Fairmont and Make-A-Wish Stir Up Something Sweet with First-Ever Bake-A-Wish Challenge

Source: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Reported By: Caroline Dalal

Luxury hospitality has long been about delivering experiences that linger well beyond checkout. For Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, that commitment now extends to dreams fulfilled—deliciously. In partnership with Make-A-Wish, the global luxury brand has launched the first-ever Bake-A-Wish Challenge, a whimsical and meaningful culinary showdown that brings together Fairmont’s award-winning chefs and young wish alumni to craft desserts inspired by personal stories of hope and joy.

Held at the historic Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, the event marked a new chapter in the brand’s philanthropic collaboration with Make-A-Wish, coinciding with the lead-up to World Wish Day on April 29. The result? Three imaginative confections that are as emotionally rich as they are indulgent—and coming soon to Fairmont menus around the world.

Hosted by media personality Melanie Sutrathada, the Bake-A-Wish challenge paired each of three Make-A-Wish alumni with a celebrated Fairmont chef to co-create their ideal dessert. The pairings included:

• Roux (18) with Chef Eraj Jayawickreme, Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle

• Theo (9) with Chef Nancy Guerrero, Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles

• Jacqueline (16) with Chef Isabel Chung, Fairmont Empress, Victoria, Canada

The challenge was simple in concept but profound in execution: create the world’s most “wish-worthy” dessert, built on memories, flavor, and imagination.

Each dessert tells a story—rooted in flavor, emotion, and the powerful memories that define childhood wishes.

S’mores Cake
Inspired by Roux’s love for chocolate and marshmallows—and her recent Make-A-Wish trip to New York—Chef Eraj created a layered graham cracker cake drenched in chocolate, finished with a crème anglaise and house-made marshmallows torched tableside. It’s a sensory homage to starlit nights and shared moments, wrapped in warmth and nostalgia.

Coconut Tres Leches with Caramelized Pineapple
Theo, whose wish took him to Hawaii, channeled his love of piña colada mocktails and a treasured family baking tradition with his grandfather. Chef Nancy transformed those memories into a tropical-infused tres leches, topped with golden caramelized pineapple. Every bite echoes sun, family, and legacy.

Passionfruit Strawberry Yogurt Cake
Chef Isabel’s winning dessert took inspiration from Jacqueline’s Guatemalan heritage, love for strawberries, and her quinceañera—the wish granted to her by Make-A-Wish. The cake weaves passionfruit and lychee with yogurt and chocolate sourced from Jacqueline’s family farm. Finished with edible flowers and plated on a black dish—a nod to her Labradoodle—it’s a deeply personal and sophisticated finale.

Though Chef Isabel’s creation received top honors during the event, Fairmont chose to feature all three desserts across select hotel menus beginning April 29, allowing each story to reach guests around the globe.

Beginning World Wish Day, each of the 92 Fairmont properties will have the opportunity to feature one of the three desserts, with proceeds going directly to Make-A-Wish. This initiative not only celebrates the joys of culinary craftsmanship but tangibly supports children facing critical illnesses through one of the most impactful philanthropic partnerships in luxury hospitality.

The initiative expands on Fairmont’s global ‘Wishes Start Here’ program, which officially launched in 2022 but builds on more than two decades of collaboration between the two organizations.

The Bake-A-Wish Challenge is more than a feel-good event—it’s a reflection of what happens when hospitality turns its attention to purpose. By pairing culinary artistry with stories of resilience and joy, Fairmont and Make-A-Wish are not just serving dessert—they’re serving hope, one plate at a time.

With Fairmont, that community now extends to hotel kitchens, pastry counters, and dining rooms across the globe. For guests, that means more than just a memorable meal. It’s a chance to savor something sweet—and know that somewhere, a dream is being made real.