Chef Wolfgang Puck to Oversee All Dining Operations at Hotel Bel-Air

LOS ANGELES-- May 17, 2011 (www.hospitalitybusinessnews.com)--Dorchester Collection’s Hotel Bel-Air, scheduled to re-open in the fall after 24 months of extensive refurbishment and redesign, has recently inked an agreement with Master Chef Wolfgang Puck and his restaurant group, the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group (WPFDG), to oversee all of the property’s food and beverage operations which include the restaurant and bar, room service, catering and events and the quintessential garden terrace. The restaurant will be called Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air and the culinary concept will be focused on modern California cuisine with European and Mediterranean influences.

The Austrian born chef came to Los Angeles in 1975 after having worked in Paris and in Les Baux in the South of France where he learned the culinary techniques of Nouvelle Cuisine. He used this cooking style to create his own California cuisine which quickly rose to national attention. Puck has a long history with Hotel Bel-Air dating back to the early 1980’s when he consulted on all of the hotel’s food and beverage operations including menu creation and chef training.

“It is incredibly exciting to once again work with Hotel Bel-Air and to be part of its extraordinary restoration,” said Wolfgang Puck. “We look forward to evolving the cuisine and the service programs at this iconic property, while respecting the tradition and heritage of the hotel. All of our menus will reflect the healthy California lifestyle and will showcase the best of California’s wonderful, fresh ingredients such as produce from Chino Farms and local farmers’ markets, all-natural poultry and sustainable seafood.”

The new association with Hotel Bel-Air further builds upon Puck’s relationship with Dorchester Collection, with the scheduled September 2011 opening of CUT at 45 Park Lane in London. Dorchester Collection Chief Executive Officer Christopher Cowdray said, “We are delighted to expand our working relationship with Wolfgang Puck and bring him back to Hotel Bel-Air, as he remains the consummate California cuisine chef of our time. His history with the hotel and development of the latest culinary trends will make quite an impact on the food and beverage operation at Hotel Bel-Air.”

There will be a greater focus on creating outstanding dining experiences and the new additions offer more choices for guests. The famous hotel bar has been extended into the outdoors and will feature three “garden niches” keeping its cozy lounge feeling inside with a grand piano and familiar wood paneling, which has been given a fresh look. Additionally, there will be a separate bar on The Terrace for year-round enjoyment. The dining room will feature multiple glass wine cellars displaying over 2400 bottles, the largest of which will be a central focal point and will separate the main and private dining rooms. The new lobby lounge will be warm and inviting, a perfect spot for tea, cocktails and conversation, in the heart of the hotel.

Dorchester Collection is the successor to the Dorchester Group, originally established in 1996 to manage a portfolio of some of the world’s foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the USA. Dorchester Collection’s Chief Executive, Christopher Cowdray has set out the company’s goal to have between 15-20 hotels by 2015. The current portfolio is managed by Dorchester Collection:

The Dorchester in London
The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills
Le Meurice in Paris
Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris
Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan
The New York Palace in New York
Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles
Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire
45 Park Lane, London (opening September 2011)

The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group specializes in developing and operating high-end, innovative restaurant concepts known for its proven formula of exceptional and consistent cuisine, service, management and design. The award-winning restaurants of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group include Spago (Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Maui and Beaver Creek); the critically acclaimed CUT (Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Singapore); Chinois (Santa Monica); Postrio Bar & Grill (Las Vegas); Trattoria del Lupo (Las Vegas); Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill (Las Vegas and Los Angeles); Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina (Las Vegas); Wolfgang Puck American Grille (Atlantic City); Wolfgang Puck Grille (Detroit); The Source by Wolfgang Puck (Washington, DC); Five Sixty (Dallas, TX) and WP24 by Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles). Opening summer 2011, CUT at 45 Park Lane, London.