Loews Hotels and Fisher-Price Team Up to Cater to the Youngest of Travelers Portofino Bay Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Roll Out Program in Time for Easter Travel Season

(PRLEAP.COM) ORLANDO, FL — As family travel continues to grow in popularity and the number of parents who bring their children on business trips is increasing, Loews Hotels and Fisher-Price, Inc have joined forces to create Loews Loves Little Kids presented by Fisher-Price®. The new program is designed with a dual purpose: to ease the challenges faced by parents traveling with the youngest of children, six to 36 months, while also dramatically enhancing the experience for the entire family. Every aspect of the program – from inspiring play and creativity to providing arrival amenities and an assortment of on-loan toys and portable baby gear – is designed to soothe, stimulate, entertain, or transport Loews’ littlest guests.

In Orlando, Loews Loves Little Kids presented by Fisher-Price® will be offered at Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, A Loews Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, A Loews Hotel.

The multi-faceted program, developed with early childhood development experts at Fisher-Price’s acclaimed Play Laboratory, consists of the following:

• Baby & Toddler Play Classes (available at resort properties):

Forty-five-minute sessions led by a trained instructor feature storytelling, play, creative arts, music, movement and more – all tailored to two specific age groups - Star Babies (infants from six to 18 months) and Rising Stars (toddlers from 18 to 36 months). Parents or caregivers attend along with children; snacks and drinks are provided.

• Getaway Gear – All hotel and resort properties will offer a wide range of baby and toddler equipment designed to make travel with little ones easy and more rewarding, including: the Aquarium Play Yard, an ideal play space for babies up to 30 pounds; the Aquarium Take-Along Swing, perfect for soothing babies of up to 25 pounds; and even the Royal Potty, so traveling toddlers “in training” needn’t have a setback while on vacation.

• Fisher-Price welcome gifts for children under 10.

• A selection of Fisher-Price toys available to loan for children six months to six years old, all available through the “Home Sweet Loews” lending program.

• Guests at sister property Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando can participate in play classes at the neighboring on-site hotels and can also borrow Fisher-Price items on-site as part of the lending program.

“For years, Loews Hotels has offered an award-winning program featuring fun and entertaining activities for children. Now, we’ve turned to the recognized leader in infant and pre-school toys, Fisher-Price, to focus on play and the needs of our very youngest guests to create this exciting new addition to our family programming,” noted Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels.

Chuck Scothon, senior vice president, marketing and brand development at Fisher-Price said, “We look to partner with first class companies that deliver service to families with young children at a very high level and in a very unique way. Loews’ innovative programs beautifully underscore our mission to help families play, laugh and grow together even when they are on the go and away from home.”

Baby & Toddler Play Classes

The Star Babies and Rising Stars classes focus on age-appropriate play activities. Movement and music are key components in the Star Babies classes, which feature themed sessions designed for babies from six to 18 months. The “Peek-a-BlocksTM Party” theme, for example, encourages babies to make new discoveries while examining, exploring and building, and the “Laugh & Learn™ About My World” theme combines early learning with everyday experiences in baby’s daily routine, to introduce A-B-C’s, 1-2-3’s, shapes and colors.

Rising Stars participants will learn and play through storytelling, creativity and music. Themed sessions for toddlers from 18 to 36 months include “A Day at the Castle,” a role-playing experience for would-be princes and princesses with the beloved Little People® friends, and “Bonzo Building,” an imagination-building exercise featuring Pop-OnzTM building blocks and toys.

The play class schedules vary by resort, but in general are available during peak family travel times including holidays, weekends and summer. To participate in play classes, parents or caregivers sign up in advance and show up ready to play. Snacks and drinks are provided for children and classes cost $10 per child. At session’s end, parents receive valuable, age-appropriate tips for making the most of play at home or on-the-go, as well as an exclusive Loews Hotels CD of children’s music created by Fisher-Price.

Loews Loves Little Kids presented by Fisher-Price® is a perfect complement to the other innovative children’s programs offered by Loews. The chain, a recognized leader in family travel, makes catering to the needs of families a top priority, as demonstrated in two popular programs: Loews Loves Kids and Healthy Kids. The Loews Loves Kids program features a complimentary gift bag with a Fisher-Price toy for children under 10, access to a lending closet filled with games, books and a wide range of travel necessities, children’s menus, cribs and roll-away beds, child-proofing kits, and even mini-bars stocked with child-friendly snacks. Children under 18 always stay free when sharing a room with their parents.

Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada. Loews boasts some of the industry’s most innovative and successful travel programs, including Loews Loves Kids for families, T. Loews for demanding teenagers, Generation G catering to the growing “grand-travel” market and Loews Loves Pets for the most discerning animals. Loews Hotels has one-of-a-kind four-diamond properties in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, each offering a unique travel experience that reflects its location. For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com.

Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT) and located in East Aurora, New York, is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has a 75-year legacy of high-quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company’s best-known “classic” brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and View-Master®. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (nursery monitors, infant swings, high chairs) as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children’s programming such as Sesame Street®, Dora the Explorer™ and Winnie the Pooh. The Company’s web site, at www.fisher-price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents.

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Contact: Jennifer Hodges
Loews Hotels at Universal
Orlando
(407) 503-9090
jhodges@loewshotels.com
Emily Kanders Goldfischer

Loews Hotels
(212) 521-2833
egoldfischer@loewshotels.com
Dana Marciniak
Fisher-Price
(716) 687-3354
Dana.Marciniak@fisher-
price.com

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