Off-Site accomodations recommendation for someone who usually stays on-site?

[princesswendy720]

Our last 3 trips (my only ones that I've planned myself as an adult and not with my family) have been on-site. I couldn't pass up the deals. What I really can't pass up is a free hotel/villa. My mom got a new job and may not be able to use her timeshare this year. It's a Hyatt timeshare, so they participate in Interval International. I think I might be able to stay at a Hyatt hotel too.

The list of Orlando area hotels are here: http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1502&areaCode=330

Do you have any recommendations? I'd really like to find a place that has shuttles to the parks, since Dbf and I like to partake in some adult beverages/drinking around the world, and we don't want to have to worry about driving. I'm not sure any of these have that though.

 

[kathy884]

I belong to TUG2.net for $15 a year where I get to read very detailed reviews about timeshare resorts. If you'd like to read detailed reviews that would help you more in your choice, you could join. This helps me know what Timeshare I would like to rent. Typically I am happy with resorts that TUG users give a rating of an 8 or higher. Orlando has so many good ones, more choices than anywhere else that I know of. Here are the resorts in the Orlando area with an 8 or higher rating. Quite a few of these are on your II possible exchange list. The ones in Orlando that I stayed at most recently that are on your list are Cypress Point and Sheraton Vistana Resort, and I enjoyed both of these. I don't know about shuttles. We always have a car and do our own driving. You might need to contact individual resorts about that.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Villas (RD08)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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9.56 (50)
42 days

2 Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort (DV09)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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9.50 (2)
37 days

3 Parc Soleil by Hilton Grand Vacations Club (7979)
USA,FL,Orlando
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9.50 (3)
26 days

4 Disney's Old Key West Resort (RD05)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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9.41 (115)
58 days

5 Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas (DV01)
USA,FL,Orlando
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9.33 (6)
110 days

6 Disney's BoardWalk Villas (RD03)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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9.30 (62)
54 days

7 Encantada Resort (A434)
USA,Florida,Kissimmee
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9.25 (2)
50 days

8 Marriott's Cypress Harbour (2619 MCP)
USA,FL,Orlando
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9.17 (210)
38 days

9 Disney's Beach Club Villas (RD02)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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9.13 (52)
128 days

10 Hilton Grand Vacations Club on International Drive (6309)
USA,FL,Orlando
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9.10 (43)
24 days

11 Marriott's Grande Vista (MGV, MGR)
USA,FL,Orlando
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9.04 (161)
5 days

12 Houses at Summer Bay Resort, The (6884)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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9.00 (14)
43 days

13 Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (RD06)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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8.97 (35)
53 days

14 Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld Intnl Ctr (3517)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.94 (155)
63 days

15 The Fountains (7605)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.75 (6)
54 days

16 Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa (LKE)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.75 (2)
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17 Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort - West Village, formerly Orange Lake Country Club (0670)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.69 (300)
82 days

18 Marriott's Imperial Palm Villas (MIP)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.69 (18)
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19 Marriott's Royal Palms (1699 MRP)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.68 (61)
88 days

20 Marriott's Sabal Palms (1276 MSP)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.58 (32)
18 days

21 Cypress Pointe Resort (2750 CYO)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.58 (126)
128 days

22 Sheraton Vistana Resort (0450 VIT, VIO, VI1, VO1)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.53 (388)
16 days

23 Marriott's Harbour Lake (MHZ)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.52 (45)
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24 Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort - East Village (8896)
usa,fl,kissimmee
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8.50 (1)
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25 WorldMark Orlando Kingstown Reef (7600 WOR)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.50 (3)
46 days

26 Oasis Lakes at the Fountains (4852)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.48 (26)
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27 Wyndham Bonnet Creek (6369)
USA,FL,Lake Buena Vista
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8.41 (39)
7 days

28 Sheraton Vistana Villages (SVV/VKW/VVM)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.35 (59)
31 days

29 Grand Beach I (3664 EGE, EMG)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.34 (61)
24 days

30 Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort - River Island (8881)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.33 (6)
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31 Silver Lake Resort (2610)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.29 (82)
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32 Cypress Pointe Grand Villas Resort (3996 CYN, CYI)
USA,FL,Orlando
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8.25 (62)
42 days

33 Polynesian Isles (5095 PYI)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.22 (51)
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34 Parkway International Resort (PKY,PK1)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.07 (51)
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35 Westgate Vacation Villas (0899 WGV)
USA,FL,Kissimmee
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8.04 (193)
128 days

 

[webprinter]

The ones we've personally stayed at and liked from II are: Marriott's Cypress Harbour (my favorite), Marriott's Grande Vista and Vistana Villages. Star Island was okay and Sheraton's Vistana was the pits. We rented directly frm Sheraton's Vistana for that trip and they put us in an old rundown unit. I will not return. Holiday Inn at Orange Lakes was fine also but I would choose the two Mariotts over it and I don't know if they exchange through II or not. I don't think so. The DVC resorts mentioned in the other post no longer exchange through II.

 

[TheKatie]

If the Vistana is on your list I highly reccommend it! We just stayed there for a week - my first off site stay and LOVED it -- my review is posted below -- and also in the 'vistana questions' thread up on the hotel reviews and reccomendations section.