Sheraton Launches Premium Wine Tasting Social Hours
By: Darren Booth
Attending a wine tasting event while traveling just got a little bit easier.
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood , launched a new "Sheraton Social Hour" program offering a curated menu of premium wines and weekly tasting events at its hotels around the world.
"We wanted to truly elevate the wine tasting experience for our guests," says Hoyt Harper, global brand leader for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, in a press release. "We worked with some of the most renowned names in the wine industry for more than a year so our guests can easily savor some of the most highly rated wines in the world during their stay."
The new program, in cooperation with Wine Spectator magazine, will feature 90-plus rated wines served in Riedel stemware. Evening social hour events will take place three to four times per week in the chain's lobby bars.
The cost is $5 per person for each 2 oz. tasting at North American properties, Starwood spokesperson Melissa Pogue said in an e-mail to CNBC.com.
In North American hotels, the program will feature "Sheraton Selects," an upgraded premium wine menu comprised of a rotation of eight or more wines. The wines will be rated above 85 with at least four of them 90-plus. Wineries featured will include Chateau Ste. Michelle, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Northstar, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte and Eroica.
When Sheraton piloted the program in 19 properties, 95 percent of its guests said they would be "very likely" or "likely" to return to another social hour event. It's definitely a one-of-a-kind offering for a hotel chain.
Would you attend an event like this while traveling?
