According to the Orlando Sentinel:
Case in point: Loews Hotels Inc. planned to open its Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando in phases over several weeks -- a third of its 1,000 rooms on Tuesday, another third 10 days later and the rest 10 days after that.
But demand for rooms has been greater than expected, so the company plans to open all 1,000 rooms by next weekend.
"We're very encouraged by the advance bookings all the way through the end of the year, and I never thought I'd be saying that in 2002," said Michael Sansbury, regional vice president for Loews, which also operates Universal's Portofino Bay and Hard Rock hotels.
Central Florida's tourist hotels are still recovering from the sudden drop in business after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Business has improved considerably over the past several months, although occupancy and rates continue to lag behind last year's levels.
Sansbury credits interest in the Royal Pacific to aggressive national advertising by Universal.
"That's really making the phones ring," he said. He also cites a spike in drive-in visitors from the Southeast that is helping offset the ongoing slump in air travel.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...urism061702.story?coll=orl-business-headlines
Case in point: Loews Hotels Inc. planned to open its Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando in phases over several weeks -- a third of its 1,000 rooms on Tuesday, another third 10 days later and the rest 10 days after that.
But demand for rooms has been greater than expected, so the company plans to open all 1,000 rooms by next weekend.
"We're very encouraged by the advance bookings all the way through the end of the year, and I never thought I'd be saying that in 2002," said Michael Sansbury, regional vice president for Loews, which also operates Universal's Portofino Bay and Hard Rock hotels.
Central Florida's tourist hotels are still recovering from the sudden drop in business after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Business has improved considerably over the past several months, although occupancy and rates continue to lag behind last year's levels.
Sansbury credits interest in the Royal Pacific to aggressive national advertising by Universal.
"That's really making the phones ring," he said. He also cites a spike in drive-in visitors from the Southeast that is helping offset the ongoing slump in air travel.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...urism061702.story?coll=orl-business-headlines