| Reviews from Members |
| Member |
Review |
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Imagineer
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Booked a stay here with a discount via Hilton points. Price was okay given a late booking and we loved the location with easy walkability to SeaWorld. Drove to Aquatica but sure this is walkable too. In terms of the hotel there are many low, 'Villa' buildings which. We stayed in a room on the 2nd floor of villa 1. We were disappointed not to be in the newer, tower building and to be honest the buildings and corridors of some of the villas are very dated now.
The pool areas are okay and there are several other things to do for families such as table tennis and a small mini-golf course. The only meal we ate at the hotel was a breakfast and this was pretty average and overpriced although a good range on offer (see my 2019 dining report for photos). On the upside because we missed out on the tower room and we havd Hilton gold level they did give us a huge room, basically a suite with an extra room added on. This was well furnished albeit a little old fashioned.
Overall we had an okay stay and liked the location but I would prefer not to stay here again. The Tower rooms I believe are a must and may give a completely different experience. |
April 2019 |
![Cleanliness [4]](images/rating/cleanliness4.gif)
![Child Friendliness [4]](images/rating/childfriendliness4.gif)
![Location to Attractions [4]](images/rating/location4.gif)
![Value for Money [3]](images/rating/value3.gif)
![Overall Impression [3]](images/rating/overall3.gif)
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Apprentice Imagineer
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A lovely stay in the chalet style rooms (not the tower)
Loads of parking, great access between Disney and Universal.
Nice little shop. Didn't do the restaurant as it was expensive and always empty.
Wifi was excellent although the daily log in was a drag. |
November 2016 |
![Cleanliness [5]](images/rating/cleanliness5.gif)
![Overall Impression [4]](images/rating/overall4.gif)
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Imagineer
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We stayed here for 2 weeks in November/December 2015, my first impression of this hotel from the outside was that it looked nice enough from the outside and the lobby area was lovely. However my opinion changed when we got to our room, the room was on the ground floor on block 3 in the motel style rooms and it smelt really mouldy and didn't have a fridge which we had requested before we arrived and so after a quick phone call to reception we were given another room in block 10 in the top floor and it was better. The room itself was of a good size and had two double beds, desk, a fairly big wardrobe and drawers with a little kitchenette area with coffee machine and microwave.
The bathroom was very small you could literally wash your feet whilst sitting on the toilet it was that small and even though it was cleaned everyday it didn't feel very clean. Also the main door to the room seemed to have a big gap at the bottom of it so the noise from outside was very noticeable and on a couple of occasions I woke during the night because it sounded like the people were actually in our room it was that loud.
The pool area was nice with plenty of sun loungers but id imagine in the hight of the season it gets pretty busy, just to the side of the pool bar there is a vending machine where you can get free towels which is a nice touch though along with the bathroom towels are not the best quality.
Overall in all honesty I don't rate this hotel very highly at all which is very disappointing considering its a hilton hotel but the location is perfect 20 mins either way to universal and disney and a short walk to seaworld.
Would I stay here again NO. |
November 2015 |
![Cleanliness [2]](images/rating/cleanliness2.gif)
![Child Friendliness [3]](images/rating/childfriendliness3.gif)
![Location to Attractions [5]](images/rating/location5.gif)
![Value for Money [2]](images/rating/value2.gif)
![Overall Impression [2]](images/rating/overall2.gif)
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Imagineer
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Stayed here September 2016 for two weeks and had a good time!
The room was really nice and rather big and the facilities are fantastic.
The only downside now is they charge a Resort fee! |
September 2015 |
![Value for Money [5]](images/rating/value5.gif)
![Overall Impression [5]](images/rating/overall5.gif)
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Imagineer
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We stayed here on our first stop of our honeymoon, for 4 nights, we managed to get it at a bargain price! Unfortunately we found the hotel busy and loud. It seemed to be overrun with teenagers, who walked the hotel at 3am. This meant that because our room opened onto the outside walkway that we would wake up every 3/4am without fail. This was a major drawback for us, and a let down considering the good reviews. The pool area was good, although nothing special. The walk to SeaWorld was not as close as expected, although still a fairly short walk (you do have to cross a couple of main roads without lights). We wouldn't stay here again due to our negative experience. |
August 2014 |
![Location to Attractions [3]](images/rating/location3.gif)
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Imagineer
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We stayed here for a week in August 2014 after spending a week onsite at Disney. Surprisingly, the resort is quite similar to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort albeit much smaller and the grounds are not quite as well kept. The rooms however are almost identical, except for the lack of a fridge.
Generally it is a good hotel, within walking distance of Seaworld (although walking back on a hot day in August can be a little uncomfortable). Rooms are clean, comfy and spacious, although the aircon was noisy in our room. We didn't notice any noise at night even though our room was close to the family pool - one of three pools around the resort. The pools are reasonably good but nothing special.
We used the buses to Universal and Aquatica a couple of times and found these to be busy. They are shared with a couple of other hotels nearby and the bus picks up from the Doubletree last. You do have to book the day beforehand so you are guaranteed a place - although this might mean standing up.
