Holiday Inn Sunspree Opinions

[c.rella]

Hi all,
Well, I am a little late in the game to be asking for opinions since I have a NON changeable reservation there in 2 weeks, but wanted to get your opinon on the hotel anyway, so I can know what to expect? Would really appreciate any info/advice.
The good news is that we are going for the parks not the hotel!
Thanks!
-C.rella

 

[vellamint]

We stayed there in August of 2000....end of August so it really is considered "value" season. The main hotel was very bright and clean, the kids loved the pool. The food in the food court left ALOT to be desired and the hotel itself needed more hired help. The room for the kids (we have 4) was very cute and they loved having their own speakers by their heads in the bed but the WHOLE room was really too small for 6 peoples and we definitely got on each others nerves at the end of 11 days.

Given a choice....the kids would go back there but I would not.

Hope your experience is great....like I said we went during value season and that is hopefully the reasons certain things left alot to be desired.

 

[horseshowmom]

We stayed there several years ago and liked it then, but sometimes things change at hotels as time passes. Nonetheless, since your reservation is nonchangeable, make sure that you're a Priority Club member (if you haven't already joined, you can join for free on the Holiday Inn website). When we stayed there, that got us a free upgrade from a standard room to a suite. There are also some other free perks that go with being a PC member (one of which was express check-in). However, you'll have to ask for the perks, they didn't volunteer them for us.

Being a PC member may help you get the renovated rooms (be sure to ask for those rooms!). We had pool front rooms (2nd or 3rd floor) - big mistake!!! Unless you want to be up until midnight listening to very loud pool noise, I wouldn't get a pool front room.

I did especially like the security at the gate.

 

[vellamint]

You can also ask for a late checkout (free) as a priority club member which was nice!

 

[c.rella]

hello
thanks for the advice. i am a priority club member so hopefully that will help to make our stay more enjoyable. we do have a kids suite room and it is only 2 adults, 1 child, so space shouldn't be a problem. after what i've read here i WON'T be eating in the hotel, which is ok, because there are so MANY great restaurants at WDW. i am MOST concerned about their shuttle to the parks. SHOULD we rent a car? i believe their first shuttle leaves at 8:15 am...which is too late for some of our character breakfasts. i thought that their schedule would leave earlier in the a.m. even if you just wanted to wait in line to get to the park. thanks for all of the advice!
-C.rella

 

[horseshowmom]

We didn't use the shuttles. If you can manage a small rental car, you'll probably be glad you did. There are several nice restaurants near this hotel, but you wouldn't want to walk to them (too far and too much traffic).

There is a Perkins nearby as well as Jungle Jim's (my daughter and niece loved the animals hanging on the drinks!). Those restaurants and others are across from the entrance to Downtown Disney (Crossroads). There's also a neat miniature golf course there. Burger King (or is it Wendy's?) is across the street from the hotel.

 

[DISMOMof3]

Is this the same place as Holiday Inn Maingate East? Trying to get info on this one.

 

[dtauer]

No, this isn't the same as HI Maingate East, sorry I can't be of help with that one.

We stayed at the Sunspree twice and the kids liked it both times. There have been a few comments about people hating it but I wouldn't go that far, it just isn't that great considering some of the deals that are out there right now.

We had some friends who reserved at the Sunspree and asked what we thought about it. Because tastes vary, the only answer I felt comfortable giving was that it's "OK". When they came back I asked what they thought and their answer was exactly the same, it's "OK".

Nice pool, recently painted exterior, good game room, small movie theater for the kids. Lots of fun stuff, just needs a good overall sprucing up.