Hi DisnyMik,
I´ve stayed at both, and if it were not for location I´d go for the Sheraton everytime. If its a matter solely of the quality of the hotel, for me the Fourpoints wins everytime.
However, I have to admit that my stay at the Courtyard was some time ago, just as the hotel was being taken over by Marriott - I think it was a HoJo before - so it may have improved somewhat since then, but I just prefer the basic amenities and layout of the Sheraton, and its location suits my prefered type of holiday location - I prefer to be away from the tourist areas on my down days.
For what its worth, the following is a detailed answer I gave to a lady about the Fourpoints some time ago, which should give you a better insight into the hotel. I hope it helps.
"The Fourpoints Lakeside Inn is a terrific hotel in my opinion. I've stayed there maybe 10 times now and always really enjoyed it. I'm going back in October too.
The rooms are decent sized, and are always well kept, clean and tidy. They are renovated on a regular basis and so fittings and equipment are always in good condition - I've only ever had to report a stuck bathroom door on one occasion. Most have 2 double beds, the usual things such as TV, phone, hairdrier, ironing board & iron,etc, and have a few nice little extras such as a coffee/tea maker and particularly useful, a fridge. They have a small vanity area separate from the bathroom, and clean bedding/towels are provided daily if so required.
The usual amenities are available on all blocks, such as laundry rooms, ice and vending machines, and there are a couple of shops in the main reception block, a small gift/clothes store and a small but useful grocery store for everyday requirements.
There are 2 full restaurants, one a buffet style, The Greenhouse, which had a good if none too original selection of foods and meals available for breakfast and lunch. The full service restaurant, Hurricane Sams Bar and Grill, had some very nice dishes and is a good option for those nights when you dont want to go out to eat. They also do a nice selection of snacks in the bar area, and a nice selection of long cool cocktails - I recommend the Fuzzy Navel !
As usual the price of the restaurants tends to be a little higher in the hotel restaurants than in similar places off property.
And for those post-park days when its just too much effort to leave your room, there is a Pizza Hut on property which delivers to rooms !
The 3 pool areas are all well maintained, clean and have plenty of beds and seating. Towels are provided. The pools are always clean, and the water checked regularly. At least two of the pools have Gazebo's where drinks can be purchased and food ordered from the Pizza Hut and delivered to poolside.
The staff are always courteous and helpful, even on one occasion offering to do shopping or to provide some food for me when I was ill and stuck in my room for a few days on one visit !
The hotel's location is very good for Disney in particular, being in the maingate area, and about 2 miles from the junction of US 192 and World Centre Drive, but is far enough away that you get a nice relaxed atmosphere for those non-park days when you just want to chill by the pool.
It is also very well positioned for restaurants and shopping. Almost opposite is a shopping centre with a large Goodings store and various other smaller convevience stores including an Eckerd pharmacy. There is also a Subway, Dairy Queen and Giordano's Italian restaurant which does excellent pizza.
However, you needn't worry about finding places to eat close by, as there are any number of perfectly good restaurants within a few minutes walk or drive from the hotel, from the big burger chains and buffet style restaurants, such as Ponderosa, Sizzler and Shoneys - all good options - to rather higher quality places. I particularly recommend Key W Kool's, an open pit grill steakhouse about a quarter mile from the hotel, where I've always had great meals.
And there are numerous shops and malls all within easy driving distance along US 192, so your retail therapy needs are catered for very nicely too !
The only small strike against the hotel is that you are a little farther away from a few attractions, such as Universal, Sea World and I-Drive, than some people might want to be, perhaps 35 minutes drive from Universal for example. Personally I see that as an advantage as I like to be away from the hub-bub of the parks and tourist attractions when I'm chilling, those with kids might not...
So you can see, I kind of like the place, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality, cheap (rooms from as little as $49 a night), comfortable and safe hotel as a base for enjoying the Magic !
Now, have I forgotten anything...
"
We just returned from a wonderful stay at Courtyard by Marriott and were very pleased both with our room and the staff. This hotel goes out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. There is a manager's reception daily during the week and the folks there seemed to go out of their way to make us feel special. There is a restaurant attached for a convenient full breakfast for a nominal fee and convenient transportation as well. We shall stay there again.
