Orlando World Center Marriott to Launch River Falls Water Park

River Falls Water Park will make a splashing debut for guests of all ages at Orlando World Center Marriott on March 16, 2022. The water park joins the newly renovated Falls Pool Oasis and offers three brand-new inner tube water slides and a 575-foot zero-entry lazy river.

The three new water slides will tower 50 feet in the air and accommodate one or two people per tube depending on the slide. Boomerago is a 425-foot long fast-paced slide that propels guests before boomeranging them into the air as gravity swings riders left and right toward the plunge pool. Aquasphere is a 498-foot long slide that starts with a slight dip that thrusts riders down the slide through twists, turns and closed spheres before dropping them down the twirling ride. Tailspin is the longest slide at 525 feet long and is perfect for thrill-seekers—with open tubes providing glimpses of daylight before funneling riders into a tailspin and dropping guests into the plunge pool.

For guests looking for something more relaxing, the winding lazy river is 575 feet long and 10 feet wide. The lazy river opens to a zero-entry pool for guests of all ages to easily access the river. For young children, an aqua playground includes bubbling nozzles and two vertical leaf spraying elements.

“We are incredibly excited to add a state-of-the-art water park attraction to the extensive list of new and recently renovated offerings at Orlando World Center Marriott,” said Robert Bray, General Manager at Orlando World Center Marriott. “River Falls Water Park makes our hotel the destination in Orlando for families, couples or those on the property for meetings and conventions.”

The 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Wraps Up with LPGA Tour Winner Danielle Kang and Celebrity Champion Derek Lowe Claiming Winning Titles

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE:HGV), the industry-leading global vacation ownership company, opened the 2022 LPGA Tour season with the record-breaking Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. This year’s event was the most attended LPGA Tour season opener with nearly three times the number of tickets sold over previous years and the tournament’s largest purse size to-date.

The four-day tournament wrapped on Sunday, Jan. 23 with LPGA Tour player and 2017 Major Champion Danielle Kang winning the Professional Title and 2004 World Series Champion Derek Lowe clinching the Celebrity Title.

The 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the first under Hilton Grand Vacations since its acquisition of Diamond Resorts, featured 50 beloved celebrities, athletes and entertainers playing alongside 29 LPGA champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida.

Kang took the Professional Title with multiple birdies during her Sunday play, giving her the lead over Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson and Gaby López for the LPGA Tour’s first win of the season. LPGA Tour champions played 72 holes of no-cut stroke play for $1.5 million in official prize money, a 25% increase from the 2021 purse. Celebrity participants competed for a $500,000 purse using a modified Stableford format.

Elvis Presley’s Graceland® has announced that the Graceland Performing Arts Camp will return this year

Elvis Presley’s Graceland® has announced that the Graceland Performing Arts Camp will return for its fourth year in 2022 on June 28 to July 3. The Graceland Performing Arts Camp is an immersive theater arts and music experience for kids aged 6 to 17 where they are invited to explore their creativity in acting, singing, and dancing during workshops led by local and Broadway professionals. Over five days of activities, the campers develop a performance showcase that they present on stage at The Guest House Theater for family and friends on Saturday night.

The Graceland Performing Arts Camp is designed as a vacation experience for the entire family. While campers are having fun during the day, parents and other family members can enjoy Graceland activities, Memphis attraction tours, and poolside relaxation at the Guest House, reuniting with their camper in the evening for family dinners and activities.

Actor, voiceover artist, and acting coach Katelyn Nichols will return as Camp Director again this year. Nichols graduated magna cum laude from the University of Memphis, where she earned a BFA in Theater Performance. Now based in New York City, she coaches kids and teens through K. Nichols Studio and regularly records for TV and radio. Nichols has always been passionate about bringing arts education to kids and teens. She worked for several years with young clients such as the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Jordin Sparks, as well as with talent agencies and casting offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Hilton Celebrates Growth and Development Milestones as Company Prepares for a New, Reinvigorated Era of Travel

Hospitality leader expanded its footprint, opening more than one hotel a day, and introduced new brands in coveted destinations during a year of constant change

Well-positioned to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever, Hilton delivered a record year of development achievements. Already one of the world’s largest hotel companies, Hilton opened 414 properties, adding more than 67,100 rooms to its system, further emphasizing the scale, presence and leading brands of the company’s global portfolio. 

