We stayed there in 03, 04 & 05. This past year we chose to look into other options, because we were able to stay in a place that offered bigger and more pool options, more room, full kitchen, washer/dryer, etc., for a lesser rate.
When my husband and I were down there last week, we did stop by the Embassy Suites LBV as we were curious since it has seemed to have gone downhill, according to the reviews. We walked through the lobby and outside by the pool and it looked the same as when we stayed there, pretty good. We did not go into any rooms so I can't vouch for that, but I would tend to think the reviews may be accurate. While we never had any problems when we stayed there, the rooms were clean, we never saw any bugs, etc., they were definitely in need of refurbishment, in our opinion.
It does have its plusses, the free breakfast buffet, the free manager's reception. I guess what turned us off mostly, is that they never told us ahead of time in 2005 that they were going to be reconstructing the brick around the pool area, before we arrived. We had talked to them on the phone right before we came and they never mentioned it. It was very loud the whole week we were there, and parts of the very small pool area were closed off. They were using cement saws and there was dust and mess everywhere, and did not make for a very relaxing vacation that week. They offered us the use of the pool next door, but it was more of an inconvenience than it was worth, for us. We just thought that it would have been nice for them to advise anyone who was staying there during that week, that they might be inconvenienced.
I guess after that stay was when we started to look elsewhere. My husband would still like to go back there in the future, but when I see what other places offer for a lesser rate, I tend to lean towards them. All in all, I guess it all depends on what you are used to. For a family with small children, it can save you money on the free breakfast every day and the pool would be sufficient. It certainly was for us, until we broadened our horizons. I would love to stay at a Disney resort some day but the prices are just insane
Oh, and we never used the shuttles either. Good Luck with your trip and I hope the ES LBV works out for you. I can say this, when we walked through there, it was very empty, not sure if that's good or bad
