For the fourth year, the best winter resort in Bulgaria had the honour of hosting races from the World Ski Cup 2015. The championship for women in the Alpine disciplines Super G and Alpine took place the last weekend of February. The Bulgarian audience’s Number 1 favourite Lindsey Vonn, the American skier Julia Mancuso, Lara Gut from Switzerland, the Slovenian ski star Tina Maze and the Austrian skiers Anna Fenninger and Niki Hosp were among the elite athletes who once again arrived in Bansko to compete in the international ski race.
As one of the main partners of the Bansko World Ski Cup 2015, Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko was again at the epicentre of the events. The hotel welcomed many VIP guests and officials, who arrived especially for the biggest and most prestigious event of the season. During their stay at the hotel, they experienced Mediterranean specialities at Come Prima Restaurant, authentic Asian dishes at the only Sushi Bar and Teppanyaki Grill in Bansko and live entertainment programmes at Piano Bar “Sing Sing”. Those who chose to combine watching the World Ski Cup races with skiing did not miss the chance to relax at the luxurious Kempinski The Spa.
Throughout the winter ski fiesta, the hotel took care of lunch in the luxury VIP tent at Banderishka polyana and organised five-star catering for more than 450 guests on a daily basis at 1,620 m (5,315 ft) above sea level. The talented Asian chefs demonstrated master skills in sushi preparation and gourmands had the opportunity to taste tailor-made pastas cooked in front of them. Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko’s Executive Chef Michael Wilkinson and Sous Chef Nikola Todorov created the lavish menu. The lunch buffet featured a variety of home-baked bread, French and Italian cheese, 12-year parmesan, fresh salads, cold cuts, marinated salmon fillets with whole-grain mustard, a wide choice of soups, delicious desserts and many other tempting delicacies. In the last four days, more than 100 staff members from the hotel ensured the VIP guests’ comfort during the lunches, as well as during the charity gala dinner on Saturday evening.
On Saturday, 28 February, in the luxurious VIP tent on the ski slope, a charity gala dinner was held that generated BGN 82 000 for the Dimitar Berbatov Foundation in support of talented children in Bulgaria. Diana Lyubenova and the famous British actor Ben Cross were the hosts of the glamorous gala. The popular singers Orlin Goranov, Vasil Petrov and Vera Chandelle entertained guests with incredible live performances. The elite of the Bulgarian business world were in attendance. Five of the world’s best skiers – Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Lara Gut, Anna Fenninger and Tina Vayrater – also made an appearance to support the initiative and added their personal contribution to the prize fund for the charity auction. All guests enjoyed an abundance of refined specialities created by the hotel chefs’ team in synergy with the French Michelin-star chef Remy Giraud.
Bansko is expected to host races from the World Ski Cup at least two more times in the upcoming four years. The team of Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko is already looking forward to the next one.
