HARD ROCK HOTEL - **Garden View Rooms**!!

[Selina]

I have been reading all the reports on the HRH. Has anyone got anything nice to say about the Garden View Rooms. We have booked a "package" holiday direct through VIRGIN and only Garden View Rooms were available. Assuming, that as this is a brand new hotel, we took the chance that all the rooms would be nice. Presumably, the higher up you are, the better the view? Who has stayed in one? Are there any Room Numbers/floor levels we should avoid?!

 

[cforza]

All of the rooms are the same. The only difference between the gardenview and the poolview is just that, the view. I personally could care less what view I have. It's not as though the surrounding countryside is anything to look at. I think the view is important when you are staying on the ocean or in a scenic area, but in the middle of Orlando it really doesn't matter. There are gardenview rooms on all levels. I have even heard that some people prefer not to have a poolview because they are noisier. Deluxe room are furnished exactly like the garden and poolview rooms but are about 100 sq. ft. larger and have a "study" area.

 

[Selina]

Oh thank you. Likewise, we are not that bothered about the view as, like you say, we will not be in the room that much. It's nice to know that the standard of the rooms is the same - that was what we wanted to hear (size is not that important either - it's the quality that counts!

 

[chase_pc]

There are some very different garden views. I had the "roof top exhaust vents with complimentary bus stop" garden view. I walked aroudn the hotel, and there are some pretty grassy / tree'd areas. cant remember the names of them, but the lower floors on these areas are pretty to look at. Higher floors garden view, and you can see orlando. Gas stations, etc. Pool view is beautiful. You can see both theme parks, the pool is lit at night, and it is amazing. It is just like an ocean side view: colorful, unusual, invigorating. Pool side, you want as high as possilbe. I agree, stay out of rooms as much as you can, but for the extra @15 to 20 a night for pool side, to me, it was worth every penny.

 

[chase_pc]

on the 5th floor, i did not detect any noise from pool at any time of day

 

[IOAFanatic24]

Hello-

I am sitting in a garden view room right now at the beautiful Hard Rock Hotel and have nothing but good things to say about it. We are in a Deluxe Room with a king size bed and it is HUGE. We have a sitting area w/ a coach, two end tables both with lamps and a ceiling fan. There is also another small table with two leather chairs, a funky lamp and mirror, of course the wonderful TV and CD Player, minibar, and gorgeous bath area. We have stayed at The Portofino MANY times and for some reason we are just more comfortable and relaxed here. The color scheme is wonderful. Something right out of a Crate & Barrel catalog. The design is very modern, hip and classy. I can't say enough about it. The pool is GORGEOUS. There are wonderful whirlpools, a great slide, water toys, a children's pool, a "beach area," cabanas, free towel stand, a beach bar and rock music throughout the area. It is magical at night, in the pool, looking up at the moonlit sky, with the palm trees swaying, music playing, and all the lights around you. It is a WONDERFUL place. I am so sorry to hear about the unfortunate happenings for other guests.. That is just bad. But that seems to be a "reception staff" problem, the hotel itself is wonderful. When we checked in we reminded the young man about our Loews Milk & Cookies and he said "Oh, you had to request that when you made your reservation"....I said WE DID!? He said it was "too late"......When we got to the room we hit "star service" on the phone and within 10 minutes we had our milk and cookies! The staff is REALLY young, and personally I don't think a lot of them will last. They seem like they don't want to be there and that just isn't right. That was the only problem we ran into.

The restaurants are DELICIOUS! Sunset Grille is our favorite. The $12 breakfast buffet is worth it! They have all these different kinds of fruits, bagels, deserts, French toast (or waffles), eggs, bacon, sausages, drinks, toasts, English muffins, grits and more!!! The staff at this restaurant is SO friendly. They actually remembered our names! For dinner I had the best burger and "potatoe" thingies!? LOL!! It was like a potatoe salad w/ cheese and cream. TOO GOOD!

We also ate at the PALM RESTAURANT and WOW!!!!!! It sure is pricey for dinner (cost us over $100 for two people) but they give you a wonderful dinner. The steaks melted in your mouth and the potatoes were huge. They give you tons of bread and because this was our "first time dining at The Palm" the manager said that DESERT WOULD BE ON THE HOUSE!?!?!? The chocolate cake we shared was $15!!!!!! Let me tell you, it is well worth it. It was one of the best meals I ever had.

So anyone with doubts, have no fear. The rooms, the colors, the pool, the food, the music, the people are ALL FANTASTIC!!!!!! You will get what you pay for and more! The Reception staff needs work, but I remember similar problems at The Portofino when it first opened.

Any question? E-mail TRAVLGRRL@aol.com

Ciao!

 

[chase_pc]

I would agree with a lot of that last post. The attitude of the 'milk and cookies' bad guy is what I find a big problem Again, one garden view can be nice, and another a real disappointment. But, the idea that it is too late for milk and cookies? That is just stupid. When the recep. realized they did not have my pref.s she asked me for them. They never got any of it right, but at least she didnt say "too late." That attitude seems to pervade most of the staff. They seem to be young, rude, and unapologetic. Another guest commented to me, "they think they can be rude to you, and then expect a tip." he commented that one guy opened his car door, and then followed him saying "you forgot to tip me." He says he resonded "I will once we get to the room." The employeed said "someone else will do that" So he went to the guy unloading his bags, but he also was not the one taking the bags to the room. This guest felt awkward, having an expectation that they have a different person for every task, and each expects (and some ask for ) a tip. I agree. If I do not need a valet, I want to see one person, not 4 or 5, as I did. Like I said before, everything else is great, but for me, the people factored in heavily on this particular experience. Next time, I will be swift in my requests, quick to move to the 'manager' level if needed, but tempered, in knowing that the room is not as important as the pool and the parks. Now, if only i can keep my stuff from being mishandled, lost, or stolen.
I also had the swiss burger w/ potatoe salad. Wow! That was good stuff. They did not provide ketchup when served, or on the table. After one bite, I said "I think they did that on purpose. Now I feel if I put it on, I would be contaminating the burger." It was the best burger I have ever had anywhere, anytime. I also loved the potatoe salad. A very different approach, and sophisticated not just 'different just to be different.' Again, a bargain at about 12 bucks I think it was 16 each with drinks, tax and tip. No different that TGI Fridays, Applebees, or anywhere else one might eat. I also at at Confisco's and Mythos. Different styles, family and fancy, respectively, but both were as good as all the reviews I had read. I couldnt believe the crazy food we had at Mythos. We got desert as well "kaluha creme brulee" and flourless chocolate somethignorother. Total w/ tip $57 for 2. I felt it was reasonable, and again the food was 'a may zing!'

 

[Selina]

Thanx very much for your replies. It all sounds wonderful. Why do I suddenly feel so hungry?!! <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz"> Do you always have breakfast at the HRH or do you sometimes eat elsewhere?; I thought that $12 was quite expensive everyday. I seem to remember last year that no "eating places" at Universal or IOA were open until 11.00 a.m., or was that Seaworld?

 

[chase_pc]

We never got to parks until noon anyway, so I dont know. I felt considering the quality and where we were, it was an ok price. I also ate a waffle house in Fla, after we left, and it was excellent, and cheap, but for a 4 star hotel with a 'classy joint' on site, $12 seemed ok. *plus drink tax and tip, but oh well. If it were a family of 5, I know, it could get expensive. There was a sandwich shop just inside USF, Brassisserie, or somethign like that. They had sandwiches, and lots of yummy deserts. Maybe they open a tad earlier? but I dont know. We were too happy with sunset grille to bother anywhere else,you know, take the elevator, and youre there!