Buena vista suites or Caribe Royale?

[BALAMAV]

After lots of research. Hotels.com and Tripadvisor.com even Mapquest.com. Price, reviews and location. I have narrowed it down to 2 hotels Buena vista suites and Caribe Royale. We are doing 3 days around Sea World and Discovery Cove. Both are within 10 min of the parks. (I know they are closer to Disney) But Mousesavers have them at some great prices. I don't mind driving 10 to 15 to get to Seaworld and Discovery Cove. So give me all of your reviews and suggestions on which you like better. We are also staying 7 more days at POR riverside.

Thanks
Brenda

 

[Atotty]

Hi Brenda,

I'm in the same boat you are.....deciding between those two for our arrival night. Have you found a better rate than the current mousesaver rate? And do you mind my adding a couple of questions to your thread that may help us both decide?

Buena Vista Suites lists an "American breakfast buffet" as included. What does that mean? Is this a fancy continental bfast or does it really have eggs, bacon, etc.?

I don't see where Caribe Royale lists any bfast inlcuded at all. Does it include any bfast?

And if you stay at Buena Vista can you use the Caribe Royale pool which looks great?

Thanks for any input!!!!

 

[prozario]

I'm looking offsite myself as well. All the reviews i read, carbie much better quality wise. I'm going in may, so price difference is only about $10 or so for me. So, if i do go there, I'll go to carbie (i'm still not decided between carbie, royal plaza - both are around $110 per night from mouse saver, and perhaps sheraton safari as i've some starwood points).

Can someone tell me, how is the bus service from carbie (if any), is it free? Do i need a car for disney if I stay at carbie? Is cab service readily available from carbie & how much it'll run for disney parks? I'm trying to avoid renting a car, as it could easily run around $30 per day plus $8 parking in disney.

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

I stayed at Buena Vista Suites 3 years ago and was perfectly happy with it. Of course I prefer to stay onsite, but if something ever prevents me from doing that I'd stay at Buena Vista again. The breakfast was a hot breakfast, eggs every morning as well as the continental stuff and I think there was french toast or waffles one morning too. I don't remember if there was bacon or sausage because I don't eat it. But there might have been. Hope that helps some.

 

[momto4obkids]

We are staying at Caribe Royale for five nights in June.

I am almost positive they don't have a free breakfast at Caribe Royale.

Also, if you are staying at Buena Vista Suites you are not allowed to use Caribe's facilities.


hth!

Amanda

 

[Atotty]

Thanks!!!

 

[BALAMAV]

Atotty,

I haven't been on the boards lately. Go figure. I have not found a better rate. I think it is 89.00 and 99.00 or 109.oo on mousesaver. I just want a decent place to stay for 3 nights outside of Disney. We are going to DC and Seaworld. These 2 places have the best reviews if you go on tripadvisor. Plus the price is right. The 2 things that make it hard to decide was. Someone on the reviews said they stayed at BVS it was nice but they went next door to Caribe and they liked the pool better and the hotel was a bit newer. But someone that stayed at Caribe said they liked it there but they would have loved a full breakfast. That saves a lot of money around Disney. So that is why I can't decide it is driving me crazy. I am afraid I will go with BVS get down there and regret not staying at Caribe. I think I am on a system over load. I just made all my ADR's, booked DC, made my final payment for Disney, made my ressies for a rental car. This is the last thing I need to do and I keep putting it off. I want someone to make the discision for me. UUGGHH.

Thanks for listening to my whinning

Brenda

 

[rejobako]

We stayed at Buena Vista Suites when Hurricane Charley threatened our home in Sarasota County. (Of course, we didn't even lose a tree branch at home, but the hotel got a direct hit and lost power all night.)

As I recall, BVS and CR are right next to each other -- we walked from one to the other the next morning. Caribe Royale looks much more like a "resort", with a big, expansive lobby, a beautifully landscaped pool, etc. Not staying there, we didn't get a look at the rooms themselves, but the common areas were far and away more posh than BVS.

At BVS, the rooms were nice enough, in that "Embassy Suites" kind of way, with an anteroom living room with a sink/micro, etc., and a pull out sofa. Then you pass through a little hallway (the bathroom is in between) into the back back bedroom, which was with a comfortable King bed. We had no problem with the property, especially under the circumstances. If I was on vacation, though, I'm not sure I would have been particularly impressed. The main restaurant had that "cafeteria" feel to it, with a small adjoining bar next to big glass windows looking out into the pool area, which looks like they squeezed it in as best they could. The staff was nice, especially catering to a bunch of hurricane refugees, but in all honesty I don't think we'd stay there again.

