Rooms still available for Champs Sports Bowl

 Good Morning football fans!!  The Champs Sports Bowl is scheduled for tonight at 5:30 at the Florida Citrus Bowl and we still have rooms available.  If you're traveling to Orlando and you want to avoid the Disney and I-Drive traffic, stay with us on the quiet side of Orlando.  Only 30 minutes from the stadium, we have easy on/easy off access to I-4 and you will have a fabulous breakfast in the morning.  Be sure to check us out online and book your room now.  We only have about 30 rooms left and we sold out last night, so they will go fast tonight. 

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Holiday Festiivities in West Volusia

December 9th
Local Charity Night Downtown Deland  will feature special discounts at area merchants.  Help to pread your Christmas cheer and support your local charities!  Snow predicted EVERY Friday night during the month of December!


December 10th

Orange City Christmas Village and Parade-The theme this year is A Storybook Christmas.  From 10am-7pm and the parade starts at 5pm.

St. Johns River Boat Parade will leave from Catfish Bend north of Whitehair Bridge (highway 44) at 6pm and end end in Lake Beresford.  The awards ceremony will be held at Lake Beresford Yacht Club. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.  This is one of my favorite events each year. 

December 17
The City of Deltona is putting on their First Annual Parade themed Winter Wonderland.  Starts at 6pm from Providence Blvd to Ft. Smith Blvd.


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Manatees at Blue Springs

Word has it that there are quite a few manatees hanging out at Blue Springs already.  Have you been out there lately?   I haven't been out there in awhile, but I may try to go in the next couple of weeks.  I love this time here in Central Florida.  The weather is usually perfect, and there's so much to do on the weekends that there's almost too much.  I find myself debating whether I want to go to this event or that event a little too much lately, but hey that's what makes life interesting.  So, what's your favorite thing to do in West Volusia this time of year?  Mine is all of the Christmas festivities such as the St. Johns River Boat parade and the Orange City parade. 

By the way, if you have family coming into town for the Holidays don't forget to give their our number.  We would love to have them come stay with us. 

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Sprit Tours at Cassadaga

 Have you heard of Cassadaga, Florida?  Cassadaga is well known as a spiritualist camp here in Central Florida and I have been there a number of times to check out the different events.  Recently they have begun offering Spirit Tours as well as nighttime orb viewing.  They also have a weekly church service which is where they do some of their healing.  I first came to know Cassadaga through other guests that have stayed here because they are going to spiritual leaders for various types of healing.  In addition to all of the spiritual aspects, Cassadaga is also well known as a historic town with wonderful old buildings.  While you are there be sure to check out the Cassadaga Hotel and Gift Shop, which is supposed to be haunted with friendly spirits.  If you are interested in haunted hotels, I found a great list of haunted hotels which surprisingly does not include the Cassadaga hotel but interesting nonetheless. 

Finally, if you want to really enjoy Halloween why not check out Cassadaga's version of Halloween with their All Hallows Eve 2011 Fair.  For two nights on October 28th and 29th, they will celebrate with all kinds of haunted attractions so come on out, stay with us and then enjoy a weekend in Cassadaga.  Sure to be a ghoulish good time!!  Tickets are only $10 for adults and kids 10 and over, kids under 9 are $5.00.  Definitely beats the price of Halloween Horror Nights.



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Welcome Bikers!!

 Biketoberfest is going on right now and it is sure to be a good time!!  The weather is perfect, there are lots of gorgeous bikes, and the food is awesome!  If you haven't been to Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, then you don't know what you are missing.  The bikers are wonderful and we look forward to having them come back every year.  While our hotel is not right in the heart of Daytona, we are still close enough that you can enjoy all of the events and activities while saving a little money over some of the more expensive hotels on the east side.  In addition to our bikers, we always have a good mix of people staying here so no need to worry about this being a party hotel or anything of that nature.  We are a very family friendly hotel. 

Main Street Daytona as captured from Biketoberfest.org website

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LegoLand Florida Opens Today

 Good Saturday morning to you!!  Lots of things going on in Florida today.  LegoLand Florida opened at 10 am this morning in Winter Haven at the former home of Cypress Gardens.  Yesterday, they had a special park visit for media and the buzz is all good.  They are touting this as the best theme park for kids ages 2 thru 12 because of all of the interactive exhibits and rides that are geared towards allowing kids to touch and explore.  While I think this looks like a very cool little theme park, I would not be interested in paying $75.00 when I could get into Disney World or Sea World for just a little more.  However, if you live locally the Season Pass for $129 is a great option.  

Picture captured from Legoland Florida website.

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Poker Run benefitting Give Kids The World and Light The Night

Starts October 1, 2011 at 9a.m. at Holiday Inn Express Orange City.
Holiday Inn Express Orange City is putting on a Poker Run to benefit Give Kids The World and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk.  Participants are encouraged to arrive at 9am for breakfast and viewing of auction items.  Last car/bike must be out at 10:30. 

