Lodging Description: The newly opened Crowne Plaza Asuncion Hotel is a two-tower hotel featuring 74 well appointed guest rooms. The first tower, formerly the 'Hotel Estella Italia' building, was fully renovated and consists of 28 guest rooms; the newly built second tower has 46 guest rooms. All guest rooms are luxuriously decorated and offer the city's best views of its historical center and are equipped with wireless Internet access, and dual-line telephones with voice mail. The Crowne Plaza Asuncion Hotel amenities include two Crowne Club floors, a swimming pool, fitness center, 24-hour room service, and a unique lobby bar with outdoor cafe. Just a few blocks from the Crowne Plaza and reflecting Asuncion's colonial past is the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), which was founded in 1537 on hills along the Paraguay River. With a population of 600,000, Asuncion is the shopping, financial and business center for the Spanish-speaking nation, which lies between Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. Cultural attractions in Asuncion include a Spanish-era cathedral and archeological museum. Visitors often enjoy sipping terrere, a local drink, and 'people-watching' from the city's many outdoor cafes. Other popular activities include visiting Asuncion's botanical gardens, which feature more than 100 species of tropical plants, and enjoying a scenic cruise on the Paraguay River. Paraguay's national parks, Jesuit missions and the Chaco wilderness plain are among the area attractions.