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IT TASTES LIKE VALENTINE’S DAY AT HOTEL ROGER WILLIAMS: Aphrodisiac Menu is Laced with Ingredients to Inspire Love

New York, NY - January 13, 2005 - Hotel Roger Williams will be tantalizing guests during Cupid’s season with the help of gastronomic goddess, Sonia El-Nawal, of Nobu, Lafayette, Fauchon, Theo and Blue Door at Delano hotel. Known for her sensuous and cozy creations, Sonia will be giving lovers a reason to spoon-feed each other at Hotel Roger Williams as an aphrodisiac menu is launched this February, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

A mouth-watering prix fix menu at Lounge Roger Williams is laced with aphrodisiac entrées of Sonia’s design. The menu, which will be available throughout the month, incorporates traditional aphrodisiacs such as oysters and some unfamiliar love potion ingredients, like rose petals. After dinner, guests can slip into something more comfortable in their hotel rooms while enjoying complimentary treats aimed to tease.

The prix fix cost is $100** per couple and menu options include one choice, per person, from each category:

Appetizers

“Beefcake” – A beef carpaccio massaged with ginger and basil
Aphrodisiac Attraction: Basil is used in Haitian love rituals while Indian herbalists have long seen ginger as a cure for male impotence.
“Oyster Orgy” – Fried oysters smothered with spicy horseradish cream
Aphrodisiac Attraction: A classic aphrodisiac, legend has it that Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning in the bathtub using a beautiful woman's breasts as a plate. A more scientific approach…low sperm count is connected to low zinc levels and oysters are very high in zinc.

Main Course

“Lovebird” for two – Succulent poussin stuffed with dates, carrots and saffron, topped with sesame seeds and honey.
Aphrodisiac Attraction: Saffron has a reputation for increasing sex hormones and making erogenous zones even more sensitive. In Iran, dates are used to assist those who suffer from a withering sex life. With its phallic shape and sweet flavor, Middle Eastern royalty enlisted carrots to seduce lovers.
“Fettuccini Fetish” – Pasta dripping with velvety cream and black truffles
Aphrodisiac Attraction: Ancient Romans found that truffles stimulate and sensitize the skin.
“Peppercorn Passion” – Filet mignon seared with Indian peppercorns drizzled with a cognac sauce
Aphrodisiac Attraction - Meat stimulates the libido by flooding the bloodstream with amino acids.

Dessert

“Seduction Potion” – Warm cream layered with kataifi topping, rose petal jam and drizzled with rose petal syrup
Aphrodisiac Attraction: Roses have been used for centuries in love potions
“Skinny Dip” – Juicy strawberries dipped in honey served with port
Aphrodisiac Attraction: Wild strawberries eaten with port wine have the reputation of being a very powerful aphrodisiac. The word honeymoon derives from the ancient custom that for the first lunar month after marriage a newly married couple would drink mead (honey wine).

A sampling of treats aimed to tease, such as: champagne, green M&M’s, Good ‘N Plenty candy and a vanilla aromatherapy candle will be waiting for hotel guests in their room upon arrival.
Aphrodisiac Attraction: The Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that women were aroused by the smell of Good N' Plenty. Green M&M’s have long been the subject of many aphrodisiac urban legends. Champagne boasts a reputation associated with romance and celebration. The scent of vanilla is said to produce an increase in sexual arousal in women almost immediately.

Rates from $265 per night include a complimentary deluxe room upgrade, allowing guests to stay in the largest rooms at Hotel Roger Williams, the abovementioned in-room aphrodisiacs and breakfast for two; available from February 1-28, 2005. For reservations, visit: www.hotelrogerwilliams.com or call 888-448-7788.

**$100 per couple dinner cost does not include tax, gratuity or beverage.

Located in the Murray Hill section of midtown Manhattan at 131 Madison Avenue (31st Street), Hotel Roger Williams is quintessentially contemporary with residential appeal. Architecture by world-renowned Rafael Viñoly welcomes guests into the exquisite lobby, with a 20-foot high atrium ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows. 190 guest rooms are cozy yet sophisticated and exude a playful quality that is sure to delight savvy jet setters. In addition to its exclusive Madison Avenue address, Hotel Roger Williams is located near many of the attractions that have made New York one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Nearby attractions include: Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Herald Square, Jacob Javits Convention Center and Manhattan’s finest shopping and restaurants.

Hotel Roger Williams is owned and managed by Oceana Hotel Group. Sister hotels include The Franklin Hotel in New York City; Hotel Oceana Santa Monica and Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara in California.