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Greetings!

10 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN CALGARY - H'ARTS STYLE  

Looking to have some amazing experiences over the Holidays? Dallen Flexhaug, our Guest Services Manager and Concierge Specialist, has put together his top 10. Bring your friends, family and that special someone along to enjoy the Arts, be a Rockstar, be active and create memories!

1. Canada Olympic Park - December to February

Make a day of it at COP!  Canada Olympic park offers the best winter training and family fun experience in Calgary. Start off the day with a Bobsled Ride, rent a board for the half-pipe or some skis to race down the hill and then enjoy a delicious hot chocolate at the food court. For all those who want an adrenaline rush, you'll even be able to try out the Luge Run which includes an introduction to Luge, instruction from one of Canada's nationally recognized athletes and the thrill of sliding down the Olympic track.  

2. Concerts - December 14, 18 & 20

Don't miss out on more great touring acts coming to Calgary! Prince - December 14 @ Scotiabank Saddledome; Sheep Dog - December 18 @ Republik; and LMFAO - December 20 @ Stampede Corral Centre.

3. The Calgary Flames - December 6, 8, 10, 20 & 22

Don't forget to cheer your Calgary Flames on and to ask Santa for a long playoff run. They need your love this holiday season and your family would certainly enjoy a game or two in the Sea of Red. Stop by Raw Bar at Hotel Arts for the Hat Trick Special before heading over to the game (includes free parking).

Get into the Christmas spirit with the Nutcracker performed by Alberta Ballet and its stunning repertoire of dancers.

5. Skating - December, January and up until the ice melts!

Head over to Olympic Plaza off Stephen Avenue for some outdoor skating.

6. 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship - December 26 to January 5

Get your tickets to see some very talented hockey players, right here in Calgary.

Check out the light exhibits at the zoo and join in on the holiday cheer! Sip on a hot chocolate, walk through Candy Land and shop at the Elf's Toy Shop.

8. A Christmas Carol - December 1 to December 24

Get tickets for Theatre Calgary's 25th annual performance of Dicken's classic "A Christmas Carol". This year, you'll see new costumes and sets and a show "filled with magic, songs and delightful surprises" (Theatre Calgary: www.theatrecalgary.com).

9. Heritage Park Once Upon a Christmas - Weekends until December 18

Join in on the fun at Heritage Park on Saturdays and Sundays for Christmas carols, horse-drawn wagon rides, shops, take part in the live historical theatre and much more.

10. Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra - December

CPO is featuring several performances over the holidays including A Traditional Christmas, Christmas With John McDermott and George Canyon's Country Christmas.

RAW BAR AND HOTEL ARTS  

Special Holiday Menu

Raw Bar will be open over the holidays and is also featuring a three-course holiday menu with turkey dinner.  This special menu is available for December 24th, 25th and 26th. Contact the Raw Bar at 403.206.9565 to make your booking. Click here to see the menu.

Raw Bar will also be open over the holidays for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The Raw Bar "À La Carte" Dinner Menu will be featured in addition to the special three-course turkey dinner.

New Year's Eve

Raw Bar will be hosting a No Resolutions New Year's Eve Dinner.  This four-course tasting menu will be offered during two special seatings starting 5:00-6:00pm and again from 8:00-9:30pm.  This special dinner in Raw Bar will be the perfect spot to begin your evening in style or to enjoy a delicious meal prior to the countdown to 2012.  Click here to see the menu.  Contact the Raw Bar at 403.206.9565 to book.

Raw Bar Closures

December is a busy month of holiday parties at Hotel Arts and also in the Raw Bar.  We have several dates when the Raw Bar will be closed for private functions. Should any other events be booked, we will post any closures on our website. Upcoming closures include: 

• Saturday, December 3      2:00pm - Close
• Friday, December 9            5:00pm-Close
• Saturday, December 10    All Day
• Friday, December 16          All Day  

Check availability in Raw Bar, or call 403.206.9565.  

THE DECIDUOUS COCKTAIL RECIPE

Colin Tait and the Raw Bartenders have launched a new Winter Cocktail Menu with some amazing new drinks that incorporate seasonal flavours.  One of his more colourful collections is The Deciduous.

Take Taylor Fladgate 10 year-old port and mix with a blueberry shrub, kick in some spice with a little shiraz and some Vietnamese Cinnamon. Add influences such as cardamom and lemon and it's a sure fire way to forget about the harsh Calgary winter...

