B Hotels & Resorts™ Names Hell's Kitchen Winner Chef Holli Ugalde Celebrity Chef for B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale prepares to open its doors in January 2011, B Hotels & Resorts™ today announced an exciting addition to the team.  Best-known for winning Season 7 of Hell's Kitchen, Chef Holli Ugalde will serve as Celebrity Signature Chef for the new upper-upscale lifestyle hotel. In her new role, "Chef Holli" will heat things up with the creation of a variety of unique, exclusive signature dishes for B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale.  Chef Holli will also host a quarterly Celebrity Chef Event Series, during which travelers and locals alike can engage and garner tips, tools and recipes to take home and utilize in their own kitchens, as well as have interactive social and dining time with her.

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Fresh on the heels of her victory during the seventh season of FOX's hit television series, Hell's Kitchen, Chef Holli has already started in the development of her plans for B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale.  This will include the creation of "Chef Holli Signature Items" that will be seen throughout various aspects of the hotel's food and beverage operations.  Chef Holli signature items will be found in B'stro™, the hotel's unique, innovative full service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and grab-n-go.  The B'stro™ will also offer an Italian Enomatic self-service wine bar that is all the rage in food & beverage circles allowing guests to sip wine while enjoying fresh breads and cheeses in the afternoons and evenings. Chef Holli will also have tapas offerings available in the lobby lounge.   Chef Holli's signature items can be enjoyed by wedding, special event and company hosted event guests as these items will be available in the hotel's banquet and catering events.

"Chef Holli's energy, passion, approachability and creative entrepreneurial spirit make her a great fit for the B Hotels & Resorts™ brand, which speaks to self-expression and emotional connection," said Chris Tompkins, corporate vice president and brand marketing executive for B Hotels & Resorts™.  "To have the opportunity to partner with and showcase her talents at B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale really aligns well with our business model.  We are thrilled to be working with Chef Holli and feel that this is an incredible opportunity for our guests, locals and the hotel's ownership to have a one-of-a-kind experience with an inspirational, talented individual."

In addition to serving as Signature Chef and overseeing the implementation of her signature items into the hotel's menus, Chef Holli will also offer the hotel guests the chance to participate in interactive weekend experiences.  As part of the new Celebrity Chef Series, foodies and fans can book a two-night package at B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale, which is located on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The B Ocean™  Celebrity Chef package includes:

• Friday arrival and evening welcome reception hosted by Chef Holli
• Saturday Chef Holli Cooking School – a five-hour interactive cooking session with Chef Holli
• Saturday evening dinner with Chef Holli
• Sunday Chef Holli Cooking School – a second five-hour interactive cooking session
• Captivating accommodations in one of the hotel's 240 guest rooms overlooking the ocean; Friday and Saturday

South Florida locals looking to meet, interact with and learn from Chef Holli can participate in the Celebrity Chef Series, as well. The hotel is offering a package that does not include hotel accommodations but includes all other components.

The Celebrity Chef Series with Chef Holli at B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale will take place once per quarter. The first event with Chef Holli at B Ocean™ will be announced in tandem with details on the hotel's Grand Opening Gala.    

Graduating from the prestigious Le Cordon Blue at an early age, Chef Holli went on to become a pastry chef for three years before starting her own company, Chef Holli Enterprises.  Realizing that there are many avenues to pursue culinary beyond being in a restaurant kitchen, her self-titled business facilitated the development of a signature cookware line, a line of olive oil and balsamic vinegars, the publishing of a cookbook and of course, now, her partnership with B Hotels and Resorts™.

"I'm very excited about my new partnership with B Hotels & Resorts™," said Chef Holli. "The brand represents a new opportunity for travelers who enjoy quality, but with a focus on personal service and friendliness.  With the Celebrity Chef Series at B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale, I look forward to bringing new meaning to dynamic experiential travel for foodies in Fort Lauderdale, as well as from around the world."

B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale features a variety of brand new accommodations including two Master Suites, 22 B Enhanced Junior Suites, 54 Stunning and Stunning Curve Rooms – boasting mesmerizing floor to ceiling windows – and 162 Chic, Captivating and Captivating Curve Rooms.  Each room and suite features a signature bedding package, designer white leather-front furnishings, a 37" or 42" HD LCD television and signature branded retail items.  

Consistent across all B Hotels & Resorts™, the following B Signatures will be found at B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale:  B Ambiance™ (a custom sound, lighting and scent program); B Social™ (incorporating communal seating and gathering spaces); B in Touch™ (with complimentary Internet access throughout all public spaces and guestrooms ); B Active™ (a fitness center where guests can exercise and re-energize); B Indulged™ (a Spa Suite featuring a variety of treatments); B Adventurous™ (applying the cruise industry's model, this key element lets travelers explore and discover the destination); and B Green™ (initiatives that encourages and supports green programs).  

B Nourished™, the food and beverage program of B Hotels & Resorts™, will clearly be taken to the next level at the flagship property, B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale.  In addition to B'stro™ and Sandbar, the location of the hotel – on the corner of Sunrise and A1A - is the breaking ground for its signature sushi restaurant offering, SAIA. The hotel will also offer a unique in-room dining program.  

To visit B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale, log onto www.BOCEANFORTLAUDERDALE.COM or call 888-66-BHOTEL.  Starting rates – based on dates, room category and availability – range from $129 to $499 per night.

Editor's Note:  Photography is available upon request, including headshots of Chef Holli and images of the B Ocean™ Fort Lauderdale.

SOURCE B Hotels & Resorts