The 257-unit Comfort Inn and Conference Center, located at 820 Busch Blvd. (off exit 50 of I-275), just one mile from Busch Gardens and Adventure Island and 10 minutes from downtown Tampa, is now open.

The Comfort Inn and Conference Center, rated three diamonds from AAA, is a preferred hotel of AAA South and a preferred hotel of Busch Gardens as of January 1, 2003.

The hotel is owned by Royal Palm Busch Gardens, LLC of Miami Beach and managed by All Florida Hospitality Management of Miami Beach, Fla. We have a winning combination, said Phil Goldfarb, president of All Florida Hospitality.

With the Comfort Inn brand and these important preferred hotel designations we have positioned this hotel for great success in the market. The Comfort Inn and Conference Center, which recently completed an $4 million renovation, features 257 rooms including six two-room suites.

Some units are poolside. Each room and suite features either one king or two double beds, a 25-inch remote control TV with cable programming and HBO and Disney channels, telephone with data port, coffee maker, hair dryer, in-room safe, iron and ironing board.

Suites have an extra large living room with sofa bed and separate bedroom with one king or two double beds. Non-smoking rooms and rooms for individuals with disabilities are also available. Hotel features include an indoor heated pool, outdoor pool, two whirlpools, a gift shop, game room, four lighted tennis courts, guest laundry and free parking.

The Palmtree Grill, the hotel's full service restaurant, features American Cuisine for breakfast and dinner seven days a week. The Palmtree Grill offers a free deluxe continental breakfast of hot and cold cereal, danish, muffins, bagels, yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, tea and juice in addition to offering a full a la carte breakfast menu and a $6.99 hot breakfast buffet.

The Sidelines Sports Bar is open from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The hotel has 14 rooms from boardrooms to ballrooms with 20,000 square foot of conference and banquet space that accommodates up to 600 people.

The Comfort Inn and Conference Center is seven miles from the Tampa Convention Center, two miles from the University of South Florida and the local hospital district, three miles from the Museum of Science & Industry and ten miles from Tampa International Airport.