Hilton Hotels Corporation announces that the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, has joined the Waldorf Astoria, continuing the luxury brand’s expansion into key leisure markets worldwide.

Situated among lush palms and balmy sea breezes in Naples, Florida’s exclusive Southwest city, along the Gulf of Mexico’s Paradise Coast, the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection is surrounded by 200 acres of Nature Preserve. Designed to coexist with its surrounding environment of clear water, unspoiled mangrove-lined beaches and lush green flora, the resort completed a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2007, unveiling an elaborate redesign indicative of the destination’s changing face and solidifying its status as one of Florida’s premier resorts.

Following in the footsteps of recent Florida additions to the portfolio the Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club, Waldorf Astoria Collection and The Reach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection, in Key West, Florida, the Naples Grande Beach Resort is the 11th hotel to join the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Collection, as the portfolio continues to expand into key indigenous destinations.

Featuring an 18-story tower with 395 luxuriously appointed guestrooms and 29 tower suites, the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection combines comfortable elegance with the active lifestyle evocative of Naples’ stunning setting. The resort offers an array of outdoor activities to acclimatize guests to the dazzling Florida scenery – from its Tennis Center with Har-Tru courts offering professional services managed by Peter Burwash International, to the exclusive championship golf course at Naples Grande Golf Club and including beachfront sailing, windsurfing and aqua cycling along three miles of Gulf of Mexico white sugar-sand beach.

Inside the resort all refurbished guest rooms feature a luxurious take on Floridian style while exuding the casual, comfortable elegance which has become the resort’s signature. Custom designed furniture, hand-selected fabrics and luxurious touches such as silky window treatments, plush carpeting and sumptuous bedding enrich each guestroom and suite, while oversized closets, expansive bathrooms with five fixture arrangements and separate oversized tub/glass enclosed shower combinations provide the ultimate retreat.

The 50 self-contained Bungalows, adjacent to the main resort have been completely refurbished by Bob Barry and feature design elements of relaxed gray, beige and green and Asian-inspired clean, simple lines for an exclusive, private space for guests’ relaxation. Elsewhere, the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection offers three swimming pools and private cabanas with butler service, providing ultimate luxury and relaxation. For those guests seeking an extra level of luxury, the resort’s Golden Door Spa – the first of its kind on the U.S. east coast – features elements of traditional Japanese architecture, serene gardens, relaxation pool, individual mp3 players and a meditation labyrinth, providing an awe-inspiring yet calming environment to unwind and relax.

Ross Klein, Global Head Luxury & Lifestyle Brands, Hilton Hotels Corporation, said: “Following in the footsteps of our most recent Florida additions to the portfolio, we are delighted to welcome the Naples Grande Beach Resort to the Waldorf Astoria Collection. This resort provides the perfect balance of stunning local scenery, and indigenous local experiences and intuitive, luxurious comfort, and the renovations have given a fresh face to an already popular destination.”

The renovations also included the addition of a Strip House steak restaurant, a signature dining experience first introduced in Manhattan and featuring sumptuous silk furnishings and vintage Studio Manasse images. The Strip House offers an eclectic and design-rich fine dining space, designed by celebrated interior architect David Rockwell and featuring cuisine from acclaimed chef John Schenk. Also included in the renovations were a full redesign of the lobby and lounge space and updated meeting space – unveiling a banquet facility, the pool-facing Vista Ballroom which boasts floor to ceiling windows. With 2 further ballrooms, as well as an additional 27 meeting and breakout rooms, the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection offers 80,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space, an accommodating base for all occasions, from bar mitzvahs to board meetings.

In addition to the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection, the Waldorf Astoria Collection also operates ten other properties – seven in the United States, comprising the inspiration for the brand, the legendary Waldorf Astoria® in New York; Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona; Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa in Maui, Hawaii, La Quinta Resort & Club in Southern California, as well as the Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club, Waldorf Astoria Collection and The Reach Resort, Waldorf Astoria Collection, both in the Florida Keys. Internationally it operates the 46-suite Qasr Al Sharq or “Palace of the Orient” in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Rome Cavalieri, and most recently the Trianon Palace in Versailles which joined the collection in December 08.

The company is also developing Waldorf Astoria Collection hotels and residences in key cities around the world and this year expects to launch the Waldorf Astoria Orlando in Florida, Dakota Mountain Lodge in Park City (Utah) and the Bentley Waldorf Astoria Collection in London. The Palace Jerusalem, Israel, the Waldorf Astoria Sarasota in Florida and the proposed the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in California are also scheduled to open in 2010.

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Why Play Golf?