 

[Atotty]

I think we'll try Royale Caribe.

Brenda, what did you decide??

 

[ScrapHappyMama]

quote: Also, if you are staying at Buena Vista Suites you are not allowed to use Caribe's facilities.



I had read on another thread that these two hotels shared facilities because they are sister properties....anyone stayed at BVS and been allowed to use CR's pool?????

 

[momto4obkids]

quote: Also, if you are staying at Buena Vista Suites you are not allowed to use Caribe's facilities.



I had read on another thread that these two hotels shared facilities because they are sister properties....anyone stayed at BVS and been allowed to use CR's pool?????

I got my info from Mary that owns mousesavers.com she did a tour of BVS to see if she wanted to recommend it on her site and she specificly asked them and this was what she said.

This is not true, unfortunately. I asked about it quite specifically when I was touring the BV Suites in preparation for adding them to my web site's Preferred list.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[Corinne2509]

I too was looking around for the best deal at an off site hotel. We, my husband and I are going with another adult couple the first weekend in May. I really wanted to find a two bed two bath sutie for cheap, as that would make it the easiest for four adults.
Anyway, I couldnt find one cheap enough to justify not just getting a one bed. or two bed one bath. I was looking at the same mousavers.com rates.
BUT, just yesterday I found a rate of $89 for a two bed two bath at Bahama Bay Resort and Spa on bookit.com
I know y'all have already narrowed it down to two places, but I thought I would let people know about this awesome deal, in case it helps anyone else. It certaintly helped us!

 

[BALAMAV]

Atotty,

I am still not sure. I think the Caribe was 109 and BVS was 89 big differance in price. We get there Thurs night late around 11 pm. Then we get up on fri go to Discovery cove by 8:30 am eat breakfast and lunch there. It closes at 5 We have that evening to chill. Then on Sat I thought we would head to Sea World. We have free passes. So we need breakfast that morning. Spend awhile at SW. Come back chill that evening. Get up Sun. and head to Disney for 7 days. So I would say we need breakfast before we head to POR Riverside. To expensive on property to eat. So the free breakfast would be great we would use it 2 mornings. But the pool is nicer at Caribe. But we will go to BB and TL when we are at Disney and the pool at POR is nice and we will be there 7 days. So I am thinking unless the BVS are really gross. I think it might better serve us to take advantage of free breakfast and not worry about the pool. So unless someone talks me out of it. It looks like BVS because it is cheaper.

Thanks Brenda

 

[BALAMAV]

Attoty,

Had some extra time. Bad Bad Bad. Now I really don't know what to do. The Fairfields and Springhill suites in the Marriot village have some good advance purchased rates (non refundable $89.00) Trip Advisor had good reviews on both. So does Travelocity. They have some good candid photos. Springhill has free breakfast. They both look nice. Now I am really confused. I think I might call and see how far ahead do you have to book "advance purchased". Then go from there. Take a look at these hotels and tell me what you think. If anyone else out there has some input on these 2 let me know. Also The Amerisuites are $109. I have stayed at these hotels in Columbus Ohio. They are nice plus free breakfast. These got good reviews also.

Let me know what you think

Brenda

 

[MouseLover]

It has been awhile -- we stayed at BVS in 2001. The breakfast was full, with breakfast meat rotating daily. That is one day they had bacon, the next it was sausage, the next it was ham. etc. Also had standard continental fair, cooked-to-order eggs, and breakfast potatoes.

I had read on the boards about some people using CR's pool. We did not ask to do this and there was no mention of it from hotel personnel or other guests. We enjoyed our stay at BVS -- very clean & comfy, close to parks. We did not use the shuttle, though they did offer one. It seems like it had 3 or 4 departures and returns daily at that time.

I do recall CR personnel helping out at the BVS breakfast buffet. So you might check with the hotels directly to double check.

 

[Atotty]

hi Brenda,

I think I solved our problem of which to stay inafter worrying over this for weeks.

My oldest half jokingly said she'd like to go down for a couple of extra days and shop. I told her dh couldn't get off for more days right then.

When I told him about it later, he said so..........ya'll go ahead and go and I'll meet you down there. So my girls and I will go down a few days before dh and stay at POP. Dh is going to come down the day we move over to Windsor Hills.

Shhhhhhh....it's a surprise.