It closed in 2012 I believe. This article explains the reason it went out of business. I think this is where Gabrielle is/was living.
I haven't copied it all but you will get the gist. It is a 77 acre site.
The Orlando Sun Resort and Convention Center sits right outside the entrance to Walt Disney World Resort and the Disney-created town of Celebration, It's now abandoned. What happened here? What went wrong?
orlandoparksguy.com
The Slow Death of Kissimmee, Florida
US-192, also known as Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, intersects with I-4 and World Drive, the main artery that runs through Walt Disney World.
In the 1970s and 1980s, 192 was a thriving tourist area, both sides of the 6-lane roadway were lined with hotels, chain restaurants like IHOP and Denny’s, and Disney souvenir shops.
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Entrance to the orlando Run Resort. Tennis courts on the left side, main lobby straight ahead.
For many, staying in Kissimmee was the only option as Disney had a limited number of hotels, and they were often sold out.
Kissimmee was a much-needed hotel district that supported Disney World.
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Orlando Sun is located at the corner of US192, I-4, and less than a 1/4 mile from entrance to Walt Disney World
In the 1990s Disney began ramping up construction on several new hotels.
Budget-friendly hotels like Disney’s All Stars Resort and moderately priced resorts like Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort were not only affordable but convenient.
With these new hotels, guests could stay on Disney property, use Disney transportation, and enjoy a number of exclusive perks.
The hotels on 192 soon began to die a slow death from that point forward.
Tourists were starting to become victims of crime often targeted for their rental cars. Rental cars had a particular letter/number combination on their license plates and criminals used this to target them. The story made national news.
Then, then the area suffered a major tourism crash following 9/11. It would be the final blow.
Many hotels in Kissimmee shuttered for good or sold out to time-share companies.
What happened to the Orlando Sun Resort?
The hotel was built in 1972 by the Carolando Corporation, owned by a small group of North Carolina investors who saw an opportunity to build a hotel complex right outside of the soon-to-be-built Walt Disney World in the late 1960s.
It was to include thousands of hotel rooms, restaurants, a convention center, and the tallest observation tower in Florida.
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The observation tower, if completed, would have been the tallest building in Florida. Walt Disney World property is the white-shaded area on the left side of the photo.
But Carlando soon hit serious financial trouble and less than a year into the project, they sold the property to the Hyatt Corporation. Hyatt finished building over 3,400 hotel rooms and the convention center, but never built the tower.
It was renamed the Hyatt Orlando Resort.
Hyatt operated the hotel for several years as a budget-friendly, modern resort and convention center but like most hotels in the area, it struggled to get heads in the beds in early to mid 1990s.
By 2002, Hyatt Orlando Resort was in serious financial trouble.
Kissimmee’s tourism economy was collapsing rapidly and those visiting Walt Disney World opted to stay on Disney property.
Attempts were made to revitalize the 192 corridor with business grants, new public transportation options and a crackdown on crime.
But on September 12, 2003, Hyatt suddenly closed its doors permanently, without notice to guests or employees. They literally told guests to be out by noon that day and few got refunds.
The hotel was later purchased at auction by the Moinian Group out of New York. The new owners planned to repurpose the hotel campus by making the rooms into condominiums.
While they waited for investors and permits, the hotel sat vacant for several years.
In 2007, Moinian decided to reopen the hotel so that it would generate some income until they could move forward with the condo project.
New furniture, soft goods, and landscaping were part of a nearly $1 million dollar refurbishment.
It was renamed the Orlando Sun Resort
The owners tried to attract new business by offering DJ dance parties and even boxing matches! These efforts failed.
Guests saw the hotel as grossly outdated and wrote negative reviews on Google about hot water issues, mold in the hotel rooms, and a lackluster pool.
The Orlando Sun Resort closed once again in 2012 and was listed for $74 million.
It was purchased in 2021 by another New York company that took a generous grant from Osceola County to improve the property.
Nothing has been done on the property to date and the old hotel still sits abandoned.
The Orlando Sun Resort website is still active, along with a YouTube channel. They have not been updated since 2012.
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The resort was built with a pod design, where rooms were clustered into separate, but connected buildings.
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Many of the buildings are octagon shaped. This was considered a futuristic and modern design in the early 1970s.
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The complex is so large, it runs along US-192, I-4, and stretches to Osceola Parkway.
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The Orlando Sun Resort was a massive complex. At time of opening, it was the largest hotel in Florida.
Continues at link.
www.nbcmiami.com
