Crowne To Phase In Upscale Orlando Site

<B> Crowne To Phase In Upscale Orlando Site</B>

By Rowland Stiteler

Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts in January will open Phase I of what it calls a "Key West-style, upscale development" on the south end of International Drive. The first phase of the property development will feature 140 units, of which 76 will be residential-style villas and the rest deluxe guest rooms.

The hotel, which will be located near both the planned World Expo Center and major Orlando attractions like Disney and Sea World, will expand to 280 rooms in the spring of 2000 and to 420 rooms at an unspecified future date, said hotel spokesperson Denise Groza.

The resort will be geared with business as well as leisure travelers in mind, combining features like individual voice mail boxes and dataport access with living amenities like refrigerators and microwaves in every room. The villas will feature such additional amenities as fully equipped kitchens, full-sized living rooms and separate bedrooms.

The hotel immediately will offer 1,200 square feet of meeting space, as well as a boardroom, and then continue to expand its meeting space as the number of guest rooms increases.

The property also will feature an onsite restaurant, three pools, a pool bar and grill, a poolside exercise facility and two tennis courts.