Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ Leap Year Offer Lets Guests Stay Free Feb. 29 After One-Night Stay on Feb. 28

Rosen Plaza Orlando © 2012 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ leisure properties are offering a Leap Year deal so amazing, it can only happen once every four years. When guests stay at least one night Feb. 28 at the special rate of $79.99 plus tax, they’ll stay the night of Feb. 29 at no charge.

This special Leap Year “extra day, extra savings” offer is available at all four of Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ value-priced, AAA Three Diamond properties, including the Quality Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista (LBV).

Accommodations at each of the hotels include a deluxe room with two double beds featuring Simmons Beautyrest^® pillow top beds, microwave, mini refrigerator, electronic safe, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron, ironing board, work desk, free WIFI access and free 24-hour secured parking.

To book online or for more details, visit http://www.orlandohotels4less.com/leapyear/ or call 800-999-7300 and ask for the Leap Year package. This special package rate is based on double occupancy and does not include tax. Not valid on existing reservations, for groups, during special events, holidays or conventions. This offer may not be combined with any other rate plan or discount.

Each of the hotels has completed extensive renovations over the past year, including all new furniture that was made in America, as well as new carpet, window treatments, upgraded art work, luxurious pillow-top mattresses and stylish, yet comfortable bedding. Private bathrooms now feature granite finish vanity and modern decorative lighting. Each hotel also features a Kids Eat FREE program in which kids age 9 and younger eat from the buffet at no charge with each paying adult.

The 728-room Quality Inn International (7600 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819) offers two swimming pools and a children’s wading pool. Onsite dining options include The Apothecary Restaurant featuring a breakfast and dinner buffet, Topsy Turvey Lounge and the Lite Bite Mini-Market & Deli.

The Rosen Inn closest to Universal (6327 International Drive, Orlando, FL, 32819) offers 315 guest rooms, a swimming pool and four onsite dining choices including Shogun Japanese Steak House, The Palms Dining Room featuring a breakfast buffet, as well as the International Pub and Lite Bite Mini-Market & Deli.

The Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando (9000 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819) offers 1,020 guest rooms in six high-rise buildings. Three swimming pools and a sports bar offer downtime from the theme parks. Dining options include the Plaza Garden Restaurant open for breakfast and dinner, Zebra’s Sports Bar, Smoooth Java Coffee Bar™ & Gifts proudly service Starbucks^® and Lite Bite Mini-Market & Deli. Guests who need to do a little work while on vacation may also take advantage of the hotel’s business center.

The Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista (8442 Palm Parkway, Orlando, FL 32819) features 640 guest rooms in four high-rise buildings as well as a playground and two swimming pools, one of which features the new “Ozzie the Otter Splash Zone.” Dining options include The Boardwalk Buffet Restaurant featuring breakfast and dinner buffets, Comfort Zone Bar & Grille and Lite Bite Mini-Market & Deli. The hotel offers guests complimentary scheduled shuttle service to four Walt Disney World® theme parks, Universal Orlando^®, SeaWorld Orlando^®, Aquatica^®, Orlando Premium Outlets^® Vineland and Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores^®(reservations required).

The three International Drive properties offer guests complimentary scheduled shuttle service to Universal Orlando^®, SeaWorld Orlando^®, Aquatica^® and Wet ‘n Wild Orlando^® (reservations required). The I-Ride Trolley stops in front of each hotel, providing low-cost transportation to more than 75 stops in the International Drive attractions area. The three hotels are conveniently located off I-4, on International Drive, in the heart of the attractions area and just 12-15 minutes from Orlando International Airport.

For more information about Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ four leisure properties, visit www.orlandohotels4less.com

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Free Holiday Events Return to Orlando’s Rosen Shingle Creek

Storytelling with Mrs. Claus at Rosen Shingle Creek

Orlando’s luxurious Rosen Shingle Creek is once again creating plenty of ways for locals and visitors to capture the spirit of the holiday season.

