ORLANDO -- In a move to expand their presence in hotels' in-house
packages, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will add at
least 13 more properties in 2000 to their 1-year-old Preferred
Hotel Program, including some in St. Pete-Clearwater.
At least 25 hotels (AAA three-diamond rating or higher) will be
participating next year, according to Donna Vickers, SeaWorld
Orlando's director of travel industry sales.
The parks may add hotel partners in Daytona Beach, she said.
Under the program, the hotels and theme parks conduct joint
advertising and promotions. In addition, the Web sites of SeaWorld
Orlando, www.seaworld.com, and Busch Gardens, www.buschgardens.com, will offer hot links to the
hotels' Web sites, at which in-house package information and the
ability to book will be available, Vickers said.
Agents or the public booking a participating hotel can inquire
about the package, Vickers said.
Among the participating Orlando hotels are AmeriSuites
Convention Center, Crown Plaza Resort, Ramada Resort &
Conference Center, Sheraton World Resort, Homewood Suites and Best
Western Plaza, all on International Drive.
Also, Clarion Floridian Hotel, Comfort Suites Orlando, Embassy
Suites on Jamaican Court, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites on Kirkman
Road, Quality Suites at Parc Corniche, Radisson Barcelo and the
Wynfield Inn on Westwood Boulevard.
The Tampa hotels participating include: AmeriSuites, Baymont
Inn, and Doubletree Hotel, all on North 30th Street; Best Western
Suites on University Center Drive; Embassy Suites on Spectrum
Boulevard; Hampton Inn on Hidden River Parkway; Holiday Inn on East
Fowler Avenue; Holiday Inn Express on North Dale Mabry Avenue;
Radisson Sabal Park, and Travelodge on East Busch Boulevard.
The St. Petersburg-Clearwater area hotels participating include
the Holiday Inn SunSpree, Clearwater Beach and Sirata Beach Resort,
and the St. Petersburg.
Sea World of Florida
Phone: (800) 327-2420