Celebrate Christmas Marriott-Style at the Newly Refurbished Surfers Paradise Gold Coast Hotel

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Dec 5, 2011) - Having just completed a $20 million facelift, the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa is gearing up for the festive season and decking out the lobby and public areas with a huge array of lavish Christmas decorations. As part of the celebrations, the Gold Coast luxury hotel will be hosting a large number of exclusive Christmas functions, dinner parties and events in the lead up to December 25 and would like to welcome locals and visitors to come and experience Christmas, Marriott-Style.

Marriott Executive Chef Andrew Fraser says decorations are just the start of the huge orders they have coming in for Christmas. "We'll be ordering over 1400 dozen oysters, 300 kilograms of turkey, 200 kilograms of spanner crabs, 400 hundred Christmas Puddings and 400 kilograms of Moreton Bay bugs," he said. "We're expecting to cater for approximately 1300 people throughout the day. We'll have 50 litres of brandy custard to prepare and serve which is a huge task in itself."

It all starts with Christmas Eve Dinner in the new interactive Surfers Paradise restaurant, Citrique, at a cost of $79 for adults and $39.50 for children aged 6 - 12 years. The live cooking stations and dining zones will include traditional Christmas favourites such as turkey, leg ham, fruit mince pies, Christmas puddings and eggnog on top of the already extensive array of fresh seafood, sashimi, sushi, roasts, wood fired pizza and hand-crafted pastries.

Start the morning with Citrique Christmas Buffet Breakfast where you can indulge in eggs cooked to order, wood fired breads, freshly baked pastries and a dedicated pancake kitchen with all the trimmings. "Don't forget to try the Citrique signature omelette featuring Moreton Bay spanner crab, South Cape brie, cherry truss tomatoes and fresh dill," said Fraser. Christmas Day Breakfast is $55 per adult and $27.50 per child aged 6 - 12 years.

For family fun on Christmas Day, the Gold Coast hotel's Grand Ballroom will host a seafood buffet lunch with all your Christmas favourites, local beers, premium wines, juices and soft drinks as well as entertainment from resident DJ, children's' games, prizes and a visit from Santa. Adults cost $195, children aged 13 - 17 years cost $95 and children aged 6 - 12 years cost $79.

To keep the Christmas celebrations alive, the Gold Coast luxury accommodation is also hosting Christmas Dinners with an interactive buffet at Citrique and Japanese banquets at Benihana. In addition to Citrique's four dining zones comprising of fresh seafood, sashimi, salmon, antipasto, wood fired pizzas, grills, skewers, roasts, yum cha, European dishes and exotic curries, they will be serving traditional Christmas fare with turkey, leg ham and Christmas desserts including pudding, white Christmas and fruit mince pies. Eggnog will be served and guests will receive a glass of premium wine or local beer on arrival. Christmas Dinner in Citrique is priced at $155 per adult, $89 per child aged 13 - 17 years and $63 per child aged 6 - 12 years.

Or you can finish your Christmas Day with a difference -- let the Teppanyaki tricksters at Benihana Japanese Steakhouse wow you with their expert skills as they serve up dishes such as Wagyu beef, Hibachi scallops, lobster tail, king prawns and Hibachi salmon, all served with onion soup, Benihana salad with ginger dressing, Hibachi vegetables, prawn appetiser and Hibachi chicken rice with traditional Christmas pudding, custard and ice-cream or lemon sorbet. Banquet menus start at $70 per adult.

"The atmosphere at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa during the Christmas period is infectious -- from the guests through to the staff, we all thoroughly enjoy ourselves and welcome everyone to join us," said Fraser.

For more information or to make a booking, please phone 07 5592 9800.

For further information, please phone Karla Simpson at Promedia at 07 5593 2011 or email karla@promedia.com.au.

About the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa
The Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa is an upscale property designed to provide discerning travelers with exceptional Gold Coast accommodations convenient to pristine Surfers Paradise beaches and fashionable shopping. Located just a short drive from popular family attractions such as Dreamworld and Seaworld, this Gold Coast hotel's onsite amenities include the world-class Lattouf Hair and Day Spa, children's activities, a full-service business center and well-equipped gymnasium.