CELEBRITY GUEST CHEF KICKS-OFF EXCEPTIONAL CULINARY KIDS PROGRAM AT NEWLY OPENED GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT ON THE MAYAN RIVIERA
MIAMI (July, 2014) Karisma Hotels & Resorts renowned for its Gourmet Inclusive® Experience that is designed to provide guests with the finest gastronomic experiences, world-class service, innovative programming, and exceptional levels of quality, is pleased to launch Little Eko Chefs at the newly opened Generations Riviera Maya, presenting foodie families with fun facts, interactive techniques, and easy to replicate recipes. Little Eko Chefs will debut during an exclusive Little Eko Chefs Weekendhosted by MasterChef Junior’s Season 1 Winner, Alexander Weiss, offered complimentary to guests staying August 15 -17, 2014.
“Little Eko Chefs is an unprecedented experience for our youngest guests to truly immerse themselves in the cultures of other foods, gain cooking skills for the future, and learn easy and delicious recipes as part of many memories they’ll be taking home from their stays at Generations Riviera Maya,” said Jeroen Hanlo, Vice President of Food & Beverage for Karisma Hotels & Resorts and creator of the distinguished Gourmet Inclusive® Experience.
Little Eko Chefs, held every weekday in the resort’s Eko Kids Club, will be a first-of-its-kind program, incorporating historical and cultural facts, eco-friendly food basics, and hands-on cooking opportunities. Classes will build upon Generations Riviera Maya’s existing commitment to delivering unforgettable culinary, environmental, and authentic experiences as a part of its Gourmet Inclusive® vacations for the entire family. Many of the ingredients used for Little Eko Chefs will be sourced locally, including from Karisma’s 75,000 square foot Greenhouse located just a few steps away from the resort. Children will also have the opportunity to tour the Greenhouse and hand-select items to cook with. All Little Eko Chefs participants will be awarded a special certificate after completing the class -offering them a personal memento of their vacations and testament to their new gastronomic skills!
Hanlo continued, “We are thrilled to welcome Alexander for the Little Eko Chefs Weekend at Generations Riviera Maya, and look forward to watching aspiring young chefs become stars in the kitchen as a part of the ongoing Little Eko Chefs program.”
Offering a first taste of Little Eko Chefs, Generations Riviera Maya invites guests to join Alexander, 13-year old wunderkid and first-ever winner of MasterChef Junior, on a three day culinary adventure for the entire family. The Little Eko Chefs Weekendwill provide a select group of children (and parents) a sampling of Little Eko Chefs as well as exclusive opportunities to interact with Alexander, including a meet and greet with mocktails and photos, a live culinary performance, and a cooking class for kids to watch and learn from Alexander, personally. Guests of the Little Eko Chefs Weekend will also be invited to enjoy a Pasta Dinner on the Chef’s Market deck overlooking nothing but the azure sea and sky; a special turndown amenity for children before bedtime; and a goodbye afternoon ice-tea party.
“I’m very excited to host the debut of this awesome culinary program for kids at Generations Riviera Maya,” said Alexander Weiss. “The Little Eko Chefs concept is such a rare opportunity for kids like me, who to love to cook and eat, to discover new foods from around the world, gain hands-on cooking basics, and learn easy recipes while having fun.”
A sampling ofLittle Eko Chefs classes includes:
- The History of Chocolate -Kids will start with the cacao bean and convert it with artisanal equipment into chocolate mixing with all the corresponding ingredients. Finished chocolate will be molded it into bars with Eko Kids wrappers.
- Tamale Making Class - In this fun class, kids will learn the process making both savory and sweet tamales in a corn husk or banana leaf before eating for lunch
- Sushi Class-Kids will learn the history of sushi before being taught how to properly fill and roll sushi
- Shaved Ice - This cool class (literally!) will teach kids how to shave ice themselves using natural fruit based toppings
- Pasta Class - Kids will learn how to make their own pasta dough and turn it into spaghetti and raviolis to share for dinner with your family
- Mexican Tortilla Making -From start to finish, kids will learn the entire process of tortilla making, including how to grind corn by hand, turning it into tortilla dough, forming tortillas in the press and even learning additional side products to create like tortilla chips, empanadas and sopes. Ole!