Ingredients:

2 oz Taylor Tawny 10 year old

0.5 oz Berry Shrub

0.3 oz Cassis

0.5 oz Vietnamese Cinnamon Syrup

0.5 oz of Langmeil Shiraz

2 dashes of Morrocan Bitters

1 dash of Cardamom

1 touch of Lemon Juice 

Garnish:

Orange neck

Blueberries

Recipe:

Add all ingredients and hard shake to Boston Glass

Add ice and hard shake for 15 seconds

Double strain into a Rocks Glass with 1 large Ice Cube

Add garnish

Drop by Raw Bar to sample the Deciduous and to try out some of our new features on the Winter Cocktail Menu. Raw Bar is open nightly and our Raw Bartenders will also be pleased to prepare bespoke cocktails for your discerning palate. 

CHEF'S TABLE AND THE INN     

New Year's Eve

We invite you to make your New Year's Eve plans now and avoid missing out on what promises to be a fabulous way to end 2011 and ring in the New Year!   

 

Join us on Saturday December 31st and enjoy a true feast for the senses in the intimate Kensington Riverside Inn.

 

We will be seating guests starting at 7:00pm, serving an array of hand-crafted canapes and a glass of bubbly at your table to set the mood.  Dinner will be served at 8:00pm, a dazzling 8 courses to tantalize your taste buds well into the New Year.  No dinner at Chef's Table is complete without stunning wine pairings hand-selected to accompany each course.   

 

Tickets $300/person including tax and gratuity

Deposit $100/person, non-refundable after December 17th

Seating between 7:00pm and 8:00pm, dinner to be served at 8:00pm

 

Complete your evening with a stay in one of our luxurious guest rooms and enjoy evening turndown service, a morning coffee/tea tray, as well as a full

à la carte breakfast at Chef's Table on New Year's Day. 

Rates starting at only $199!

 

To book your New Year's Eve at the Inn, call 403-228-4442 now!

  

Holidays at the Inn

No room for family coming to town for the holidays, or prefer to enjoy them in manageable doses?

 

There's room at the Inn!  Give everyone the space they need and let us do the cleaning and the cooking!   

 

Secure your sanity now and impress your relatives with evening turndown service, morning coffee/tea tray delivered to their door, and a full à la carte breakfast at Chef's Table!

 

Chef's Table Closure

Chef's Table will be closed for dinner service from Saturday December 24th through Thursday, December 29th, to allow our staff to enjoy the holidays with friends and family.  We will reopen for regular dinner service on Friday, December 30th.   

 

Weekend Brunch will be served from 9:00am to 1:00pm on December 24th and 25th, as well as on December 31st and January 1st.  Regular à la carte breakfast service will be served Monday December 26th through Friday, December 30th from 7:00am - 10:00am.    
 

Renovations at the Inn

With the New Year fast approaching, the Inn is preparing for a complete guestroom facelift to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2012.  Working with Ingenium Design Group, a beautiful palate of rich, opulent colours and textures have been selected, taking our guest rooms to the next level of luxury!  A custom bed with grand headboard, intimate lighting, warm wall coverings and state-of-the art fixtures, combined with comfortable designer furnishings will serve to add to the amenities and services that our guests have become accustomed to. Look for monthly updates and photos as we embark on our renovation project.   

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHEF'S TABLE 

Congratulations to Chef's Table for attaining the coveted AAA Four Diamond Rating! This achievement ranks The Chef's Table as a premier dinning establishment esteemed by professional inspectors, the hospitality industry, and over 52 million AAA/CAA members.

We are proud to acknowledge Chef's Table as one of North America's select dining experiences, representing the upper echelon of the hospitality industry.

AAA/CAA Four Diamond establishments make up just 3.6 per cent of the total 59,000 AAA/CAA Approved and Diamond-Rated lodgings and restaurants throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, and only 7 others have done so in Alberta, of which Chef's Table is now 1 of only 3 in Calgary!

On the heels of this prestigious designation, we are also pleased to announce that Chef's Table has placed first in Where Calgary's Best Hotel Dining category for the third consecutive year in a row!

Thanks to our food & beverage team, who have worked so hard to make these awards happen. What a great way to kick off the holiday season!

SHOP IN KENSINGTON VILLAGE  

Come see the new face of Kensington and experience Christmas shopping that is "Outside of the Ordinary."  Every Saturday and Sunday from now through December 18th, stroll through the unique and eclectic variety of shops that Kensington Village has to offer. Keepyour eyes open for roaming elves handing out cloth shopping bags with coupon books that offer great discounts and incentives.

