By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

Going to a convention at the Orange County Convention Center just got a lot easier.

The Rosen Centre hotel has just completed the 316-foot Rosen Centre Skywalk which connects the center with the hotel.

And while the Skywalk itself is not all that dramatic, what awaits you  at the hotel is.

The  $2 million covered pedestrian connector gives convention guests direct access to the hotel's many restaurants and bars including  the just opened  98Forty Tapas & Tequila Bar, located in the Grande Lobby. 98Forty, a nod to the hotel's address on International Drive, offers sophisticated tapas-style dishes and an extensive selection of 40 premium tequilas.  The menu is comprised of innovative appetizers featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients in a blend  of Mexican and Spanish flavors.

Selections include ceviches, salsas, fresh-cut guacomoles, quesadillas, tacos and nachos. All of the menu items are the perfect size for sharing.

“The joint grand opening of our Skywalk and our latest dining experience, 98Forty, signifies our strong commitment to continuous improvement in all forms of guest convenience,” said Harris Rosen, president & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts. “By offering safe and hassle-free access to the convention center, we've opened up a range of possibilities when it comes to flexible meeting solutions for even the largest of groups. And, our new tapas bar caters directly to our guests' demand for fast, fresh fare in smaller portions as well as a great spot to unwind from a busy day of meetings.”

Made of 368 tons of steel and concrete, the Skywalk connects the second floors of Rosen Centre and the west Building of the convention center, approximately 20 feet above vehicular traffic on Convention Way.

If you have been to the convention center, you know that traffic is always a problem. Just crossing International Drive can be an adventure. The new Skywalk provides attendees with a safe, weather-proof and traffic-free “commute” from guest room to meeting room in less than four minutes.

The Rosen Centre also is home to the  recently opened Banshoo Sushi, as well as Everglades Restaurant, Café Gauguin, Red's Deli and the recently expanded Smoooth Java.

Each half of the 316-foot Rosen Centre Skywalk consists of three bridge sections which were delivered in six pieces in December 2010 and assembled on site, Rosen Centre officials said.  The complex design allowed only for a 2” gap on each side of the bridge, meaning that field measurements, bridge fabrication and placement had to be executed to exact precision. Each bridge half was lifted into place by a massive 500 ton “hydro” crane, one of just two mobile cranes that size in the entire state. The bridges are held in place by steel-reinforced cylindrical concrete piers on concrete-filled steel pipe piles, which extend an average 115 feet below ground. The bulk of onsite work was scheduled late December 2010 so as not to interfere with events at both Rosen Centre and the convention center.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts owns and manages a seven Orlando hotels including three award-winning convention hotels -- Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza and Rosen Shingle Creek -- and four leisure properties in the Orlando tourist corridor – the Quality Inn International, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn closest to Universal and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.   For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com.

The Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention facility in the country.  Each year, the center   brings more than 200 events to the Central Florida area.  As a result, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $1.9 billion to the area’s economic impact annually.  For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit  www.occc.net.