Renaissance Hotels (www.renhotels.com) understands its hotel guests are independent-minded and passionate about life.  They are looking for hidden gems and to be “in the know” when it comes to culture and entertainment. To meet the needs of its hotel guests, today, Renaissance Hotels is ushering in a new era in hotel-branded entertainment with the launch of RLife LIVE (www.RLifeLive.com) a large arts platform dedicated to providing its hotel guests and local patrons an up close and personal look into culinary arts, design, entertainment and more. The program launches first with music and will feature an eclectic fleet of emerging artists on the verge of superstardom at various Renaissance Hotels throughout 2010 and into 2011.

The RLife LIVE program gives Renaissance guests chance to engage with musical talent on-site at the hotel properties. Renaissance has curated these experiences, with events ranging from intimate acoustic performances, to listening parties, to pre- and post-concert events and meet and greets that go beyond just a quick photo or autograph signing. 

In the midst of a renaissance of its own, this year Renaissance Hotels is bringing guests a fresh new way to view the world through unforgettable hotel experiences. From a culinary partnership with the Blue Ribbon Restaurant Group to redesigned room and lobby spaces, special holiday packages such as the Valentine’s Days Sweet Escape with Dylan’s Candy Bar to the launch of RLife LIVE, Renaissance Hotels continues to put its personal stamp on the world of lifestyle hospitality.

“Renaissance Hotels has always had its finger on the pulse of the music industry, but we are thrilled to officially launch the RLife LIVE platform, which will allow us to consistently introduce hotel guests to emerging talent and unique experiences and surprises within the entertainment world,” said Dan Vinh, vice president of marketing for Renaissance Hotels. “This year alone, we hosted a rooftop concert with Mr. Hudson, who then went on to break the top 10 of Billboard’s “Hot 100” with his “Young Forever” hit collaboration with Jay-Z.  Our guests have also enjoyed listening to singer-songwriter Angel Taylor and got up close and personal with Janelle Monae, whose second album has since debuted to critical acclaim.”

To kick off the RLife LIVE program, select New York, San Francisco and Chicago Renaissance properties will host simultaneous performances tonight. These locations were chosen to highlight the uniqueness of the Renaissance portfolio, from the modern New York Times Square property to the historic Stanford Court in San Francisco and the classic Chicago Downtown hotel. They all serve as the perfect backdrop for the diversity of talent represented in this program. Tonight’s line-up will feature:

• Three-time Grammy-award winning R&B artist, Robin Thicke will take the stage at the new R Lounge at the Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel while Sam Ronson and Solange Knowles spin tracks and DJ for the night.

• In Chicago, the Neon Trees, a new band known for their pop hooks and rock influences will perform their hit song “Animal” among others for hotel guests and locals at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel.

• San Francisco will host hip hop emerging artist K’NAAN as he performs for hotel guests and patrons at the Stanford Court Renaissance San Francisco Hotel.

In 2011, hotel guests who aren’t staying at properties on the artists’ tour stops can still get a
behind-the-scenes glimpse of the artists through the in-room RLife LIVE channel that will showcase exclusive footage of the participating musicians in all Renaissance Hotels in the U.S. The participating artists will also take to the blogosphere at (www.therenaissancelife.com) sharing their favorite personal finds in different markets across the country. Readers can check out a musician’s favorite coffee shop in San Francisco, their recommendation for the best place for jazz in New Orleans or their favorite local second-hand store in Denver.

The artists listed below are the initial talent signed on to participate in the upcoming RLife LIVE series. Renaissance Hotels chose a wide range of musicians representing a cross-section of defined and even undefined musical genres—hip hop, R&B, pop, alternative, and more.  The key is to give exposure to emerging talent on the verge of superstardom and to offer Renaissance guests intimate access to true discovery moments so they can boldly claim “I knew them when…”.

• ELEW
• Eli Reed
• K’NAAN
• Neon Trees
• Nicholas Howard
• Robin Thicke
• Robyn
• Sam Ronson
• Solange Knowles
• Thievery Corporation