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Asking Life’s Most Important Question

Fairmont Hotels Offers Some Help

Special occasions often call for grand gestures, and proposing marriage is certainly one of those times. Creating a fabulous and unforgettable moment that culminates in an unbridled "Yes!" is a goal that can seem like a daunting challenge for many. To help anxiety-plagued want-to-be bride or grooms, or those creatively challenged individuals simply looking for assistance setting the stage for life’s most important question, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has the perfect answer. Engaging Proposals is a new selection of packages and services thoughtfully designed to provide romance, surprise, and a truly memorable engagement.

Whether it's an intimate setting or an over-the-top experience, close to home or an escape to an exotic destination, the seasoned Engagement Experts at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are an easy phone call away at 1-866-ON-1-KNEE or at www.fairmont.com/engaging.

The soon-to-be newly engaged will find an invaluable resource for help with booking one of Fairmont's Engaging Packages. They’ll also be inspired with creative ideas for individual and sentimental services and amenities to make the special moment even more memorable. Be it a rose petal-covered room, romantic dinner for two on the beach at sundown, a special "Karat Cake," or a public proposal at a Red Sox game, all this and much more can be arranged with the help of Fairmont's Engagement Experts who promise to handle everything but popping the big question.

“Romance is definitely in,” says Tom Wolfe, Chief Concierge and Engagement Expert at The Fairmont San Francisco, who receives at least three calls a week from anxious men looking for advice about wedding proposals. “The trend seems to be all about being creative and doing something completely unique and personalized to the special individual.”

As part of the new program, Fairmont conducted an informal survey and found that even in today’s culture; chivalry is indeed alive and well, especially when it comes to something as important as a wedding proposal. 54% of the guests surveyed chose to drop on one knee when they proposed to their loved ones, and to help celebrate the engagement, a romantic 59% made sure to have a favorite bottle of wine or champagne on hand.

Some of the other interesting findings included:

• 45%, or most of those surveyed, dated one to three years before they decided to propose.

• 54% chose to pop the question locally, while the remainder chose to pop the question on a specially planned trip.

• 55% believe in love at first sight.

• 59% consulted with friends when planning the proposal, while 21% planned everything on their own.

• 54% were confident that their partner would answer with a resounding “yes,” while 46% were unsure.

To help stage the special day, a number of Fairmont properties have created unique Engaging Celebration Packages. Offering a romantic room, gourmet dinner and activities ranging from a horse-drawn carriage ride in Old Quebec City at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac to a canoe excursion through the wilderness near Fairmont Tremblant, Fairmont's engaging backdrops are as unique as their destinations. For over-the-top, distinctive experiences, Fairmont's Engaging Signature Packages are enough to take one’s breath away. Romantics can whisk their partner away in a private hot air balloon at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona; sip Boston's most romantic martini in the Oak Bar at The Fairmont Copley Plaza--The Engaging Martini, a heart-stopping combination of Finlandia Vodka, dash of dry Vermouth, and garnished with a Lovefire diamond engagement ring--or pop the question outdoors at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise with a sleek, hand-carved ice bar set beside a life-size ice castle and inscribed with the words "Will You Marry Me?"

A sampling of Fairmont’s Engaging Packages include:
●“Let It Be Me!”
Montreal knows how to set the stage for romance and Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth is the place to say “Oui” par excellence. After all, this is where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their bed-in in 1969. “Let It Be Me!” includes accommodation in a luxurious Executive Suite, private sunset limousine tour with champagne to the famous “kissing spot” on Mont Royal, romantic dinner featuring an aphrodisiac menu, breakfast for two, and a collection of massage oils to help heat up the evening. Package rates start from $1,383 USD ($1,705 CAD) per night.

●Effervescent Ever After in Sonoma
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is the ultimate elegant oasis, blessed by natural mineral hot springs in the Sonoma Valley. The “Effervescent Ever After” package is the perfect way to say to your sweetheart, “I love you” and “Will you marry me?” The package is highlighted with accommodation in the luxurious Mission Suite, Wine & Roses Couples spa treatment, Champagne and Caviar upon arrival, and an unforgettable tasting for two at the Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves.  The total price for this package is $4,500 USD ($5,547 CAD).

●Get United in the Kingdom
Love and marriage have gone together at The Savoy since Laurence Olivier met Vivien Leigh here, Elizabeth Taylor arrived for her first honeymoon and "Notting Hill" had Hugh Grant proposing to Julia Roberts in the hotel's Lancaster Ballroom.  Create your own starring role in a London love story when you stay at The Savoy, a Fairmont Hotel.  The Savoy's Engaging Proposal package celebrates life's most important query with champagne, fruit, flowers and chocolate on arrival, one night's accommodation in a deluxe king room and a pair of the Savoy's particularly plush robes.  A few of their star-studded suggestions for popping the question include taking a "champagne capsule" for two on the neighboring London Eye, a pair of cocktails created by celebrated hotel Head Barman Salim Khoury especially for the occasion, or a performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre followed by a river boat ride back to the hotel. Package rates start from £420 ($784 USD).

● “Queen for a Day”
Standing high on a bluff overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River is Fairmont Le Château Frontenac – a setting fit for a Queen as well as an engagement. The “Queen for a Day” package includes accommodation in one of the hotel’s exclusive Executive Suites, private gastronomic dinner in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom and served on the same China used by Queen Elizabeth II during her 1959 visit, long stem red roses, champagne, in-room massage for two, carriage ride under the stars, private limousine transfers, and to top it off, a private butler and personal shopper. The rate for this package is $6,490 USD ($7,999 CAD).

●“Suite Romance”
A luxurious haven in one of the most scenic places on earth, The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui offers the perfect setting to ask “Will you marry me?” The Suite Romance package offers it all with accommodation in a romantic suite or private villa, luxury car rental, candlelit dinner for two, breakfast in bed, and a sensuous Honi Honi Spa Package for two. Package rates start from $535 USD ($659 CAD) per night.

Featuring a collection of fabled castles, secluded lodges, storied meeting places and modern retreats, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts opens the doors to some of the world's most celebrated addresses.  With locations throughout eight countries, our 45 distinctive hotels - including The Fairmont San Francisco, The Fairmont Banff Springs and The Fairmont Dubai - promise travelers unparalleled settings, rich experiences and lasting memories. Future Fairmont Hotels & Resorts include The Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya (fall 2005), The Fairmont Cairo and The Fairmont Abu Dhabi Resort & Villas.  For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com

Edited by Dave Shultz

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