Across the hospitality industry operators are pitching themselves as the best place for lovers to spend their special day, and spend up.
One of the biggest occasions on the industry’s calendar after Christmas and Mothers Day, Valentine’s Day is approaching with businesses from hotels to fresh food producers positioning their offer as the most romantic, sensual and indulgent.
We’ve rounded up a few of the ideas operators have come up with as part of the strategies to milk Valentine’s Dayb 2010.
The Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour is pitching a weekend of shopping as the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat for “your pretty woman”. It’s package includes overnight accommodation, a three-hour fashion walking tour in the city including champagne and a personal stylist, VIP store discounts, and a two-hour make-up session, plus full breakfast for two. Plus there’s “seductive” seafood buffet for Valentine’s night including an selection of oysters, prawns, following by a decadent desserts and a chocolate fountain, and a live band playing classic love songs.
Pendolino meanwhile says it will be San Valentino with a special dining experience that a complimentary glass of NV Nino Franco ‘Faire’ Rose Brut on arrival, and a 5-course degustation dinner menu created by chef and owner Nino Zoccali. The menu freshly shucked Coffin Bay Pacific Oysters served with Salmon Pearls and Pendolino Tomato Vinaigrette, or fresh lemon; Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella, Sweet Basil, Baby Parsley, Red Onion and Crisp Fresh Breadcrumbs; Black Squid Ink Ravioloni filled with Baby Scallops, Ricotta and Caramelized Garlic, Slow-Cooked Tomato and Crustacean Sauce; Char Grilled Quail with slow cooked thyme and garlic potato, Sautéed Spinach with Dried Black Olive and Mediterranean herb Sauce, Olive ‘Pasta Sfoglia’ Grissino; and Vanilla Bean Semifreddo with Poached Wild Strawberries.
Lychee farmers are pitching their in season product as just the perfect sensual fruit to get juices flowing. It’s Valentine’s Day promotion has included a recipe suggestion of a Lychee and Rose Martini from Grant Collins, the high profile mixologist at the Hilton Hotel’s cocktail bar Zeta. Collins says Australian lychees are the perfect addition to a summer cocktail and will also impress that “someone special”. Plus you are looking after your sweetheart’s health as well. Their slow releasing energy makes them a great snack to keep you going, reads the media release.
Chocolate massages are part of the offer from day spa company, Ripple. The chocolate brings “lashings of chocolate to sweethearts while leaving the calories at the door”. The massage uses warmed chocolate oil from head to toe to “melt away stress and relax muscles”. Ripple’s managing director, Alison Shaw, said she was inspired to create the chocolate massage after discovering the technique in a small day spa in Barcelona, Spain. “Although I couldn’t speak Spanish, and the therapists could not speak English, I recognised one of the words on their menu that is universally recognized by all women…chocolate!” said Shaw.
Radisson Resort Gold Coast executive chef Volker Koepke has designed a menu of sensuous dishes to whet the appetite. For entree Valentine Day celebrators can choose the Ocean Trio—poached prawn tails with northern mango and thousand island dressing, a Pacific oyster on wilted leek with tomato and coriander salsa as well as Tasmanian smoked salmon on an oriental mushroom risotto, or the Meadow Trio—minted chicken and lime salad in a crispy cornet, petit lamb rubbed with smoked paprika accompanied by lemon and cucumber raijta, and a pork tender filled with brie, rolled in crumbs and served on beetroot hay. Main courses include beef tenderloin topped with a grilled field mushroom and fried quail egg on potato roesti with broccolini, asparagus, and bourbon butter; grilled king snapper with garlic prawn tails on green pea purée with kipfler potatoes, asparagus and roasted capsicum salsa; and corn fed chicken filled with peppered mango and sweet tarragon with pumpkin risotto, buttered spinach, broccolini and smoked tomato coulis. The dessert menu includes the Semifreddo Amore, concocted from fig and pistachio semifreddo and served with Galliano coffee jelly and Chantilly; and the Dark Temptation, a dark chocolate mousse with vanilla anglaise and lychee salad.
At Urban Hotels management doesn’t shy away from the heart of the matter asking couples to spend a “dirty weekend” at one of three properties in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne and is offering complimentary bubbly and Baci chocolates on arrival to sweeten the deal.