For the fourth year, the luxurious AAA Four Diamond hotel will offer its one-of-a-kind series of holiday events spanning Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. New events, including spirited song and dance performances, as well as choral concerts by school and church groups, have been added to this year’s bustling holiday line-up, which includes a Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea and a and visit from the Sugarplum Fairy, live performances of excerpts from “The Nutcracker,” visits from Santa Claus, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day buffets, an elegant New Year’s Eve dinner, and more. All of the events, with the exclusion of the buffets at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Holiday Chocolate Making Workshop and the Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea, are offered at no charge and are open to all who care to share in the spirit of the holidays. For more information or to make reservations for ticketed events, call 407-996-9770 or visit http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/holidayseason.

Holiday Brunch Buffets

Rosen Shingle Creek invites both locals and visitors to step out of their kitchens and into the hotel’s beautiful Café Osceola to enjoy sumptuous holiday brunch buffets on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Here, guests’ only job will be to fill their plates with an incredible smorgasbord prepared by the award-winning chefs at Rosen Shingle Creek. The menu will include traditional meats such as roasted turkey and pork tenderloin, delicious seasonal side dishes featuring flavors of cranberry and pumpkin, as well as non-traditional fare such as seafood, sushi and a pasta station. The finale includes an extravaganza of desserts including a chocolate fountain, pies, pastries, muffins and breads from world-renowned Executive Pastry Chef, David Ramirez, and his team.

The all-you-care-to-eat buffet will be offered Christmas Day 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $55.95 for adults, plus tax and gratuity; $24.95 for children ages 4-12, plus tax and gratuity.* Florida residents enjoy 25 percent off holiday buffets. For reservations, call 407-996-3663.

Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea

Storybook fantasies come to life at Rosen Shingle Creek’s Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea, held Sunday, Dec. 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the hotel’s main lobby. “Visions of sugar plums” won’t just be dancing in their heads, but right in front of their eyes, as guests of all ages enjoy a special afternoon visit with the Sugar Plum Fairy. The stunning costumed character will pose for photos, sign autographs and mingle with guests from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. as they enjoy a traditional English-style tea service with a deluxe assortment of sandwiches, imported teas, lemonade and fabulous desserts. Each child will receive a complimentary tea hat, and each guest will receive a complimentary photo and novelty holiday frame by which to remember this special day. A wonderful holiday tradition to begin with grandmothers, moms, daughters, sisters, or girlfriends, the Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea costs $15 per person plus tax for guests age 4 and older. Children under 4 are free. To purchase tickets, call 407-996-9770. Reservations are suggested.

Holiday Chocolate Making Workshop

Chocolate lovers young and young-at-heart will enjoy an afternoon creating holiday treats featuring their favorite sweet with “Orlando’s Willy Wonka” Executive Pastry Chef David Ramirez. On Sat., Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m., Chef David and his team will show guests how to bring Sugar Plum Fairies and other cherished holiday icons to life in the form of chocolate. Guests will enjoy sampling treats, as well as creating their own chocolate-themed gifts they can bring home after the workshop. The event is open to the entire family and is $15 per person plus tax for all ages. To purchase tickets and for more details, call 407-996-9770. Reservations are suggested.

Free Enchanted Evening Events

The following evening events provide plenty of ways to capture the spirit of the season at Rosen Shingle Creek. These events are free of charge and open to all who would like to share in the spirit of the season:

Holiday Chorus: Nothing creates a festive mood like the sound of Christmas carols, and Rosen Shingle Creek will come alive with holiday music each Thursday evening, Dec. 1, 8 and 15 at 6 p.m., as local school and church choirs perform classic selections by the fireside in the hotel lobby.

“The Nutcracker:” Each Friday evening, Dec. 2, 9 and 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m., “The Nutcracker” comes to life at Rosen Shingle Creek as excerpts from the beloved holiday ballet are performed in front of the hotel’s grand fireplace by members of the Elizabeth Parsons School of Dance, Windermere Ballet and Community Dance Theatre.

Visits from Santa Claus: While the elves are busy at work at the North Pole, Santa Claus will be dropping in to enjoy some R&R at Rosen Shingle Creek. Santa will take photos with hotel guests and visitors on Friday, Dec. 2, 9 and 16; and Saturday Dec. 3, 10 and 17, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby.

