CONTACT: Petra Wolf for Waldorf Astoria Berlin Tel. +49 (0)89 - 17 91 90 28 [email protected]

Anja Langensiepen for Waldorf Astoria Berlin Tel. + 49 (0)30 - 81 4000-00 [email protected]

From the Seine to the Spree: Pierre Gagnaire, world-class chef and winner of numerous Michelin stars, opens restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria Berlin

BERLIN/MUNICH, Germany – The best of the best: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts confirms collaboration with Pierre Gagnaire for the new restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria Berlin, which will open in autumn 2012. The world-renowned Frenchman has eleven Michelin stars in his restaurants, which are located across the world from Tokyo to Paris. He enriches an impressive team of Michelin star chefs in diverse Waldorf Astoria hotels in Europe. Pierre Gagnaire assumes responsibility for the high-concept cuisine and menu of the 80-seater restaurant, which will open in the Waldorf Astoria Berlin under the name Les Solistes by Pierre Gagnaire. The restaurant’s team will be specially trained in Gagnaire’s three-star restaurant in Paris. Often referred to as the “Picasso of French cuisine”, Gagnaire owns and directs highly successful restaurants throughout the world. The legendary Pierre Gagnaire in the Parisian Rue Balzac has consistently been awarded three Michelin stars and has also garnered 19 of a possible 20 Gault Millaut points. Other star restaurants include Sketch in London, Colette in Saint Tropez, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire in Dubai as well as other eldorados for gourmets in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow, Courchevel and Las Vegas. “The Waldorf Astoria introduces a great and peerless name to Berlin, and it gives me great pleasure to bring a sophisticated and unique culinary experience to the people of Berlin and international guests”, states Pierre Gagnaire. Pierre Gagnaire is one of the world’s most influential chefs and a pioneer of fusion cuisine. Pierre Gagnaire does not cook, as much as celebrate: with his creativity and delight in experimentation, the 61-year-old puts many of his younger colleagues in the shade. The top chef has just one style, namely his own, and that is inimitable. His cuisine reflects his life, his emotions and his experiences. He creates unique culinary compositions for the eye and the palate, all of which bear his signature. In the process, Pierre Gagnaire improvises and experiments with dishes and ingredients like a composer, and his “opus” is full of contrasts and surprises. “It is a great honour for us to have won a chef as distinguished and legendary as Pierre Gagnaire for the Waldorf Astoria Berlin”, states Friedrich W. Niemann, general manager of the new world-class hotel in Berlin. “Pierre Gagnaire is not just the ultimate synonym for excellence in the culinary arts, but also, with three Michelin stars, an asset for the whole of Berlin. Waldorf Astoria and Pierre Gagnaire are associated with a luxury and elegance which does justice to the prestigious legacy of the legendary flagship on Park Avenue, Manhattan, and also sets new standards”. With Pierre Gagnaire, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts gains a third star chef in Europe alongside Heinz Beck in La Pergola, the three-star restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Rome Cavalieri, and Simone Zanoni at the two-star Gordon Ramsay au Trianon Palace, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Versailles. The new Waldorf Astoria Berlin has an impressive range of gastronomy facilities. In addition to the main restaurant by Pierre Gagnaire, the Romanische Café – the legendary meeting place of literati such as Erich Kästner, Bertolt Brecht or Billy Wilder – will open for business once more. The Lang Bar – named after the renowned director Fritz Lang – and the lobby bar Peacock Alley near the legendary Waldorf Astoria grandfather clock complete the range. The five star superior hotel is part of the construction project “Zoofenster”, the aim of which is to revitalize and raise the value of the entire Berlin City West. The luxury hotel is going to have 232 rooms and suites situated on the first 15 floors as well as on the 22nd to 31st floor of the skyscraper made of natural stone and glass. The “Zoofenster”, which has a total of 32 floors, is being built right next to the famous church “Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche” and the shopping boulevard “Kurfürstendamm”.

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About Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts WALDORF ASTORIA is Hilton Worldwide’s luxury brand of landmark hotels, with each one as singular and timeless as the brand’s namesake, The Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York. From classic elegance to modern grandeur, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts each represent worldly sophistication and unparalleled guest service. From sumptuous spas and culinary excellence to world-class golf, each hotel & resort offers the exquisite accommodations and signature accoutrements that define refinement and sophistication. Discover Waldorf Astoria by visiting www.waldorfastoria.com. Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is one of Hilton Worldwide’s ten market-leading brands.

About Hilton Worldwide Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 640,000 rooms in 91 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide, www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.