Pick up a Holiday Passport at any of the participating merchants, or print one off at www.visitkensington.com, collect festive stamps at a variety of locations, and enter to win a trip to the beautiful new 5-Star Solara Resort in Canmore.   

Listen to Up! 97.7 for more information on upcoming Christmas events in Kensington Village.

Parking is available throughout Kensington Village and at Kensington Gate on the corner of 10A Street and Memorial Drive. 

BILL BROOKS PROSTATE CANCER BENEFIT 

The 14th Annual Bill Brooks Prostate Cancer Benefit will be taking place on January 20, 2012 at Hotel Arts. Come join Bill Brooks and friends for one of Calgary's most anticipated social events and charity fundraisers of the year for the Calgary Health Trust in support of prostate cancer care. The theme for this year's event is "Bill in Wonderland."

All proceeds raised will fund the incremental operating costs of the da Vinci Prostatectomy System, a robot-assisted surgery system, at Rockyview General Hospital.

This must-attend event of the year features superb samplings prepared by the culinary wizards at Hotel Arts, along with amazing auction items, dancing and surprises that are certain to delight all attendees.  

Where: Hotel Arts
Time: 7:00 pm

For tickets, www.billbrooksbenefit.com    

BELLA'S BLOG - T'WAS THE NIGHT  

As the resident fashionista at Hotel Arts, I was thrilled to receive a VIP Ticket to attend the hottest holiday shopping event in town - T'Was The Night at The CORE Shopping Centre and Holt Renfrew. Everyone important (yes including myself) was there being welcomed on the Red Carpet looking fabulous. Lainey Gossip and I exchanged fashion tips and then I then I hit all the fabulous stores to enjoy their great sales.  With lots going on in the mall,  I was particularly interested in the special gift that Nine West was giving away with a $75.00 purchase and the potential Jimmy Choos I could win from the Holt Renfrew draw prize - aside from, of course, supporting the Cantos National Music Centre Project and The United Way of Calgary's 'BeCause' initiative. Over 6,000 people attended and $40,000 was raised for these causes.

Indoor fireworks streamed across the ceiling of the CORE Shopping to the wonder of the crowds below, the tallest Christmas Tree I've ever seen was lit up and then Canadian songstress extraordinaire, Chantal Kreviazuk,  took the stage to perform a wondrous set that included her amazing singles "Feels Like Home" and "Ordinary People".

After enjoying some time in the VIP Lounge with great tunes supplied by the talented staff from Cantos, I lugged my endless array of shopping bags home and made plans to start wrapping gifts this weekend.  Of course, I might have to make a few repeat visits to the CORE and Holt Renfrew over the next few weeks to round out my gift list and take advantage of all the deals.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Hotel Arts Group is actively involved in the neighbourhood around us.  Every month, we are dedicated to giving back to the community that supports our businesses and helps to make Calgary such a great place to live, work and play.

Here are a few highlights of some of the groups we assist with donations:  

• TEDxCalgary: Hotel Arts was pleased to assist TEDxCalgary as their accommodation sponsor for their event which took place at the soon-to-be-completed Folk Festival Hall in Inglewood.  Our properties have experienced all sorts of renovations and we can appreciate the excitement inherent in building a new exciting venue for the community to enjoy.  TEDxCalgary was the perfect organization to occupy that space for a series of discussions on community engagement and the notion of "advoteering".  Stay tuned for an exciting TEDxYYC agenda for their Spring Event which Hotel Arts will also be pleased to help support. 
• B'nai Brith Gentleman's Dinner: B'nai Brith is a mens fraternity organization in Calgary who support the community and local organizations by providing grants. They are hosting a fundraiser on December 7 at the Beth Tzedec Synagogue, honouring Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary . For more information visit http://www.bnaibrithcalgary.org/index.html.   
• HOLIPALOOZA:Calgary's meet-up and social groups have put together a fundraising event to assist local charities which include Crohn's and Colitis Foundationof Canada, The Mustard Seed, Brown Bagging It, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and the Food Bank. Join in on culinary delights and treats on December 7 at Melrose Cafe & Bar. For more information visit http://www.holipalooza.ca/. 

Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank 

To get into the holiday spirit, the Hotel Arts staff had a departmental food drive competition. This is the first time we did a hotel-wide donation program and we were extremely successful! We managed to collect 1120lbs of mixed food items which is equivalent to $2,240.00 worth of food. When the food bank arrived to pick-up the order, the representative said they haven't seen a pick-up this big in two years. Our staff is very proud of what we accomplished and look forward to supporting the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank in 2012.

Make your donation today and get involved by visiting www.calgaryfoodbank.com.