A Dancing and Singing Holiday Special: Spreading holiday cheer, the S.O.D.A. P.O.P.s, presented by Miriam and Valerie’s School of Dance Arts, will provide contemporary holiday dance entertainment on Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby.

Holiday Photographs: Each Friday and Saturday night, from Dec. 2 to 17, in the hotel lobby, photographer Dan Higgins will offer guests affordable holiday photo packages.

Guests who dine at Rosen Shingle Creek on the evenings of the Friday and Saturday night performances may purchase two entrees and get one free at Café Osceola. This offer is valid through Dec. 17 and cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.

Special discounted room rates will be offered both Friday and Saturday nights (depending on availability).* While staying at the hotel, guests are also invited to begin their holiday shopping, with opportunities to purchase gift cards for overnight stays as well as Rosen Shingle Creek’s award-winning restaurants, world-class spa and championships golf course.

The 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek is conveniently located at 9939 Universal Blvd., just off the International Drive tourist district and ten minutes from the Orlando International Airport. For more information, visit www.rosenshinglecreek.com or call (866) 996-9939.

See also:

DISNEY STILL HAS THAT MAGIC

INSIDE UNIVERSAL’S ‘WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER‘

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Winter Warm Up Rates at Orlando World Center Marriott for holidays through March

The Orlando World Center Marriott warms things up just in time for the holidays with Winter Escape Advance Purchase Rates from only $144 per room, per night now through March 31, 2012. It’s a wonderful world for families to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, while enjoying the best rates of the season.

The family friendly 200-acre playground will be decked out in holiday style with festive and themed events and activities throughout the resort. Cheers to holiday drinks and dining specials in the restaurants. Kids can participate in holiday crafts, or watch their favorite holiday movie classic, before making a splash at the tropical lagoon pool (Voted one of the World’s Coolest Hotel Pools by Forbes) with its 106-foot waterslide, cascading rock waterfalls and grotto, the resort’s hot spot for plenty of cool pool games. The world-class adventure continues with an indoor pool; secluded spa pool; two kid’s wading pools, and six whirlpool spas. Year-round daily poolside activities designed for kids range from face painting to scavenger hunts. They can even build their dream castle in the sand play area. Tennis, water volleyball, basketball, and arcade with pinball, air hockey and ping-pong round out a few of the popular activities. There is something for everyone.

Golf around the world on the 18-hole championship links of Hawk’s Landing Golf Club; take a golf lesson at the Bill Madonna Golf Academy at Hawk’s Landing Golf Club; schedule a soothing treatment at The Spa, or workout at the expansive fitness center.

Embark on a culinary excursion around the world with 10 incredible restaurants and lounges, including the award-winning Hawk’s Landing Steakhouse & Grille and Ristorante Tuscany. Guests can also tempt their palate with Mikado Japanese Steakhouse and Solaris, home to an expansive buffet breakfast, served daily. For those on the go, visit Mangrove Emporium, a full-service indoor food court or grab a Starbucks^® coffee.

The Orlando World Center Marriott is located only 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World^® and just minutes from SeaWorld^® Orlando, Discovery Cove^®, Aquatica™, and Universal Studios^® Orlando. For reservations, call 888-99-World and ask for rate code ADP, or visit www.marriottworldcenter.com.

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Rosen Plaza Orlando offers group rates for East-West Shrine Game

Rosen Plaza Orlando, business/convention hotel with family-friendly amenities, is welcoming Shriners for the East-West Shrine Game with group rates and other services © 2010 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

Rosen Plaza in Orlando will serve as the headquarters hotel for the prestigious East-West Shrine Game from January 16-22, 2011, and is offering up special group rate for Shriners and fans of the East-West Shrine Game.

The hotel will also be the location for the annual Players Award Banquet on Friday, January 21, 2011.  The banquet includes the induction of some of the best NFL players in history into the East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame.

As college football’s premier all-star game, the East-West Shrine Game brings together North America’s top players in a friendly East-meets-West battle to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.

