Holiday Inn Family Suites - Your opinions needed!!!

[sandyrob]

I would like your opinions on the (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) buffets at the Holiday Inn Family Suites.

Although we have reservations at the Disney POR 8/26-30, we are seriously considering moving off-site to the Holiday Inn Famiy Suites.

I found what I believe to be a good deal: $119.00 per night for a Kidsuite. We requested the Family Value Package which includes two adult buffet meals each night. Because our three DDs are 12 and under, they will eat free. The full breakfast buffet there is always free to all guests. They also offer a 21-day advance reservation (no cancellations or refunds) for a Kidsuite for $94.50 per night--only breakfast if free with this.

If you've stayed there and care to share your opinion, or are aware of a better deal, please let me know.

Thanks!

[Purrrrfecta]

look over in "orlando hotels and attractions." Many people have reviewed that hotel recently. There is a lot of information on it.


Good luck!

[sandyrob]

Thanks for letting me know! I'm VERY new to this site and haven't learned where to look for what. I did perform a search and found lots of posts about the hotel--which were very positive. All the posts about the dinner buffet weren't as kind.

[mousey]

We stayed at the HIFS last year. The breakfast is great! The
dinner buffet was okay for 1 night, but you might get tired of it.
I would take the 94.50 rate and go different places for dinner.
Their is a Steak n Shake down the road from the Crossroads
plaza that is great. TGI Fridays also has a good kids menu.
You will absolutely love this hotel. Have fun!!!!!

[hercamore]

The HIFS is in an excellent location to the parks. Only about 5 minutes to epecot and MGM.

I also would recommend taking the cheap rinternet rate and eating either at disney or at one of the tons of of surrounding restaurants in the 535/536 intersection area.

You are going to be paying $25 for those adult buffets. Better off getting a pizza or burgers somewhere else.


Herc..

[mark & sandra]

Hello sandyrob- We've stayed there before and were very happy with our decision. We found the food buffets to be above average. My DH would go to breakfast at about 7:00 am, eat his fill and than bring back loads of food for everyone to eat upon waking up.( eggs, waffels,bacon, sausages, fruits cereals, milk and juices,etc.) If the kids found something that they loved, we'd stop at the buffet before heading out for the day. We'd also pack up some traveling food from the buffet for snacks later on. We didn't have the option for free dinner, we did eat a few meals there and were quite happy with the selections. One night a week they have a seafood night with king crab legs as the featured special. ( DH got his money's worth ). Nighttime was a hit with the kids, bingo kareoke, dancing and the great pool only added to this hotels pluses. Finally, locking master bedroom with king sized bed, 3 color t.v.'s and in room nintendo machine and kitchette, makes this hotel a definate alternative to any disney resort.

[busy mom]

SandyRob: How did you get the $94.50 rate? Did you contact the hotel directly, or find in on a web site?

Thanks!

[WDWKim]

You might also want to check out the FLA losing lottery ticket promotion where you get the kidsuite, full breakfast & dinner buffet for 109.00 a night. I also understand that kids eat free at the Pizza Hut and A&W as long as there is one paying adult. I'm booked for Sept 21 to 28, with the Family Value Package (w/breakfast & dinner for all) for 109.00 a night but I booked this back in January. Figure that I can't go wrong with that price, if we want to eat out a couple of nights it won't kill our budget, but this way we know we're guaranteed a free meal. My kids are "older" and wouldn't qualify for "childrens menu's" when we're out, so with 4 of us, you are talking about $40.00 a night, just basing it on 10.00 a person. This can definately add up quickly. But at the HIFS, they are treating them as kids because at the time of booking my DD was 13 and DS was 11. Don't know the ages of your children, but this is something to consider........

[sandyrob]

Busymom:

I found the $94.50 Kidsuite rate at the holidayinn.com website. The drawback is that you have to book 21 days in advance and there is absolutely NO REFUND.

We considered the family package, but after hearing from a couple guests that the dinner buffet wasn't that great, we decided to take the cheaper rate, have a nice lunch in the parks, and then go to A&W or Pizza Hut for dinner (where all our girls will eat free) after we're finished at the parks. They stay open until midnight

:bounce:

Mark and Sandra:

After reading your comment about all-you-can-eat crab, we might have to go to the buffet :D

Thanks for the nighttime activities for the kids. Do you know at what time they stop these activities? Will there be time for the kids to participate if stay until park closing?

Thanks to all for your ideas and wonderful advice!

[mark & sandra]

Hello sandyrob- I think the evening activities are geared towards an alternative to disney. They don't run very late. I'd call an ask the hotel to be sure. Just a note, the bingo, kareoke and dancing is family oriented, just corny fun, not the cutthroat grandma bingo and not the club dancing or kareoke. We always let our kids have a late night swim, they looked forward to it each night we came back to the hotel. They'd usually be asleep by the time we left the parking lot of the park, and as we'd carry them into the room, through half opened eyes, they would ask for 1 last swim. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Sandyrob, your kids will only be able to eat free at A&W and Pizza Hut Express for lunch (and there has to be a paying adult)-I think the hours are something like 11-5. After 5pm they eat free off the dinner buffet in the restaurant-but there has to be a paying adult (or free dinner voucher). When we stayed in May-I believe bingo was 8pm, karaoke 9pm, so you may miss out depending on how late you stay at the parks. We've stayed there twice and our 4 year old kids loved it. I'd stay there again without hesitation. We love having the separate living area and our own bedroom. The fride and microwave came in handy too.

[sandyrob]

Tayand Evie'smom: I'm SO GLAD you mentioned that only lunch was free for the kids! That's not what I was told when I talked to someone at HIFS. I was told kids could have dinner at either. Because our three DDs are so picky, I knew they would eat Pizza Hut. I called and talked to the lady that told me this to verify that I understood her, and she said that I had. She thought maybe the lunch only policy was new; she said would check and call back. It only took her a few minutes to call back. She said she was wrong and now kids eat free at the food court only during lunch, but because I'd been misinformed, she would see that our family could have dinner in the food court when we returned from the park. This lady was so nice and handled the situation very professionally.

You're probably thinking what's the big deal, but I checked all this out prior to making our reservations because I had to decide between the $109 per night which included adult dinner buffet or the $94.90 rate that didn't. Had I known that we had to have dinner at the buffet, I definitely would have opted for the $109 per night, but because I read mediocre reviews about the buffet, I figured we would take the cheaper rate, eat lunch at the parks and come home for a late pizza.

Again, thanks for the heads-up!