Escape to Varadero, Cuba

This is part of John Kim's post on Cuba. This time, he takes us to the resort town of Varadero. According to John, he couldn't refuse the thought of diving in the Bay of Pigs and taste the creole-inspired cuisine that is a specialty of the area. Here are some more beautiful photos during John and his sister, Julie's, getaway to Varadero.

Strolling through the streets of Havana

Beyond the overwhelming scandals, conflicts, and other “Castroisms” that have obscured our perception of the Caribbean island-nation of Cuba lies a rich, unique culture filled with beautiful beaches, antique cars, classic architecture, and some of the best rum in the entire world.  From Sammy Sosa to Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Cuba has been the central hub for some of the world’s greatest baseball players, the cool, endless-summer style of linens and fedoras, the world’s finest tobacco and cigars, and of course, the ever-so-famous Mojito.

Hail to the Chef! JW bids farewell to chef Andrew voss.

In the hospitality industry, chefs come and go like busboys in a restaurant. But every now and then, there are a few chefs who will leave an indelible mark with their establishments. Such is the case with JW Marriott Grand Rapids Executive Chef, Andrew Voss.  After three and a half years of leadership at the JW, chef Andrew is moving on to our sister property at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida.

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Lawyers cook their way to culinary nirvana

The popularity of the JW Chef School has reached new heights when we hosted our largest group yet this past week. Thirty five members of a local law firm entered our JW Kitchen Stadium with "deer in a headlight" looks when they realized that they were going to embark on a team building event none of them have ever encountered in the annals of corporate events. But as soon as the group was divided into teams, the competitive juices started flowing and

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ArtPrize at DeVos Place

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ArtPrize at WMCAT

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ArtPrize at the Grand Rapids Art Museum

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ArtPrize at the JW Marriott

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21 Countries. 44 States. 1,700 Artists. ArtPrize 2010 has arrived in Grand Rapids!

Let the parties begin! ArtPrize is finally here.

After a tremendous inaugural event last year which drew thousands of art enthusiasts to downtown Grand Rapids over a two week period, the city is geared up for an even bigger artist participation and spectator attendance in 2010. Artists last year = 1,200. This year = 1,700. More venues. 44 states represented. 21 countries. The host of the largest art prize in the world is destined to break all the records this year.

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Reserve Opens Today. "Open Water" Finds a Permanent Home.

Reserve invited me last week to take a peek at their much anticipated wine bar located next to the Amway Grand Plaza hotel. After saying hello to a few familiar faces in the crowd, the hostess sat me in a booth with Gerhard Schmied, VP of F&B for the Amway Hotels and three of our wine reps in town. I ordered a glass of Pierre Sparr Cremant D'Alsace to toast the occasion. I looked at Gerhard, who

Baile! Baile!! Baile Pachanga!!!

The third series of the very popular latin dance party hosted by the JW Marriott, Baile Pachanga, kicked off the fall dance season in Grand Rapids with another phenomenal exhibition of music and dance. Once again, the ten-peice Grupo Aye delivered the hip swaying latin vibe once a stranger to the downtown scene. The dancers from the Arthur Murray of Grand Rapids produced a Hollywood caliber

The Monkey Bar at the B.O.B. goes Global

I tagged along Jimmy Le's dinner party to sample the new menu and judge for myself the rebirth of the new Monkey Bar located in the lower level of The B.O.B. The Monkey Bar has had many lives. I remember hosting a family get together in the private dining room several years back when the menu was very much new American and the space was primarily a restaurant and lounge. Then management changed the venue into a Top-40 bar filled with gyrating bodies

From Paris with Love

Je t'aime Paris. No better words best describe the City of Lights. Grand Rapids' brightest showed up in full force, packing Bar Divani and the adjacent gallery with two hundred guests on a Tuesday night. From Paris with Love is an event hosted by