FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Christina Thigpen
The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge
704-248-2010
cthigpen@bissellcompanies.com
THE BALLANTYNE HOTEL & LODGE WELCOMES KELI FAYARD
AS EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF
CHARLOTTE, NC (May 23, 2012) – Keli Fayard has joined The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, a Luxury
Collection Hotel in Charlotte, NC, as Executive Pastry Chef. With 16 years of experience, Fayard is
renowned in the pastry industry, with appearances on The Cooking Channel and Food Network’s Cake
Challenge. Fayard will oversee the hotel’s pastry team and production of all desserts, as well as the
dessert menus and artisan breads served at Gallery Restaurant.
“In addition to having a wealth of expertise in pastry, Keli brings creativity, enthusiasm and a true
understanding of balancing taste with texture to The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge,” said Peter Grills, Hotel
Manager at The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge. “Keli’s natural passion to experiment with new flavor
combinations will really help enhance our dessert offerings.”
Prior to joining The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, Fayard worked in Chicago at the famed Vosges HautChocolate as Research & Development Chef, creating recipes for candy bars and truffles. Before that,
Fayard co-founded and owned gourmet French pastry shop, Vanille Patisserie, which features high-end
retail and wholesale desserts, candies, specialty cakes and chocolates in Chicago.
Fayard also worked as Assistant Pastry Chef to Fifth Group Restaurants, responsible for three restaurants,
catering and banquet facilities it Atlanta, GA. Prior to that, Fayard held pastry positions at The Bellagio
and Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. In addition, Fayard worked at Payard’s Patisserie & Bistro in New
York, NY. Fayard began her pastry career at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, IL.
A native of Chicago, Fayard is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and
attended French Pastry School in Chicago. Fayard and her family reside in Charlotte.
About The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge
The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, part of Starwood’s The Luxury Collection, is a Forbes Four-Star and
AAA Four-Diamond award-wining hotel located in Charlotte, NC. Featuring 214 elegant guest rooms,
The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge also offers a four-bedroom Cottage and a Lodge group retreat with 35
spacious guest rooms. Guests can enjoy meeting and event facilities, spa, fitness, indoor and outdoor
pools, golf, Dana Rader Golf School, tennis and dining at Gallery Restaurant. The Ballantyne Hotel &
Lodge is a two-time winner of the Tiffany Trophy, an annual award presented by The Luxury Collection
to the hotel or resort with the highest overall guest satisfaction score in North America. The Ballantyne
Hotel & Lodge is owned by Bissell. For information and reservations, please contact The Ballantyne
Hotel & Lodge toll-free at 866-248-4824, or visit www.theballantynehotel.com. Like The Ballantyne
Hotel & Lodge at www.facebook.com/ballantynehotel or follow The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge at
www.twitter.com/ballantynehotel.
About The Luxury Collection
The Luxury Collection® is a selection of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that
evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the
world’s most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished
expression of its location; a portal to the destination’s indigenous charms and treasures. Magnificent
décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest modern conveniences combine to provide a
uniquely enriching experience. Today, The Luxury Collection is a glittering ensemble of more than 75 of
the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries in bustling cities and spectacular
destinations around the world. The Luxury Collection includes award-winning hotels that continuously
exceed guest expectations by offering unparalleled service, style and class in some of the most desired
destinations in the world. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized
as being among the world’s finest. For more information, please visit www.luxurycollection.com.
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