Stops will be as follows:
Bar Out Back in Sanford
Debary Eagles
Daly's in Orange City
Brass Rail in Deland
Moose Lodge in Deland-final stop

Entry fee is $10 per person, or $15 for a couple and includes dinner at the Moose Lodge. Auction for donation items will be held at the Moose Lodge. Prizes for Best and Worst Poker Hands are dependent on number of entries. Minimum prize amount $50 for Best, $25 for Worst.

Holiday Inn Express Orange City is located at 1330 Saxon Blvd., Orange City, FL.  All proceeds will be split evenly between Give Kids The World and LLS Light The Night-Holiday Inn Express Team.

The Holiday Inn Express Orange City has participated in the Volusia County Light The Night Walk for the last 3 years.  We are proud to serve our local community and hope that you will join us for this great event. 

For more information, please call Dena at 386-917-0004.

Kids Eat Free nights around Orange City

 I've done a little digging to help our guests with kids find the best deals when dining out in and Orange City and I've found that several of our local restaurants offer Kids Eat Free nights.
 
Mondays
Woody's BBQ Orange City

Tuesdays
Beef O'Brady's Deltona
Denny's Orange City
Genuine Bistro Debary

Saturdays
Denny's Orange City

Golf Packages starting at $75

 Did you know that we have Golf Packages?  Well, we do and they have actually turned out to be quite popular. 
 

  From just $75pp per night!!!

$75 per person* per night (Mon-Fri) and
$82 per person* per night (Sat-Sun) includes:
One 18-hole round of golf, cart and one bag of range balls per night stay as well as accommodations at our hotel. In addition, each golfer receives a free eco-friendly golf gift and a chance to win a Wilson golf bag.  When you book your room, we will ask for your tee time preference and contact the Golf Course directly to book it for you.  So, call us today and book a relaxing Golf Getaway in beautiful West Volusia.


Available Golf Courses include:


Victoria Hills Golf Club in Deland
DeBary Golf & Country Club in DeBary
Deltona Club in Deltona


*Rates are based on double occupancy and do not include taxes. You must mention Golf Escape at time of booking to reserve this package. This offer is not available during regional special events including Race Week, Bike Week, Coke Zero 400 and Biketoberfest. Valid June - December 2011. Please check with hotels for available dates.

Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Hurricane Season

Image via WikipediaWith Hurricane Season well under way, there are a few things that you need to know to make sure that you and your family are well prepared.

1.  Have a PLAN- Anyone living in an area that is subject to Hurricane or Tropical Storms should have an evacuation plan and a disaster checklist.  You should have emergency telephone numbers, insurance information, and weather radios nearby at all times.  Make sure that you not only have a plan, but that everyone in your family is aware of it.  It would be a great idea to have 1 person designated as an out of state contact, that everyone can get in touch with if need be. 

2.  Prepare a Disaster Kit that can be thrown in the car at a moments notice.  This kit should include all family documents, pet documents, medication, sanitizing liquid, water, flashlights, batteries, toys and books for children, pet care items, tools, non-perishable food, and water. 

3.  Have a Place to go to get out of danger- If you live in low lying areas, mobile homes, or beachside properties you may want to start researching hotels now so that when a hurricane is predicted for your area you can call immediately and make a reservation so that you can get your family out of harms way.  I remember when I first moved to Florida, I was working at a country club and a huge hurricane was predicted to hit Florida.  I overreacted and just took off with no destination in mind and finally ended up somewhere in Alabama because all of the hotels in the middle of the state were booked up by the time I tried to make a reservation.  That is NOT what you should do.  First of all, if you are prepared there is no reason to panic or overreact.  If your plan is to stay with a friend or family member who lives in a more secure structure, contact them and let them know what is going on and they may be expecting visitors. 

4. Secure your home-If a storm is headed your way, it may be time to start boarding up your windows.  For a more long term solution, it may be a good idea to look at hurricane shutters or roof straps to properly protect your home.

5. Have a plan for your pets-If your hurricane plan involves going to a hotel, make sure that the hotel that you are going to accepts pets.  I think many hotels relax their pet rules when it comes time for hurricane season, but it's important to be thoughtful of other guests.  Don't leave your pets in your room unattended because dogs who are afraid tend to bark and can disturb other guests.  Our hotel does allow pets during hurricanes, however there is a One Time Cleaning fee of $50.00 for the first night and then a charge of $10.00 for each additional night. 


For more detailed information, please check out the National Hurricane Center website. 


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What's Happening West Volusia Weekend 7-31

Not a lot happening this weekend, but something really cool happening tomorrow is the Meet The Mustangs Clinic.  In preparation for his participation in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Murfreesburo, Tennessee this coming October, renowned horse trainer Ronnie Ford will be offering a series of educational clinics at his facility in DeLand.  

Learn about adopting, training and "gentling" these beautiful creatures!

Sponsors Needed

Friends of Blue Springs is looking for sponsors for our annual Paddle Battle. Anyone interested in sponsoring this great event, please contact me at the hotel 386-917-0004 or my cell 386-898-1736. If you wish to contact me via email, feel free. My email is denashops@yahoo.com. 

