Central Florida resort chain giving deeply discounted deals for residents in Helene's path

A Central Florida resort chain is offering deeply discounted rates to residents in the path of a storm expected to grow into a hurricane later this week.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates for residents in the 41 counties where Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday. Known Monday as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine , the system is forecasted to grow into a Category 3 hurricane named Helene.

Early projections have it making landfall in the Florida Panhandle.

"Rosen Hotels & Resorts remains committed to the safety and well-being of all Floridians, prioritizing people over profits in times of need," according to a press release. "If and when the list of counties expands, the same rates will be extended to residents in those counties.

What are the Rosen Hotel Distress Rates and where are they offered?

Rosen Hotels & Resorts is pet-friendly and does not charge a pet fee during the distress rates.

There is no resort charge and free Wi-Fi is offered. To reserve a room, call 866-33-ROSEN (76736).

What does a state of emergency mean?

Declaring a state of emergency allows state and local governments much more freedom to coordinate their emergency agencies, relax restrictions, cut through red tape and reallocate resources to quickly deal with an imminent or ongoing threat that local services can't handle on their own.

What counties are under a state of emergency?

Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier , Columbia, Dixie, Escambia , Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee , Leon , Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa , Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.

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