Golf is one of the most widespread, popular sports in the world. Easy to begin, yet always challenging, it has a lot to offer everyone of any age, degree of fitness and level of skill. If you have never tried the game and wonder why it attracts so many others, consider some of the benefits it offers you and your community.

A drive through most colonized regions of the developed world will testify to the popularity of the sport of golf. Vast tracts of prime parkland in urban, suburban and rural communities are dedicated and meticulously maintained as fairways, greens and clubhouses. Devotees to the links will work their careers, domestic responsibilities and social life around their tee times. Weather will not daunt them and they will take advantage of every hour of daylight to fit in another round.

If you’ve never tried golf, this obsession may seem a bit baffling. Not everyone sees the attraction. Mark Twain, for one, defined golf as “a good walk spoiled.” Another has quipped: “Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.” So what is it about golf that continues to entice players? The many facets of the game of golf combine to offer you a wide range of physical, mental, emotional and social benefits.
Physical Fitness
The average walking circuit for a round of golf is about four miles, or six kilometres, which is an ideal distance done weekly to maintain relatively good physical fitness. If you walk briskly, you will increase your cardio-vascular and lung capacity. Normally, a person’s heart rate while playing golf does not elevate above 120 beats per minute, so the exercise does not qualify as a “cardio” or aerobic workout, but it is perfect for steadily burning fat.
If you pull your clubs or carry them, you’ll burn even more calories each round. A round of golf burns about 300 calories in a 150 pound individual who plays for 1 hour while carrying clubs. If you choose to ride in a cart, the same round of golf will burn 230 calories. The driving range burns about 200 calories per hour. Furthermore, swinging the club conditions your upper body and back while bending down to handle the ball helps keep all your joints and muscles supple.
The fact that golf involves hours outside is another benefit. Found in UVA rays, Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, regulating the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It also helps regulate the growth of skin cells. While you can eat some foods that are high in Vitamin D, your body can actually produce its own Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. What more enjoyable way to do that than an afternoon on the course? Don’t forget to use sunscreen with the right UV protection.

Mental Acuity
Golf offers a challenge to your mind. You are always thinking when you play golf, whether it’s counting shots, working out your score or calculating yardages and club selection. Strategy, decision making, visualization and intense concentration are natural aspects of the play and the cerebral exercise will benefit your mental performance even off the course.
Skill Development
Golf develops our complex motor skills and dexterity. Since the game is based on finesse rather than brute force, it hones our control, muscle memory, balance and hand-eye coordination.

Stress Relief
There’s a fine line here. Scenes of golfers throwing or breaking their clubs after a flubbed shot are standard comedy fare. Obsessed competitors can send their blood pressure soaring in the quest for perfection on the course. Like any sport, golf can be an excellent stress reliever or it can become a nemesis to peace of mind; it all depends on your reason for playing.
By nature, though, golf is suited for stress relief. A quiet stroll in the open air with friends, unhurried play, mild exercise and the reward of a shot well placed goes a long way to dissipate the irritations of the work-a-day world at the office. Studies have shown that golf can trigger the release of powerful, natural, mood enhancing endorphins and hormones such as serotonin into the bloodstream. Their calming euphoric effect lasts for hours after the game.

Social Interaction
Golf is a social game; a chance to get to know your golf partners better. The etiquette and rules of golf encourage care and respect of others and the course. A round of golf can take up to four hours where individual differences disappear as playing the game becomes the common focus. Most often golf is played in pairs or foursomes, and even if you have come to the course alone, it is common to be invited to join others you have never met before.
One reason golfing creates a sense of social harmony is that it is a great equalizer; the handicapping system of golf is designed to enable the beginner to play competitively against the highly skilled. There are not many sports where you can compete fairly against the superstar.
Interaction on the course is usually marked by the telling of jokes, sharing stories, conducting business and simply getting to know one another. All of this is conducted in a non-threatening environment of friendly competition.

Appreciation of Nature
One of the best things about playing golf is you have the opportunity to walk on some beautiful courses, enjoying the scenery and fresh air. Manicured grass, lush trees, water features, birds and even small animals contribute to the pastoral atmosphere. In many urban settings, the only green space found for miles are the golf courses and they are often paired with parkland and recreational trails, so even those who do not venture onto to course still benefit from the grounds.
Community Service
Increasingly, golf is making a wider contribution to the community. Golf and country clubs host many tournaments in support of charities. This not only raises thousands of dollars to meet community needs but is also raises awareness of important issues and worthy causes. No matter what your age, degree of fitness or skill level, it is hard to beat golf as an excellent way to spend leisure time. If you have never tried it, you owe it to yourself to give it a go.

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