new in daytona

WHAT'S NEW IN THE DAYTONA BEACH AREA
NEWS BRIEFS
Continental Express , the regional airline subsidiary of Continental Airlines, has added a new weekend service connecting its hub in Cleveland to Daytona Beach. Beginning December 16, Continental Express will offer flights on Saturday and Sunday between Daytona Beach International Airport and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport using the airline's 50-passenger ExpressJets.

The National Endowment for the Arts recently selected two Daytona Beach museums -- the Museum of Arts and Sciences and the Southeast Museum of Photography at Daytona Beach Community College -- as the only two visual arts institutions in Florida to be funded for implementing arts projects of national significance.

Readers of Florida Living named Daytona Beach "Florida's Best Beach" in a poll taken for the magazine's 1999 Best of Florida Awards.

SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Daytona Winterfest : Mozart by the Sea (January 18-21, 2001)
Web site: www.DBSS.org
This four-day, Austrian-themed festival is highlighted by three performances by the Vienna Mozart Orchestra in full period costumes.

Speedweeks (February 3-18, 2001)
Speedweeks begins with the Rolex 24 at Daytona -- a 24-hour race featuring top international drivers, and concludes with the Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of motorsports which showcases NASCAR's most talented drivers. Speedweeks was designated a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event for February 2000. Location: Daytona International Speedway. Ticket prices range from $50-$550.

LODGING
Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center
2700 North Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach Shores, FL
Web site: www.daytonabeachresort.com
The Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center is currently undergoing major renovation in its conversion to a condominium hotel. Phase II of the renovation will be completed in January 2001. When all phases of the renovation are complete, the 383-room property will have 342 hotel rooms. The remaining rooms will serve as condominium units.

Hampton Inn Daytona Beach Shores
3135 South Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach Shores, FL
Opened in February 2000, this beautiful, AAA-rated, oceanfront property has 114 units and provides guests with a complimentary breakfast, jacuzzi, swimming pool and newspaper. All rooms have modem connections. Golf packages are available.
Hilton Garden Inn Daytona Beach Airport
189 Midway Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL
Web site: www.daytonaairport.gardeninn.com
Scheduled to open January 2001, this 115-room inn will consist of 69 King and 46 Double Queen guest rooms and suites. The five-story inn will also feature a restaurant offering freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner; two meeting rooms with more than 1,448-square feet of meeting space; a 334-square foot conference room; a 24-hour, complimentary business center; and a self-service laundry facility. Recreational facilities will consist of a fitness center, swimming pools and whirlpool.

Holiday Inn and Suites
930 N. Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL
Scheduled to be complete in January 2001, this 123-room property will include meeting space, a swimming pool, food court and lounge.

Jameson Inn
175 Interchange Boulevard
Ormond Beach, FL
This economy-priced, mainland hotel opened in March 2000. The new property features 66 units and provides guests with a complimentary breakfast and whirlpool. Small pets are allowed.

SPAS
Ocean Waters Spa (at The Plaza Resort & Spa )
600 North Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL
Web site: www.daytonahotels.com
This European-style spa opened in April 2000. Guests can receive an array of services including massages,
facials and hydrotherapy. The spa also has a fitness center and a full-service salon.

ATTRACTIONS & ENTERTAINMENT
Air Florida Helicopters, Inc.
1200 Main Street
Daytona Beach, FL
Air Florida Helicopters, Inc. offers six tours: the Dolphin Tour, Manatee Tour, Pelican Tour, Speedway Tour, Biker's Tour and the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Tour. Flights depart daily from the Main Street Pier and Restaurant.

The Halifax Historical Museum
252 South Beach Street
Daytona Beach, FL
Web site: www.halifaxhistorical.org
Housed at the site of the old Merchant's Bank building, the museum's newest permanent exhibit is Grandma's Attic. This unique, interactive exhibit features antique toys, playhouse furniture, games, dolls, clothing, dollhouses, housewares, and school-related memorabilia. In addition, the museum hosts Grandma's Story and Craft Time on the first Saturday of each month. Grandma's Story and Craft Time features classic tales such as Little Women, Frog and Toad as well as Dr. Seuss books.

RESTAURANTS, BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Martinis On Bay Café
101 Bay Street
Daytona Beach, FL
This intimate restaurant and martini bar features live music and an eclectic menu. Martinis on Bay Café is open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday-Saturday from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

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Monday through Saturday from 10 p.m.-3 a.m., Martinis on Bay transforms into a jazz café.

PEDESTRIAN BEACH AREA
A one-mile, pedestrian-friendly beach zone opened on March 1, 2000. The pedestrian zone is vehicle-free and stretches from International Speedway Boulevard (U.S. 92), north to Seabreeze Boulevard (S.R. 430).

SERVICES
VOTRAN , the area's metropolitan transportation provider, now operates Beach Tram, an open-air shuttle that serves the newly created pedestrian beach zone. Beach Tram is free for beachgoers who park in the Ocean Center Parking Garage. The tram circulates in 15-minute intervals. Its route includes six stops, all of which are identified by signage. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. Routes operate off the beach during times of high tide and at night.

OCEAN CENTER PARKING GARAGE
Located at 701 Earl Street in Daytona Beach, this new, 1,500-space parking facility provides off-beach parking for the pedestrian beach zone opened on March 1, 2000. The garage also provides parking for the Ocean Center Convention and Entertainment Complex and Adventure Landing Waterpark and Entertainment Center. The cost to park in the facility is $1 per half-hour with a maximum of $5 per day.

WORLD WIDE WEB
The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau maintains Web sites for consumers and travel industry professionals. For consumer and general travel information visit www.daytonabeach.com. Meeting planners, journalists, and travel industry professionals are encouraged to log on to the award-winning site, www.daytonabeachcvb.org, to receive information about bureau programs, services and staff members.

For more information on the Daytona Beach area, please contact the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau toll free at (800) 854-1234 or visit the bureau's Web site at www.daytonabeach.com.
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