“After a year of recovery and growth, it has been incredible to witness the resiliency of the travel industry and our team’s ability to embrace change while serving more guests in more hotels around the world,” said Chris Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton. “We believe the desire to travel, experience new cultures and connect with others is core to the human experience. I can speak for all of us at Hilton when I say we’re looking forward to welcoming our guests and helping them make new memories in 2022.”

Global development efforts have continued to show strong performance through the pandemic. Hilton ended 2021 with more than 6,800 hotels across 18 brands in six continents, with robust net unit growth of 5.6%. The company’s development pipeline includes nearly 2,670 hotels representing approximately 408,000 rooms, nearly half of which are under construction. 

“Hilton’s development continues to be a key performance indicator of how well-positioned we are for the long-term,” said Kevin Jacobs, CFO and president, global development, Hilton. “Hotel owners choose to work with us because of our premium commercial performance. With our capital light business model, we strive to maximize net unit growth, while continuing to deliver value for all our stakeholders.”

Celebrating A Year of Market and Category Milestones

Two new hotels in London for Hyatt.....

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into management agreements with Stratford City Hotels Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of M&L Hospitality, for Hyatt Regency London Stratford and Hyatt House London Stratford. The 225-room Hyatt Regency London Stratford and the 127-room Hyatt House London Stratford are expected to open in Q2 2022 following an extensive refurbishment. Both hotels will be conveniently located within one of Europe’s largest urban shopping and entertainment complexes, Westfield Stratford City, and a short walk to Stratford Station.

“The addition of these two hotels will be another exciting step in growing Hyatt’s brand presence in the United Kingdom and in creating a network of hotels across the key commercial and leisure markets in the country,” said Felicity Black Roberts, vice president of development Europe, Hyatt. “We worked closely with M&L Hospitality to choose the right brands for the location and are pleased to be continuing our relationship with them following the successful openings of Hyatt Regency Manchester and Hyatt House Manchester in 2019.”

Designed with productivity in mind, Hyatt Regency London Stratford will offer business and leisure travellers alike a stress-free and seamless environment to stay connected. Guests can enjoy 6,673 square feet (628 square meters) of meeting space, along with a spacious restaurant, bar and an open-air terrace. Hyatt House London Stratford will provide guests with modern, apartment-style suites with fully equipped kitchens and flexible workspaces, designed to make them feel at home, especially during extended stays.

The hotels are located close to Stratford Station, one of the UK’s busiest train stations, giving guests swift access to Central London in only seven minutes. Stratford International Station connects guests to St Pancras International Station and transfers to the Eurostar train, which provides services to Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

The properties will also be easily accessible to Heathrow International Airport via the new Queen Elizabeth Crossrail line due to open mid-2022, which will offer services to Stratford in approximately 45 minutes. Furthermore, London City Airport is only 20 minutes from Stratford on the Docklands Light Railway, making it an ideal location for business and leisure guests.

Guests can enjoy easy access to local events at the nearby O2 and ExCel London convention centre, home to many concerts, exhibitions, and corporate events. The burgeoning Stratford City is also fast becoming the most exciting cultural region in the UK with major new developments at Queen Elizabeth Park currently underway including the proposed new future home of BBC studios, along with the exciting new museum project, V&A East. Further, nearby universities include the new world-class East campus of the University College of London and the new College of Fashion.

“We are pleased to be able to continue our work with Hyatt in the United Kingdom,” said Neil Maxwell, chief executive officer of M&L Hospitality. “Our strategy focuses on identifying key gateway cities with strong economic growth. Stratford is experiencing a real boom and our plans to introduce these Hyatt House and Hyatt Regency hotels to London will capitalize on this.”

The announcement of Hyatt Regency London Stratford and Hyatt House London Stratford marks Hyatt’s continued growth in the UK market. The hotels will join M&L Hospitality’s existing Hyatt properties including Hyatt Regency Manchester and Hyatt House Manchester, Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport. Other Hyatt properties in the UK include Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Great Scotland Yard Hotel, Andaz London Liverpool Street, Hyatt Place West London Hayes, Hyatt Centric Cambridge and Hyatt Place London City East.

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