 Be one of our key sponsors for the event by donating $200 or more (cash or equivalent).  Key sponsors will have their company logo printed on the back of our event t-shirt!  Anyone who helps support our event will have their logo printed on a large paper banner displayed at the event (the larger the donation, the larger your logo will be). Significant donors ($1000 or more) will have their logo on the vinyl banner displayed in the month before the event at the park entrance.

 

 

 

Last Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis

Earlier this week I did a post on my personal blog about the last launch of the Shuttle Atlantis. It was a busy couple of days at the hotel as we had a large of number of guests in the hotel that were there for the launch viewing. We even had people come as far away as the West Coast. Unfortunately, I was stuck working on a marketing plan so I didn't make it down there for the launch or even get to see it on TV until later in the day. The launches always gave me such a patriotic feeling and I'm definitely going to miss them. However, even though the Shuttle Program has come to an end, we are still only an hour away from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and it's still a great place to bring the kids. Not only is it educational and informative, but it's lots of FUN.

Manatee Messenger

Check out the Manatee Messenger, which is a monthly update about the life of Volusia, a manatee living along the St. Johns River. It's a cute story to follow along with and it's always nice to know a little more about our adorable manatees.

We still have a few rooms left for Coke Zero 400

We are getting close to sold out, but we do still have a few rooms left for Coke Zero 400 weekend. AAA/AARP rates are $135.00+tax. Call us at 386-917-0004 to reserve your room.

Hotel close to Kennedy Space Center

Are you wanting to go to see the last Shuttle Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis but worried that you won't be able to find a hotel that is affordable and still close to Titusville? Well, the Holiday Inn Express Orange City is located about 46 miles from Titusville and we are offering rooms at a great price for people who are here to view the shuttle launch. Mention that you saw this blog post and get a discount rate of $80.00+tax for a room with either one King Size Bed or Two Queen Beds. As always, all rooms come with a full hot breakfast.

Foursquare Friday in Downtown DeLand

Holiday Inn Express is offering a Foursquare Friday special for tonight only!! Check in with Foursquare and then show up at the Front Desk and show them your phone to receive 25% off our Best Flexible Rate and a $10.00 Gift Card to Bob Evans.

Hotel close to Blue Springs State Park

Blue Spring State Park covers more than 2,600 acres, including the largest spring on the St. Johns River. Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home to a growing population of West Indian Manatees.


Currently, the springs and run are open for swimming, snorkeling, scuba, and tubing. A fun, family favorite and an entrance fee of $6.00 per vehicle it's affordable for any vacation. Recently, a friend from high school visited with her family and the kids had a great time floating down the run in inner tubes.

Review Bloggers Wanted

We are looking for popular bloggers who would be interested in blogging about their stay at our hotel as well as some of the attractions in the local area. Our hotel is located halfway between Daytona Beach and Orlando and it's a popular stop for travelers who are spending the week at Disney. However, I would like to entice people to stay with us not just for the night but to use our hotel as a central location for all of their Florida activities such as the Disney Parks, Blue Springs State Park, Kennedy Space Center and the beaches.

If you are traveling to Florida this summer and you have a blog with a good PR and readership, please contact me at denashops at yahoo .com or contact.

Partner Connect Program

If you have a website and want to make a little extra money, feel free to join IHG's Partner Connect program and add links to our hotel. If someone books with your link, we both win because we get the booking and you make a percentage of the sale.

Great Rates for Stetson University Students and Alumni

The Holiday Inn Express Orange City/Deltona is located less than 10.82 miles from Stetson University. We are conveniently located off Interstate 4, and close to many area restaurants and shopping.

Each year, we are proud to host the family members of many Stetson Students, as well as alumni and visiting athletics teams. We are a proud sponsor of Stetson Athletics and participate in a number of events throughout the year.

If you are a new to Stetson University and the DeLand, please check out our hotel. We offer great discounts to Stetson Students and their families, alumni, employees, visiting/new professors, and visiting athletics teams. As always, all rooms include our great Hot Breakfast Bar including bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs or cheese omelets, homemade pancakes, our famous cinnamon rolls, and much more.For information on our Stetson discounts, please call the front desk at 1-866-937-0004 and tell them you want the Stetson Discount. We look forward to seeing you.

Your Home Away From Home

Let the Holiday Inn Express Orange City/Deltona be "Your Home Away From Home". We pride ourselves on offering "clean, comfortable rooms at an affordable price".

Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, you will find that our accommodations are warm and inviting and our staff is willing to go that extra step to make you feel at home. Many of our guests are visiting the Orange City/Deltona area for sporting events, weddings, funerals, but we also have some who visit every week as they do business in the local area.

Conveniently located off I-4, we are close to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, Deltona Memorial Gardens, Blue Springs State Park, Volusia County Fairground, and Stetson University.

Thanks for staying with us!! We love our guests!!

Welcome to our blog

Hi everyone! We've decided to use a blog platform rather than a website, because with the website I didn't have control over making any changes and I wasn't able to update with special events and promotions. Check back often for information about area attractions, special events and promotions, and some of our favorite things. Be sure to "like" us on facebook.