- Mexican Sweets (Dulces Mexicanos)- In this class, kids learn the history of and preparations in making these delectable unique Hispanic sweets
- Greenhouse Harvest -Kids will visit the nearby Greenhouse to pick tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and herbs before bringing them back to the Eko Kids kitchen for garden fresh soup and salad making
- Artisanal Ice Cream Making - Kids will create their own mix of fruits to blend and mix before pouring into the ice container to be spun by hand until ice-cream is formed
- A Taste of the Senses - What you see is not what you taste! This interactive activity teaches kids that what is seen with our eyes can vary dramatically from what’s expected.
Little Eko Chefs presents only a taste of what Generations Riviera Maya has to offer for kids and families. The resort’s popularEko Kids Club features supervised activities for kids aged 4 to 12 years showcasing fun and educational activities with an environmentally-friendly twist. Eko Kids Club offers ball pits, indoor play structures, a movie area, craft station, library, gaming consoles, and more. For infants and toddlers, the Baby Beach Lounges provide a shady respite from the sun complete with toys and nanny service, so that adults can enjoy some quiet beach time. Families with small children are also able to travel carefree by taking advantage of the resort’s Gourmet Inclusive® baby amenities, including strollers, cribs, pack and plays, changing tables, monitors, bottle warmers, baby bathrobes, and more.
The newly opened Generations Riviera Maya, located on a secluded beach only steps from El Dorado Casitas Royale, by Karisma and facing the beautiful Mexican Caribbean, offers the highest level of customized service and features all-suite oceanfront accommodations - the largest in the Riviera Maya at 1,200 square feet - with unlimited butler service, and swim up infinity suites up from the first to fourth floors. The resort is synonymous with luxury and perfectly suited for multi-generational families, couples, and wedding parties seeking quality time together while vacationing in the heart of Riviera Maya, Mexico.
The Little Eko Chefs Weekend hosted by MasterChef Junior’s Season 1 Winner, Alexander Weiss, is being offered complimentary to guests staying August 15 - 17, 2014 at Generations Riviera Maya. Little Eko Chefs will be available to all the resort’s youngest guests each weekday from 4 - 5pm starting Monday, August 18.
Nightly rates for Generations Riviera Maya begin at $407 per adult, per night based on double occupancy and $67 per child, per night for 2014, including the Gourmet Inclusive Experience featuring gourmet à la carte meals, premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, 24-hour room service, and full service concierge. Rates are inclusive of taxes and fees.
Hotel reservations can be booked by calling 1-866-527-4762, or by visiting www.karismahotels.com.
About Karisma Hotels & Resorts
El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels, Azul Hotels & Villas by Karisma, Generations Resorts, and Allure Hotels by Karisma are a premier hotel collection of Negril, Jamaica, Colombia, and Mexico’s Riviera Maya resorts. Karisma’s growing portfolio of Gourmet Inclusive® resorts is comprised of El Dorado Royale, A Spa Resort by Karisma; El Dorado Casitas Royale by Karisma; El Dorado Seaside Suites by Karisma; El Dorado Maroma, A Beachfront Resort, by Karisma; Generations Maroma by Karisma; Generations Riviera Maya by Karisma; Allure Chocolat by Karisma; Allure Bonbon by Karisma; Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma; Azul Sensatori Hotel by Karisma; Azul Fives Hotel by Karisma; Azul Villa Carola by Karisma; and Azul Villa Esmeralda by Karisma. Premier Worldwide Marketing is the exclusive worldwide sales and marketing representative for Karisma Hotels & Resorts.
For more information, visit: http://www.karismahotels.com.
Media Contacts: Jenn Wade, Alexandra McClure, Nicole Engelhardt, Vanessa Karlsson, and Dina Rosenberg at Glodow Nead Communications, 415.394.6500, karismapr@glodownead.com