Are they letting Cabana Bay go?

[dsdeleon]

Based on the excellent reviews of CB, we decided to save a few bucks and stay 4 nights after the end of a Disney Cruise (4/29-5/3) and are still here now. I have to say that I am SHOCKED at how horrible the upkeep is, the construction, the customer service, pretty much everything (except the buses) has been really sub-par. Here are some examples - garbage piled up all day on the lazy river. People just dump drinks and things off the sides and they are never picked up. Clean towels are never refilled so all the bins are empty at about 2 PM. There are stains all over the ground and you have to step on worms to get from your chair to the pool. We went to the park from 8-3 and still didn't have housekeeping and clean towels. Of course my kids wanted to nap but I couldn't let them as I have to call for service (it's hot and I would like a shower please). They came and left the place a real mess. They did not even wipe down the main table. Everything was clear and put away. I promise it was not a mess. It was an empty table with some ketchup. So basically had to come and clean the room with just soap and water. I don't have the right materials for this!

Now let me mention that my standards are super low. My favorite place to stay is Fort Wilderness in a rented RV so I know about roughing it. This is something different where the garbage is piling out of the bins and is just getting generally dirty and unkept.

One last thing is the parking situation and views are terrible. With the new water park they make you park your car in a tiny corner and if you are like us at the end of Americana, it's a 10 minute walk an that's if you can cut through the pool. They frequently lock the gates a lot due to weather and then it's much longer of a walk.

So has anyone stayed here recently and noticed that this place is getting dirty and is not upkept? I wanted to let other know who were thinking of downgrading that this is a serious step down. We usually stay Royal Pacific onsite and my husband (who always grins and bears it) can't stop complaining about the bed, the crowds at the lazy river, the construction noises and the lack of housekeeping. Ugh! This is the first trip I planned where I got the hotel so wrong so I may get him back to Orlando one day, but no time soon. He wants to not renew his Uni AP now.

 

[Bluer101]

Have not heard anything. But since you are still there I suggest you go down and speak to management now.

 

[Kivara]

That doesn't sound good. I have heard nothing but good things (except for the walking, as it is a large hotel ) I would definitely go tell any staff you can get ahold of (especially a manager) As the manager cannot be everywhere, I am sure they would appreciate some extra eyes to let them know where staff are slacking off.

 

[damo]

Yes, please go complain there now. It doesn't do any good to complain to us as we can't help you. It will do you and other guests a great deal if you complain to management now, while you are there. Some stuff you described should not be happening. You can't avoid the construction noise and parking issues while the parking structure is getting another level but the housekeeping issues need to be examined.

Personally, I don't use clean towels at home after each use, so the need for clean towels each day wouldn't be an issue for me. I probably would have just used a facecloth with some soap and water to remove ketchup on the table, but housekeeping should get to the rooms before 3.

We had no issues with the beds but that is an individual preference.

 

[Squirlz]

And somebody needs to talk to those worms!

 

[dsdeleon]

Haha on the worms but you guys are right. After we get back from LegoLand I am going to do just that. I have pics from this morning, walking to get Starbucks and last nights eaten fried chicken dinners laying around all within the breakfast area and there was actual blood smears on the plastic cushions in the lobby. I took some pics and will show management and update with their comments.

 

[Squirlz]

Haha on the worms but you guys are right. After we get back from LegoLand I am going to do just that. I have pics from this morning, walking to get Starbucks and last nights eaten fried chicken dinners laying around all within the breakfast area and there was actual blood smears on the plastic cushions in the lobby. I took some pics and will show management and update with their comments.

I couldn't resist. In all seriousness I hope they can resolve the issues.

 

[Kivara]

Good on you for snapping pictures of the messes! Hopefully things get sorted out, it would be terrible for them to be adding on to the hotel, just to let some uncaring staff ruin it all

 

[Robo56]

Oops! misread the worm stuff.

I second all of the other posters suggestion that you take your concerns of poor housekeeping and all pictures to management.

I have always found Universal resort management very interested in getting feedback on what guests feel are good or bad reviews.

They can trace back the source of the problems and correct it.

I have never stayed at Cabana Bay. I have stayed at RPR, and HRH and PBH have never had any problems.

I will be at Universal at the end of May. Was planning to give a look at Cabana Bay while we're there. Hopefully they will have sorted any problems by then.

Sorry your experience has been so bad. Hopefully management will be able to help sort out the problem to your liking and this will encourage your family to come back again.

 

[dixonsontour]

Let us know what the managers response was. Cleanliness of cabana bay/newness has always been a big draw for us. We are staying for 3rd time end of May.