The Jan. 22, 2011 game marks the 86^th anniversary of the legendary all-star college football matchup, which was established in the San Francisco Bay area in 1925 and is coming to Orlando for the first time ever.  Having hosted some of the country’s most prestigious football games – the annual Capital One Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl and Florida Classic, the nation’s premier HBCU event – Orlando was a natural choice for the East-West Shrine Game.

While the game will be held in downtown Orlando at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, the award-winning Rosen Plaza, located on International Drive, was chosen to host East-West Shrine Game executives and personnel, football players and their families, sponsors and fans.  Organizers of the game selected Rosen Plaza as the headquarters hotel from among many other Orlando hotels based on its luxurious accommodations and meeting facilities, its tropical resort setting, its reputation for outstanding guest service and its superior catering and dining options.  Rosen Hotels & Resorts and the Harris Rosen Foundation are also well-known for their multi-million dollar charitable donations and corporate social responsibility programs, facts that were not lost on the Shriners organization.

“We are very excited to engage in this partnership with Rosen Hotels & Resorts, as well as the city of Orlando,” said Ralph Semb, president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals for Children.  “We encourage our supporters all over the country to come out and enjoy this spectacular event. Hopefully, this will help the public have a better understanding of this great fraternity that represents the ‘world’s greatest philanthropy.'”

“We are thrilled to have been selected as the hotel of choice for the East-West Shrine Game and to have the opportunity to welcome some of the finest college athletes in the U.S. and Canada, their families, friends and fans, and of course, the Shriners organization,” said Victoria Hall, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Rosen Plaza.  “Being a very philanthropy-minded organization, all of us at Rosen Hotels & Resorts respect and admire the Shriners’ tireless efforts in children’s healthcare and we are proud to be a part of such a time-honored and beneficial event.”

Rosen Plaza is extending a special group rate for Shriners and fans of the East-West Shrine Game.  The Shriners organization also will offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the game on Jan. 22, 2011.  For reservations and information, visit www.rosenplaza.com or call 1-800-627-8258 and ask for the Shriners rate for the East-West Shrine Game.  Additional room nights are available upon request.  The rate is based on double occupancy, subject to hotel availability; tax and gratuity are extra.  These offers cannot be combined with other promotions or offers.

The 800-room Rosen Plaza provides its guests with resort-style luxury in a world-class vacation destination.  Guests at Rosen Plaza will enjoy accommodations in a deluxe room and a variety of amenities such as the outdoor heated pool and whirlpool and the Fitness center with “Life Fitness” cardiovascular and exercise machines and a full-range of free weights.  Four on-site restaurants include Jack’s Place, voted the number one restaurant on International Drive by Orlando Magazine, with casual fine dining. Café Matisse offers buffets as well as full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Rossini’s Pizza serves fresh pizza and Italian specialties to go. The Lite Bite is open 24 hours a day and serves deli sandwiches and snacks.

For entertainment, live music is featured on Friday and Saturday nights in Backstage Nightclub & Sports Bar, International Drive’s original nightclub.  The nightclub also features a live deejay on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, large dance floor, pool tables and dart boards, 50-inch LCD screen TVs throughout, free valet parking, VIP area, food menu and more.  The hotel is conveniently located on International Drive across the street from Pointe Orlando’s incredible dining and entertainment complex.  Other entertainment options include a 20-screen IMAX® stadium-seating theatre and popular retailers such as the Discovery Store, Brighton Collectibles and Artsy Abode.

For an additional charge, guests may enjoy golf or spa treatments at Rosen Plaza’s nearby sister properties, the award-winning Rosen Shingle Creek or spa at award-winning Rosen Centre. Each of the summer packages include complimentary transportation to Shingle Creek Golf Club, The Spa at Shingle Creek and Body & Sol Spa at Rosen Centre, as well as scheduled complimentary transportation to and from Universal Orlando® Resort, Sea World Orlando® and Wet ‘n Wild Orlando.

Rosen Plaza is only 15 minutes from the Orlando International Airport.  For more information, visit www.rosenplaza.com.

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