NICEST off property hotels??

[engle]

Can anyone give me their opinion about the nicest NON disney resorts??

 

[swilshire]

Orlando is LOADED with tons of very nice hotels and resorts.

It might be easier for you to narrow your choices down to a few based on price or amenities and come here for comments on those specific ones.

Reading through this forum will also give you lots of clues to the ones people like or don't like.

I'm sure someone will come along with their favorites. We've only stayed in a few hotels and none of them stand out as terrific. We much prefer the room of a 2 or 3 br condo.

Sheila

 

[CarolA]

If price is no object.

Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes gets TOP reviews from EVERYONE and is often actually "cheaper" then the Disney Deluxes. JW Marriott in the same complex also gets great reviews. I have stayed at the Ritz and it was wonderful!

Also, top tier with good reivews (and high prices) Peabody, Celebration Hotel and a few others.
I agree with Shelia, you need to give some additonal wants besides nicest. Price, features you want, etc...

 

[davinakb]

Other nice places like the Hyatt Grand Cypress, Omni, etc. Places like the Marriott World Center and Gaylord are nice, but maybe a little too business/convention oriented. Marriott and Hilton both offer several very nice vacation club style (not full service) resorts. All depends on what you want. FWIW.

 

[douglisa]

What would be the cheapest and closest ones?

 

[Brian Noble]

cheapest and nicest are two very different things.

 

[tednvon]

Since I have never stayed in any of them my comments are strictly second hand from folks who have given me opinions. I kind of subsribe to the old Motel 6 philosophy that when your sleeping all motels look alike!

I have had two people who travel a lot first class tell me the Ritz Carlton is like no other place they have stayed. Rooms as decadent, large, with furnishings and fixtures that are stunning. The Marriot next door is nice, but nothing like the RITZ! Golf on property.

The Gaylord is very very big and beautiful with huge indoor solarium...rooms are nice but nothing decadent.

Omni has quite a swimming complex with lazy river and fun for kids. But it is in the middle of nowwhere at Champions Gate. Easy access to Disney via I-4 but still out all by itself...golf on property.

I agree with Brian...cheap and decadent don't go together very often, but I do know that The Omni, The Gaylord, Marriot World Center, Hyatt Regency, do pop up a lot on Priceline Resort levels for 80 to 110 dollars...Nothing to sniff at as these are all $200/plus a night places for rack rates...
Enjoy..Ted

 

[douglisa]

Maybe I should have said cheap and clean. A safe place that is close to Disney. I do not care how fancy, I just want to know there will not be any bed bugs and thugs!

 

[tednvon]

Hi, day in and day out I think the La Quinta Inn Lakeside has a great rep and good prices. If it was me I would do a 2.5 star Priceline for about 30 and see what happens, or do Hotwire, the 1st review on this link was for 29 dollars which is a steal...chances are excellent you will get a good place...Ted
http://www.travelpod.com/hotel/La_Quinta_Inn_Lakeside-Kissimmee.html#reviews

 

[MNFootballMommy]

We stayed at the Omni last week and LOVED it. The service was great, the food was exceptional, but spendy and the pools were fabulous. The lazy river was a definite after a long day at the parks. As near as I could tell, there were no bed bugs and no thugs. DH was gone for a lot of our visit and I never felt unsafe.

If you are looking off-site, I would definitely recommend it!

 

[douglisa]

Hi, day in and day out I think the La Quinta Inn Lakeside has a great rep and good prices. If it was me I would do a 2.5 star Priceline for about 30 and see what happens, or do Hotwire, the 1st review on this link was for 29 dollars which is a steal...chances are excellent you will get a good place...Ted
http://www.travelpod.com/hotel/La_Quinta_Inn_Lakeside-Kissimmee.html#reviews

Thanks Ted!

 

[CarolA]

Does anyone think this thread is a little strange?

WE have "cheap" and luxury on the same thread?

Anyway Grandpa Ted. I am with your friends on the Ritz. I have stayed there, the Gaylord, Celbration and a bunch of really nice hotels all over the US. This Ritz is one of the top tier!!!! It's one of the reasons I abandoned Disney Deluxe. For the same price I got REAL Deluxe!!!!