Other than being nice and close to Seaworld, there's not a lot of places near to this hotel if you haven't got a car. The Village Inn across the road is very good for meals and I would definitely recommend it. Otherwise, you need to get a (busy) I Ride trolley bus or the Lynx bus to the main area of Intl Drive.
Overall, the hotel was fine but nothing special. |
August 2014 |
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VIP Dibber
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Stayed at this hotel October 2012 and thought it was great the room was clean and spacious with a view of SeaWorld we had a tower room on the 14th floor. There are 3 pools and we chose to spend our free time by the lagoon pool where there is a bar. There is a free shuttle to the parks but we didn't use this as we prefer to use the local lynx bus service which gives you more freedom to go to the parks and return when you want to. We had no problems at all with this hotel in fact we enjoyed it so much we are returning this October |
October 2013 |
![Child Friendliness [5]](images/rating/childfriendliness5.gif)
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Excited about Disney
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I love this hotel. It is very clean. We reported a few problems with the room and they were attended to very promptly. The atmosphere of the hotel is friendly. However, on checking in they charged $175 to our card for the 2 rooms. I thought this was a bit steep in comparison to other hotels we have stayed at- so be prepared... We got upgraded to an apartment room. Loved it!
We got the amazing chocolate chip cookies (which have nuts in- yummy). We were in block 10 which was by the main pool- only an issue if you are an early sleeper on a Friday... We had 2 beds with a small kitchenette with a fridge and microwave and a compact bathroom.
We only used the gift shop once, and it was for chocolate milk (yum), it is expensive so buy from walmart etc... I agree with the other review about the wifi in the lobby but they have a lot of seating and a business area if the internet cafe is busy. The wifi is free down there..
The only downside of this hotel is its location on the i-trolley ride. It is very far down/ early on and was packed on several occasions whilst we were out there.
However, the convenience of the back gate to seaworld (had it been open) was a bonus.
Quick tip- if you need to make a call- go to the reception and they will help you dial and it wont be charged to your room :)
Finally, if you are traveling with Virgin, your kids get a free plush Shamu at the moment. Not sure how long this will be for. The transport from this hotel is ok, but it does stop at alot of hotels, so perhaps not great for those with kids. |
September 2012 |
![Value for Money [4]](images/rating/value4.gif)
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VIP Dibber
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This was our third visit and overall we had another lovely stay with the staff being friendly and helpful as always. Just one thing spoiled it a little this time around and that was the pool area. We always request a room by the Key West Pool as it is usually quieter than the lagoon pool which always has music playing and has a pool bar. We like to visit this in the evening either before going out or on our return but on the days when we want to relax and take a break we prefer the smaller pool. However, on this trip there was a couple of "DJs" with a mobile sound system with huge speakers playing loud music from 12 -5 Fridays,Saturdays & Sun days !
This pool is normally frequented by young families and older couples mostly and on most occasions the clientele was exactly that and yet the music played was mostly of a dance nature (some lyrics were not appropriate for young ears) and it was obvious that the music choice was the DJs own as they repeated some tracks several times. I ended up with a thumping headache twice ! I used to manage a nightclub so am used to loud noise but this was too loud and not appropriate for the customer base. It will def be something I will have to consider when booking our accommodation for the next trip. |
September 2012 |
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Trading Disney Pins
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We picked this hotel for its central location, being equidistant from Universal and Disney, whilst being right next door to Seaworld and Discovery Cove. Plenty of eateries either a short drive or 20-30 minutes walk away, whilst the Village Inn right across the road did the best breakfasts with awesome service.
The hotel itself was absolutely fine. Bit of a mix up at the start, which prompted a bit of a diva fit from me as we had paid for a Tower Room but were initially told there wasn't one available. Considering we had booked 18 months in advance, we weren't accepting that! But after an hour, all was fine and the room, whilst perhaps a tiny bit less glamourous than the photos made it look, was perfectly clean, tidy, well-serviced and eventually, courtesy of the aforementioned strop, had a rudimentary but functional fridge. No complaints and would recommend, although there are plenty of hotels of a similar level that may be competition these days. For location and functionality, can't really fault it. For our next trip we are looking for something with a little more personality! |
September 2011 |
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Proud to wear my Ears
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We stayed here on our first visit to Florida in October 2010 on a split stay as spent the week in the middle on a Caribbean cruise. First leg of the stay we were in one of the poolside blocks and this was our favourite. When we returned we were in the tower block which was also excellent but much nicer to look out over the pool.
Both rooms were clean and staff friendly and helpful. Free use of computers in the lobby was brilliant for keeping in touch with home ( family member unwell while we were away). The advice centre was good. Excellent access to transport to parks and I drive. Nice friendly dinner across the road with discounts for hotel guests. Breakfast in the hotel was delicious and kids were free while we were there. Aquatica was just a short walk away and a big favourite with the kids so very handy.
Overall a great hotel and would stay again for sure.
Over |
October 2010 |
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(3.9)
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