elite status faster with new elite tiers,” said Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing offi cer for Marriott International in Asia Pacifi c.

“For example, earning Silver elite status after just 10 nights and Gold elite status after just 25 nights will become standard in all three programs.”

With Platinum elite status earned after 50 nights and Plati-num Premier elite status earned after 75 nights, these tiers will become easier to attain for Marri-ott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members and align with SPG’s current offering, she said.

(Yang Mei)

The interior decor The interior decor of The Loops.of The Loops.

Catalonian cuisine on offer at Four Seasons HKFROM the country that mythologized molecular gastronomy, another novel food movement is underway led by the groundbreaking Catalonian chef Rafael Pena.

A protégé of top Michelin-starred res-taurants in Spain, when it was time to set out on his own, Pena was moved to create a new style of dining where simplicity is elevated with a touch of haute cuisine and presented in a welcoming, casual setting.

Pena brings this fresh conception of casual fi ne dining, or “bistronomia,” to Hong Kong from June 6 to 9 at The Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. Guests will have a chance to expe-rience his purity of technique over an eight-course tasting menu, paired with exceptional wines.

A self-taught cook early in his career, Pena honed his technique under the tutelage of such contem-porary masters as former World’s Best Restaurant #1 elBulli and three-

Michelin-starred Martin Berasategui. He was at the vanguard of a new

movement later dubbed bistronomia for its hybrid approach to dining – casual like a bistro with fl ashes of that exquisite technique honed in the high temples of gastronomy.

At Pena’s restaurant Gresca and adja-cent Gresca Bar in Barcelona, the menu might change daily, driven by what is fresh and of good value.

Wine is an integral part of the experi-ence, as Pena takes as much care with the research and selection of the wines as he does with the ingredients for his dishes.

For four days, Pena will bring his unique epicurean vision to The Lounge at Four Seasons.

The eight-course tasting menu is served exclusively at dinner and will be comple-mented by the wines of sustainable wine-maker Terroir al Límit of Priorat.

The wine selections from Terrior al Límit show purity in their expression of the terroir of this corner of Spain as with the fi ne priorat torroja, a blend of 50 per-cent grenache and 50 percent carginan and the complex priorat arbossar, 100 percent carignan from 90 year old vines. (Tang Li)

Rafael PenaRafael Pena

Nan Nanthere_sun@163.com

THERE is a cocktail bar hidden behind a phone booth in Chegongmiao. Like the time machine Tardis in “Doctor

Who,” when you walk through the faux booth, a journey into the 1920’s starts.

During the Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 in the United States, bars were not allowed to sell wine openly. Therefore, these secret bars pretended to be barbershops, drugstores or other types of retailers to sell banned wine, and people who wanted a drink had to enter the bar by signaling passcodes or seeing through tricks.

In the spirit of this era, designer Lok and bartender Jerry built the bar in a speakeasy style. Named “The Loops,” the speakeasy aims to always keep the primary principle of craftsmanship close in mind: doing one thing every-day continuously.

With an extra-high ceiling, the bar has both a cigar room fi tting for people who prefer to drink alone while listen-ing to music as well as a wide area at the end of the bar where friends can meet face to face. In the interlacing of the 20th and 21st centuries, having a glass of good wine and feeling the story behind it will surely bring you a doubly memorable experience.

Among all the cocktails available here, the Manhattan and the Dry Martini are among the most popular. The Moonlight Treasure Box is their specialty and comes with a box of six

Enjoy a night of wine at The Loops

vials that can be shared with friends.If you like sticking to the classics,

choosing a well-known cocktail from the menu is a good start. If you are looking for something new, bartender Jerry will never let you down.

Apart from the collision of fl avors in his special cocktails that are cus-tomized for each guest, Jerry gives a special “happiness potion” (a specially adjusted cocktail) everyday for the pur-pose of helping people let go of their troubles while drinking.

Craig Smith (L), president and managing direc-tor of Marriott International’s Asia Pacifi c divi-sion, and Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing offi cer for Marriott International in Asia Pacifi c, at the announcement.

The entrance The entrance of the bar.of the bar.