Chocolate Elves Stage Holiday Takeover of The Ritz-Carlton,

GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN--(Marketwired - Nov 3, 2016) - Imagine 20 brilliantly-colored, nearly life-size holiday elves -- each of them an exquisitely sculpted chocolate showpiece, transforming and vibrantly animating the Lobby of a luxury Caribbean resort. Then imagine that each elf has a personal story, along with an eccentric personality and captivating facial expressions that evoke laughter, tears and fond recollections of childhood. This is the delicious, delectable sight that will welcome guests to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman during the upcoming holiday season .

There is no holiday display like this -- at least anywhere in the real world. The Elves Workshop of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is a uniquely animated community, nine by ten feet in size with a dramatic ten-foot mountain backdrop, an operating electric train and an animated holiday tree. The irresistible setting features 15 gingerbread mini-houses in a gingerbread village, 12 gingerbread houses in the mountains, a ski lodge and ski gondola descending from the mountains, chocolate "gas" lanterns, 30 chocolate holiday trees, chocolate benches with penguins and snowmen, snowboarding penguins and snowmen in the mountains and on the train tunnel, six reindeer and a chocolate sleigh, a fireplace with chocolate "logs" and stockings for all of the elves, six reindeer, gifts galore and ladders enabling elves to decorate their tree.

Amidst this tasty spectacle, Santa's charming and edible helpers can be seen trying to work together to muddle through their holiday to-do lists. The three-foot-plus tall pixies, intricately crafted of chocolate and fondant by pastry chef Melissa Logan and her imaginative pastry team, require 540 hours to bring to life in time for their December 5, 2016 Lobby reveal. No one is sure of the spritely boys' and girls' surname(s), but their first names are spelled as follows, according to their own elfabet:

• Charlie, the lead elf: Charlie is always busy hanging stockings on the fireplace or making toys with his chocolate hammer. 
• Lulabell -- the cheeky elf: She has naughtily decided to juggle the ornaments instead of helping to hang them on the tree. 
• Figwit Biggenslow III: Figwit watches as Lulabell tries to juggle ornaments, finding himself distracted from building the mini-gingerbread houses he is supposed to be working on. 
• Punchinello -- a bit of a clumsy elf: This fellow is always getting himself into a tangle. This year, he is actually tangled in the lights and can't figure out how it happened. He appears to be suffering from low elf esteem.
• Penelope Mcmittens, Layla Maisy, Filomena and Ophelia are having fun while being generally helpful.
• Gilbert: This character is pointing and laughing at Punchinello -- who is woefully tangled in the Christmas lights. 
• Louie von Whimsy: This busy elf is stacking presents for the train tunnel, while his friend Jasper is also working on presents, carefully wrapping them for the holiday.
• Oliver -- the elf with the munchies: This rascal has decided to take a cookie break while everyone else is hard at work in the shop. 
• Ernie: Ernie is supposed to be helping Charlie hang the stockings, but he has had WAY too much hot cocoa and is in a cocoa coma. He is falling asleep from all that hot cocoa, with stockings crumpled all around him. 
• Gilbert & Russandol. We already know what Gilbert is doing, and Russandol is hard at work hanging the lights on the tree.
• Ziggy, Larabee, and Chadwick are merrily making gingerbread houses and holding ornaments.
• Buckly McSkittles -- the accident-prone elf: Buckly has fallen into the sleigh, and colleague Nougat O'Flurry is attempting to rescue him.
• Capping it all off, a joyful Elliott Butterscotch is placing the star atop the holiday tree.

The Elves Workshop at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is created with 150 pounds of fondant, 250 pounds of dark chocolate, 75 pounds of white chocolate, 125 pounds of modeling chocolate, 3 pounds of chocolate velvet spray, 25 pounds of royal icing, 25 pounds of gingerbread, 3 ounces of gold and silver dust, 27 ounces of food lacquer and 12 ounces of food coloring.

Hands-free viewing is warmly encouraged.

About The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Spanning 144 acres sea-to-sea from world-famous Seven Mile Beach to the North Sound, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is the island's only AAA Five Diamond hotel and a flagship of the Caribbean. The 375-room luxury resort features a la prairie spa, five restaurants including Blue by Eric Ripert, the island's largest ballroom, an interactive culinary studio, and The Courts tennis center. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Grand Cayman is highlighted by its Greg Norman-designed nine-hole golf course, and by a new indoor golf simulator using Trackman technology. Further property highlights include the Starfish Cay water park, Oculus glass bottom boat, renowned Ambassadors of the Environment family program by Jean-Michel Cousteau, and the new Seven South -- the largest luxury hotel suite in the Caribbean. For more information, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/grandcayman , or to engage directly with the resort, visit https://www.facebook.com/ritzcarltongrandcayman .

About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, MD., currently operates more than 90 hotels in over 30 countries and territories. More than 40 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. For more information or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com , for the latest company updates, visit news.ritzcarlton.com and to join the live conversation, use #RCMemories. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. ( NASDAQ : MAR ).