Dated : 02nd February 2010.

Last week myself and Brian Ingarfield (GM) were on business in both Orlando and Clearwater.
We stayed at the DoubleTree - International drive in Orlando and the Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater.

The DoubleTree, is just an amazing property with excellent facilities, it to me is a 4 star property at a 2 star price.  As you sit outside and eat your breakfast and take in all this property has to offer, fantastic spa facility, a great gym (which we both used), 3 swimming pools, great restaurants and bars and what I was most impressed with was the  lobby area and the staff at the hotel.  They all wore Number 10 badges on their uniform, and when I ask what this was about, they said it was the level of service the strive to achieve.
This hotel is at the very end of international drive, past the convention centre, so it would be about a 15 minute walk to the centre of International Drive. It is just across the road from Aquatica.
The Florida Mall - you pass this on the way from the airport to the hotel, and again all the main shops are there.  I think a car is a most in Orlando, if you don' want to drive the day you arrive you can always pick up a car the next day from International Drive.  Ask us for a free GPS system if you hire a car.

(My conference was in Clearwater a 1 hour and a half away, really easy to drive there.)

Now from there it is a short drive to Clearwater, and I truly forgot how beautiful this place is, they have done a major job on the walkway on the main beach in Clearwater, but just across the bridge is the beautiful Sheraton Sand Key, for years we have sent very happy Irish customers here. It is really a fantastic hotel, with great facilities and such a wide beach, very private, the room I was in had a balcony with splendid views of the beach.  A great bar where you could have a drink and some food, I ate there three times and found it very reasonable, then I also ate in the main restaurant for both dinner and breakfast, again, very good food and good value for money. The general manager there is a guy called Russ and he just loves the Irish customer, he takes great care of all his clients and is very much about attention to detail.
This is my choice of a two-centre holiday this month.

I took these pictures on my iphone.
Mary

The pool at the DoubleTree

Beach at the Sheraton Sand Key

Sheraton Sand Key Clearwater