Marriott's Royal Palms

[nezy]

Has anyone ever stayed here?
I know that there are 3 resorts right near each other adjacent to the marriot World Center Resort.
My questions are:
How is the resort(Royal Palms)?
Are the activities for kids-ages 10-14? such as basketball, pool table, game room, etc.?
How far is the World Center resort?
Can you walk or is there resort transportation?
Does the Royal palms have restaurant? place to buy food ? or do you go to the World Center hotel for that stuff?

We usually stay at Marriot's Cypress harbour and love it but we were too late in putting in for it and there was no availability. So, we got Marriott's Royal palms. i am a little apprehensive.

Thanks.

 

[jeff968]

If you are a CH fan you will not be happy with RP. We stayed at IP a few years back for the three bedroom but we also like CH. First, RP does not have its own pool, 2) It is very quiet, which some may like but we were there with our kids as well. 3) Nothing going on so you have to go to the world resort for everything. This involves a shuttle which is a pain. Now, once you get to the world it is quite a place and that pool is amazing. Royal was a nice resort but not for us. Cypress Harbor is the best!

 

[littlestar]

We are big fans of Marriott's Cypress Harbour and Marriott's Horizons, and we are staying at Imperial Palms in March (along with some days at Cypress Harbour, too - I couldn't totally give it up) so I'll be sure to post a review on the World Center/Imperial Palms when we get back.

I do know that Royal Palms and Imperial Palms have been refurbished recently.

 

[MinnieGi]

We toured all the Palms to see what their refurbishments looked like and we were very impressed. This was in Nov. over T-day week. The resort pools were nothing fancy though but this may be just fine since the World Center has an amazing pool complex. But I really liked all the rooms and you can't beat the location so very close to Disney property.

 

[SiClone]

Just got back from our stay in a 2 bedroom villa at RP. We've never stayed at CH although I think that is just across from Horizons, which I liked a lot. Horizons last year and that place is definitely more kid-themed. We are myself, DW, and 3 DS (13, 11, and 3)

The RP pool is off of the main lobby building. It's a little bigger than the 24 hour pool at Port Orleans Riverside. However, their heater wasn't working very well and it was very cold. The pool at the World Center was huge and warm! RP was definitely quieter except for the our building being close to Vineland (535). It felt newer than Horizons.

The shuttle to the World Center (about 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away) was a breeze. Just go to the lobby and ask them to send you there. You can either walk or drive to the lobby. When you want to come back, you do the same or you can also take the parking shuttle bus. Some of the people who stay at the Palms are there for a convention, and we saw many walking back to the rooms from the WC. The front desk person, who also drove the shuttle van, told me that the Palms handle the overflow from the hotel and that sometimes people would rather have a 2 bedroom versus a hotel room.

There are basketball and tennis courts at RP. You can check out equipment from the lobby desk. They do have daily events for kids like Wii tournaments, free throw contests, etc... (though not as elaborate as at Horizons due to not as many families with kids staying at the 3 Palms). There is also a dedicated kids room and an arcade at the WC. I also took advantage of the free gas grills by the basketball court. There was a charcoal grill in front of our building but I didn't want to deal with it.

Location wise, I thought the RP was in a great location. Access to WDW and I4 was super easy. The more I go to WDW, the more I know to avoid Vineland (536) because the traffic is terrible on it.

We would definitely stay at RP over Horizons next time.

 

[jeff968]

The shuttle to the World Center (about 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away) was a breeze. Just go to the lobby and ask them to send you there. You can either walk or drive to the lobby. When you want to come back, you do the same or you can also take the parking shuttle bus. Some of the people who stay at the Palms are there for a convention, and we saw many walking back to the rooms from the WC.

Wow, what a different experience we had. We always waited for the shuttle. When it did show up it often had to go to Sabel palms to pick up guests there as well. Then, it dropped us off right at the world lobby. Then, we had to talk to the clerk in the lobby to get the shuttle back which meant going in to the lobby with our swim stuff while there were people in suits and dresses. Very strange to be mixed like that. Then, we would often find business travelers in the food court while we were trying to get something to eat. Again, an uncomfortable mix while on vacation.

At Cypress Harbor everything is right there. You just walk out to the pool and back to your room whenever you needed to. It's great.

 

[Missyrose]

Anyone stayed at Marriott's Imperial Palm Villas recently? I'm heading there for the first time on Sunday.

 

[Lisa P.]

Two things that have not yet been mentioned:

None of the pools at this entire complex are very warmly heated in cold weather. We were there in January last year and we checked every pool at the World Center (including the indoor pool) and at each associated timeshare. Not one was particularly warm and there were virtually no guests making use of any of them, even on days when the outside temps were in the low 80's. The staff insisted that they were "heated" but they were simply too cool for us, except for the hot tubs.