 

[chabs]

We stayed there in a family suite in early April. It was one and done for us-we were not impressed to say the least. I posted a mini review in the CB thread but in a nutshell I thought the beds were awful, towels were so worn they were see-through, room was not cleaned well, furnishings were really dirty, especially the chairs, and to top it off we found someone else's sweatshirt in our closet. Wasn't impressed with the food court either. Plus kids running all over and screaming at all hours, reminded me of the sports groups at the All Stars. Then we couldn't even check out (had to leave a day early unexpectedly) because their computers were down. I was really shocked because I thought it would be a lot nicer than that being that the hotel was not that old.

I absolutely think you should post your complaints here as well as complain at the front desk. Maybe if I had read complaints on the DIS from other guests, I would have selected a different hotel. We usually stay at the Portofino or RP, but this was all that was available because we booked at the last minute. I wasn't expecting a deluxe hotel but I wasn't expecting a dump either. I feel like Universal just slapped their name on a cheap, poorly run hotel and called it a day.

 

[kace08]

I really hope that this is a temporary situation. The Cabana Bay has been so highly recommended. Do you think that this is just a busy time and they are understaffed?

 

[gatordoc]

We just returned home and had a similarly poor experience. We always stay onsite when we visit Universal, but this was our first stay at Cabana Bay. Things started off poorly when all the signs to check in parking pointed to closed lots and we were told our only option to park near the lobby just to check in was valet. We were also unimpressed with the rooms, especially the sheets that were too small for the bed, the worst pillows we've ever attempted to sleep on, and the thin tiny bath towels. The TV in the living room kept cutting out (I believe this is because it uses an unstable ethernet connection), and we were not able to view our bill on it or use it to check out. One day, even though we were out until about 4PM, we did not receive housekeeping services. When we called about this, we were told they were sorry and would take care of it within 15-30 minutes. We went out again, but no one from housekeeping came until about 10:30PM, at which point we were headed to bed, so we just grabbed some replacement towels and otherwise did without. The bar in the lobby was nice, but the food court was terrible - overcrowded, long waits, and mediocre food (that part I expected). My key card opened the room, but never did work for the pool locks or parking exit. Even the highly vaunted bus service left a lot to be desired - on one occasion we sat on a bus for 10 minutes without moving because the driver refused to leave the resort until the bus was full, and on another occasion we had to wait for three buses to come for pick up at the park because the staff would not allow standing on the buses.
We'll be back to Universal for HHN, and will be trying Sapphire Falls - hopefully that will be a better experience.

 

[damo]

Gatordoc, I sure hope you let someone know about your issues.


This is really sad to hear. We had a terrific experience when we were there a year ago and many others here have had great stays also.

 

[Insert Name Here]

I stayed at Cabana Bay in February 2015 and had some of these same issues. I saw leftover food sitting outside a room in the hallway for two days before it was picked up. I would have alerted housekeeping myself, but I never saw them (we left the hotel early in the morning and returned late at night). I agree with some of the other posters about quality of the bedding, towels, etc. However, that was expected (IMO) as CB is considered the "value" resort. I would stay at CB again, but it's not going to be my first choice.

 

[bumbershoot]

We went to the park from 8-3 and still didn't have housekeeping and clean towels.

If I have a specific time that I want housekeeping to be there by, I call them and tell them. Now I haven't stayed at CB, and likely won't b/c hubby and son cannot live in a world where we don't get unlimited Express Pass, but it has worked at the other resorts. We also call when we do NOT want housekeeping.

We usually stay Royal Pacific onsite and my husband (who always grins and bears it) can't stop complaining about the bed, the crowds at the lazy river, the construction noises and the lack of housekeeping. Ugh! This is the first trip I planned where I got the hotel so wrong so I may get him back to Orlando one day, but no time soon. He wants to not renew his Uni AP now.

The *hotel* choice for one trip is keeping him from wanting to go back to the *parks*?

 

[Kivara]

hubby and son cannot live in a world where we don't get unlimited Express Pass

AMEN!

 

[martymcflyy85]

This is scaring me. I have a trip planned in August. I need some reassurance. Surely it can't be THAT BAD, right?

 

[mischief32]

We were their 9/15 and we loved it. We were only their for couple of nights and HHN. WE did not miss express pass since we really did not do the parks just HHN. I hope things have not changed. We loved the food court and thought the food was goo. Loved being able to go downstairs and get my drink and breakfast and then off to lazy river.

 

[damo]

This is scaring me. I have a trip planned in August. I need some reassurance. Surely it can't be THAT BAD, right?

Might be worth it to send an email to customer service saying that you are reading many reports of poor housekeeping and upkeep at the hotel and are really second guessing your reservation in August. Perhaps if they see that people are concerned enough to stay away, it might make a difference.

You could even send them the link to this thread.