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Travel Briefs - Dec. 2006
Hotel Upgrades
A new program at Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza offers luxury lodging plus gourmet cooking lessons from executive chef Fabrizio Schenardi at the hotel's restaurant, Pelagia Trattoria, starting at $339 a night per couple.
? Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center and Spa in Weston offers a new service that allows Hyatt Gold Passport members to hear a customized wakeup call recorded by friends, family -- or even Christie Brinkley.
? Intercontinental Hotels Group has opened its sixth hotel under its new brand, Hotel Indigo, and the first newly built under the name. The $15-million, 95-room boutique property is in Sarasota and is owned by Paradise Hotels of Florida and managed by Wesley Hotels & Resorts.
? MHI Hospitality has branded its new 310-room project in south Florida the Crowne Plaza Hollywood through an agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group. ? The Villas of Grand Cypress in Orlando is undergoing a $3-million renovation.
Travel News
Air taxi service provider SATSair has expanded into Florida. The company, based in Greenville, S.C., also is purchasing 50 Cirrus SR22 aircraft from Cirrus Design, with options on 50 more, in a $45-million deal.
? Clearwater has pumped $30 million into a beach beautification program as part of a renovation that involves more than $1 billion in private development by area hotels, condominiums and condo/hotels.