 

[MomofKatie]

Hi, day in and day out I think the La Quinta Inn Lakeside has a great rep and good prices. If it was me I would do a 2.5 star Priceline for about 30 and see what happens, or do Hotwire, the 1st review on this link was for 29 dollars which is a steal...chances are excellent you will get a good place...Ted
http://www.travelpod.com/hotel/La_Quinta_Inn_Lakeside-Kissimmee.html#reviews

This hotel has changed ownership- it is now Best Western Lakeside. I got this hotel on Hotwire for $34/night for next January. It still gets good reviews, and it is close to WDW property.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We stayed at the Omni last week and LOVED it. The service was great, the food was exceptional, but spendy and the pools were fabulous. The lazy river was a definite after a long day at the parks. As near as I could tell, there were no bed bugs and no thugs. DH was gone for a lot of our visit and I never felt unsafe.

If you are looking off-site, I would definitely recommend it!

What did you think of the drive? We've considered staying there, but are kind of scared off by the distance to the parks. We only live an hour from WDW & pass by the Omni to get there. I seems kind of far for us in the grand scheme of things.

BTW, did you take advantage of the shuttle service or at least see a schedule? We wouldn't use it much, if any, but it's nice to have the option.

TIA for the info.

 

[MNFootballMommy]

What did you think of the drive? We've considered staying there, but are kind of scared off by the distance to the parks. We only live an hour from WDW & pass by the Omni to get there. I seems kind of far for us in the grand scheme of things.

BTW, did you take advantage of the shuttle service or at least see a schedule? We wouldn't use it much, if any, but it's nice to have the option.

TIA for the info.

Honestly, I didn't think the drive was that bad. Because we only stopped at other parks (and not resorts), it was probably no longer than any on-property bus would take.

The bus (and it is a full size Mears bus) departs at 8 am, 9:30 am and 11 am. Then again at 4 and 7 pm with DTD included in their stops. The concierge has a printed schedule that you can take with you with a 24 hour hotline listed, just in case.

We only rode the bus one day to MK. We boarded at 8 and stopped at AK first, then on to MK. We were there in plenty of time for rope drop and probably got in before 9 am if I recall correctly. MK closed at 9:30 that night (after Wishes) and the bus pick up was at 10:20. We were the last park pick up and were back at the hotel by 10:40 at the latest. (I know because we were trying to meet up with DH who was there on business.) I know that I have spent at least that long on Disney busses trying to get back to my resort on other trips.

Feel free to let me know if you need/want more info!

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Absolutely the Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes Even better if you can swing club level. The service is top notch as are the accommodations. We prefer offsite luxury to onsite deluxe. Or second and thirs favorites are the hotel @ Reunion Resort. Spectacular! and we also loved the Gaylord. IMHO, disney deluxes pale in comparison to all three I have mentioned.

 

[tednvon]

MomofKatie...thanks for the update on the Best Western. I think it was
Sheraton Lakeside a few years ago...amazing how some of the hotels change hands...Peace...Ted

 

[Brian Noble]

This Ritz is one of the top tier!!!! It's one of the reasons I abandoned Disney Deluxe. For the same price I got REAL Deluxe!!!!

I haven't stayed in Orlando's, but I did stay in the Ritz in San Juan, PR.

Comparing that experience to a Disney Deluxe, well, there is no comparison. When Disney has cabana boys who come and bring me drinks poolside, move my chairs for me, etc., then and only then may they talk about service.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Honestly, I didn't think the drive was that bad. Because we only stopped at other parks (and not resorts), it was probably no longer than any on-property bus would take.

The bus (and it is a full size Mears bus) departs at 8 am, 9:30 am and 11 am. Then again at 4 and 7 pm with DTD included in their stops. The concierge has a printed schedule that you can take with you with a 24 hour hotline listed, just in case.

We only rode the bus one day to MK. We boarded at 8 and stopped at AK first, then on to MK. We were there in plenty of time for rope drop and probably got in before 9 am if I recall correctly. MK closed at 9:30 that night (after Wishes) and the bus pick up was at 10:20. We were the last park pick up and were back at the hotel by 10:40 at the latest. (I know because we were trying to meet up with DH who was there on business.) I know that I have spent at least that long on Disney busses trying to get back to my resort on other trips.

Feel free to let me know if you need/want more info!

Thanks for the additional info. I used Mapquest to get the distance to the parks & it's just about 4 miles further than some of the other's we're considering. My DH does the driving though, so I'll have to get his opinion.

On the subject of the shuttle, we'd only use it in certain circumstances. We may use it for our DS & his girlfriend to go to the parks when we're still resting. Also, it would be nice for my DH to be able to enjoy the F&WF w/o having to drive. Do you think we could get a shuttle after Epcot closes or would we have to take a cab?

 

[bobby523]

Check out the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. It is a beauty to look at and even offers free shuttles to all of the Disney and area theme parks!!