During this same week, we visited others at Wyndham Cypress Palms and Orange Lake CC and two Disney resorts. There were plenty of people swimming at all of them, because their pools were warmly heated.

So if you'll be there in cooler weather, you may find that the Marriott pools at RP, IP and SP, as well as at the World Center are rather cool. If you'll be there in the summer, it won't matter.

Secondly, all units at Royal Palms have an interior layout that includes a few steps. You enter the foyer, the second bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen preparation area are to one side. Then there are a couple tiled steps down to a sunken living/dining room. After going down those steps, to your other side is the master bedroom. If you enter it and turn to face toward the front of the building, you need to go up a couple steps to enter the master bathroom. So the front of the condo is all on street level but the back of the condo is all sunken a couple feet lower. This means that you're going up and down stairs repeatedly while moving about in the unit. I know it was fashionable at one time to have sunken rooms and multilevel condos. But for someone with knee pain (like me) or other mobility issues, this layout is either uncomfortable or unworkable. It may not bother you otherwise.

 

[jeff968]

None of the pools at this entire complex are very warmly heated in cold weather.

We go every February (President's week) and have never had an issue with the pools being heated. Even when we stayed at Imperial Palms.

 

[SiClone]

Two things that have not yet been mentioned:

None of the pools at this entire complex are very warmly heated in cold weather. We were there in January last year and we checked every pool at the World Center (including the indoor pool) and at each associated timeshare. Not one was particularly warm and there were virtually no guests making use of any of them, even on days when the outside temps were in the low 80's. The staff insisted that they were "heated" but they were simply too cool for us, except for the hot tubs.

During this same week, we visited others at Wyndham Cypress Palms and Orange Lake CC and two Disney resorts. There were plenty of people swimming at all of them, because their pools were warmly heated.

So if you'll be there in cooler weather, you may find that the Marriott pools at RP, IP and SP, as well as at the World Center are rather cool. If you'll be there in the summer, it won't matter.

Secondly, all units at Royal Palms have an interior layout that includes a few steps. You enter the foyer, the second bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen preparation area are to one side. Then there are a couple tiled steps down to a sunken living/dining room. After going down those steps, to your other side is the master bedroom. If you enter it and turn to face toward the front of the building, you need to go up a couple steps to enter the master bathroom. So the front of the condo is all on street level but the back of the condo is all sunken a couple feet lower. This means that you're going up and down stairs repeatedly while moving about in the unit. I know it was fashionable at one time to have sunken rooms and multilevel condos. But for someone with knee pain (like me) or other mobility issues, this layout is either uncomfortable or unworkable. It may not bother you otherwise.

Our 3rd floor room at RP was all on 1 level. We were placed in the building closest to Apopka Vineland (535).

As for the pools, they weren't the warmest, but the kids didn't complain.

 

[themuses]

I've stayed at all the properties at the World and each has their own special quality. The Royal does have their own pool and they have shuffle board, ping pong and right next to the basketball and tennis courts. You can walk up the hill to the World (prob. 10 min.) but they offer a shuttle all day too. The World pool is huge and they have daily kid activities planned. We are actually going back in April and staying at the Sabal - this is basically like the Royal but the walk over to the World is much closer and flatter :>) I'm sure you will love having the use of all the pools. We visiited somebody over at CH and it was nice and more active especially at night but the pool at the World is so much more impressive - have fun

 

[jeff968]

We visiited somebody over at CH and it was nice and more active especially at night but the pool at the World is so much more impressive

The World pool is surely an impressive pool and we enjoyed it but the 10-15 minute walk or constant waiting for the shuttle and mixing with the other business hotel guests just killed it. At Cypress harbor the pool is just a short walk outside our unit and quick returns for more food or drinks or whatever are never a problem and the only suits you ever see at CH are bathing suits.

 

[Lisa P.]

Oh, I stand corrected on the unit layout!

I looked back and and we had stayed in the multilevel unit at Sabal Palms, not Royal Palms. Sorry about that!

However, we definitely found all of the pools to be too cool to enjoy when we were there in January 2008. Other reviews posted that month shared the same complaint and there was virtually no one swimming in any of them the entire week. Perhaps they had done some kind of recent maintenance and the temperatures were not up yet???

We did enjoy looking around at the main hotel building. My teenage sons were somewhat bored with the limited activities available and the conference hotel feel. They much prefer a more casual "vacation resort" feel, so we're planning a stay at Cypress Harbour next time. Your family may appreciate this hotel center more, for a change. It was a fine home base for visiting all the fun Orlando sights!

 

[goemanb]

what did you think about your stay. I am new to the boards and can't figure out how to search for your post. I am looking at one from Feb09 that said you would post after you stay in March.. We have reservations in Jan 11. Can't decide if we would like the quiet or not and the reviews go from the rooms are amazing with granite countertops to decor from the 70's. I am guessing some are done and some are not??
Bobby
I have a 17, 13, 10 going with