ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2013) – Restaurant industry veteran Kenny Hunsberger has been appointed Executive Chef of the newly renovated Loews Don CeSar Hotel. With more than 25 years of hotel food and beverage experience, Chef Hunsberger will oversee all culinary aspects at Florida’s legendary “Pink Palace.”

“Kenny is an amazing talent and a true industry professional,” said Stephen Cummings, General Manager, Loews Don CeSar Hotel. “We’re thrilled to have him take the culinary helm as our food & beverage program evolves under his direction.”

Chef Hunsberger will be responsible for the 85-year-old hotel’s culinary operations including the award-winning restaurant, the Maritana Grille, the Sea Porch, banquets, catering, room service, spa cuisine from Spa Oceana and the Lobby Bar.

His vibrant Gulf-to-table cuisine is heavily influenced by Florida’s rich aquatic bounty as well as his close relationships with local farmers. Hunsberger’s passion for food and interest in the culinary arts was cultivated from an early age with memories of his grandmother’s kitchen, where together they prepared seafood home cooked meals.

Hunsberger joined Loews Hotels & Resorts in late 2010 as Executive Sous Chef.  Under his leadership, he supervised renovations of both the Sea Porch and the Four-Diamond Maritana Grille.  During his tenure at Loews Don Cesar, the Maritana Grille has been named “One of the top 200 restaurants in Florida” by Florida Trend, “One of the top 10 seafood restaurants in the US” by Gayot, “Exceptional Restaurant of Florida” by Gourmet, most recently, a 4 ½ out of 5 stars review from Creative Loafing-Tampa.

A 25-year veteran of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, he cultivated an eclectic cooking style by virtue of frequent travel and by moving through the culinary ranks, from Chef Garde Manger at the Regency Westshore to Chef de Cuisine for Oystercatcher’s in Tampa. Ultimately he held the title of Executive Sous Chef for the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay where he was responsible for all aspects of its culinary operation including the supervision and training of more than 50 sous chefs and cooks. The celebrated chef has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines and cookbooks and has appeared on Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of the South and most recently Emeril’s Florida on the Cooking Channel.

He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

About Loews Don CeSar Hotel
Once a playground for distinguished celebrities such as Clarence Darrow and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Loews Don CeSar Hotel continues to charm and impress guests today with service preserved from the Great Gatsby era of pampering. Renovated guestrooms, refreshed public spaces, sugar-sand beaches, Spa Oceana, poolside activities and award-winning dining await visitors who return season after season. Blending European grandeur, seaside elegance and sweet sunsets with the enchantment of yesteryear, the romantic legend exemplifies the grandness of America’s traditional beach resorts and is the only historic hotel on Florida’s Gulf Coast. For more information, visit www.loewshotels.com or call 727-360-1881. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/LoewsDonCeSarHotel.

About Loews Hotels & Resorts
Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels & Resorts owns and/or operates 19 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada including the newly acquired Loews Madison Hotel located in the heart of Washington at the epicenter of legendary D.C. landmarks and the Loews Boston Back Bay Hotel, one of Boston’s preeminent historic buildings, situated on the corner of Berkeley and Stuart Streets. Located in major city centers and resort destinations in North America from coast to coast, the Loews portfolio features one-of-a-kind properties that go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience. For reservations or more information about Loews Hotels & Resorts, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or visit: www.loewshotels.com

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