Please help! Springhill Suites OR Radisson Orlando Celebration??

[majorlu]

Please help me decide! I just can't do it.
We're going for Christmas week and are two adults and two teens (boy, girl).
Want to decorate our room a little and make it Christmasy. Also don't want to end up in a dive!

Trip Advisor has some nasty comments about the Radisson Resort Orlando near Celebration, but it is still recommended on Mary's site.

Springhill Suites in Marriott Village on Vineland looks nice, and they have breakfast included.

Anyone have any recent stays to report? Please help. I'm so confused!

 

[luke]

Trip Advisor has some nasty comments about the Radisson Resort Orlando near Celebration, but it is still recommended on Mary's site.

It sure does, but we stayed there in July and had a perfect time, with the hotel being excellent. Guess everywhere can have bad reviews and a lot of things are probably down to luck

 

[majorlu]

Sometime I wonder if ONLY people who have had a BAD experience write in and review a hotel or restaurant. I guess if you have had a good experience you are more likely to tell friends and family but not actually write in your KUDOS to an establishment.

I just don't know what to do. I have read that the rooms are TOO SMALL and the service is poor and the pool is filthy and there's mold in the rooms. I can't imagine it would be a preferred hotel if all these things were true about the Radisson Celebration. And I haven't read anything negative about the Springhill Suites......yet.

Thanks for your input.

 

[safetymom]

I have stayed at the Springhill and it is very nice.

 

[MattM]

Stay at the SpringHill Suites, and dont think twice about it. I'm assuming its the one in the Marriott Village, where there is also a Courtyard and Fairfield Inn?

Here's an aerial picture of the SpringHill Suites for you...

 

[wiggles02]

We were at Springhill Suites in the Village last week 10/1-10/4. It was great. Having breakfast was fantastic. The rooms were nice and clean. Great combo of business travelers and vacation travelers. Close to everything. The pool is nice and you can use the pools at the Courtyard and the Fairfield. We walked to Bahama Breeze for dinner (excellent). This is the second time we've stayed there. This past May we were able to get a late checkout and this year on 10/1 they had a room available at 10 am for us. Would stay there again in a heartbeat. Hope that helps.

 

[majorlu]

It sure sounds like more of you have pleasant things to say about the Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village than the Radisson.

I'm actually starting to get excited now because I feel that we are making a good choice and not going in blindly!

I hope it is all decorated nicely for Christmas

 

[MattM]

It is, and you're also less than a mile from Dolly's Dixie Stampede, which is decorated nicely at Christmas. You wont be dissapointed in this hotel or area.

 

[skmommy]

We stayed at the Springhill Suites last January for a conference and it was great. The rooms were clean and housekeeping was excellent. The breakfast was also very nice-- good variety. We will be staying there again in January for same conference before heading to the Wilderness Lodge for our vacation. I can't wait.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I've stayed at both hotels. They're both in high-traffic areas, but I found getting into and out of the Springhill Suites to be a MAJOR challenge at times. Also, it's more-or-less a cookie-cutter hotel -- it isn't much different from any other Springhill Suites. But it's a nice hotel, and fairly new for Orlando hotel standards.

I personally prefer the Radisson. It's much older, but it's been renovated and is a beautiful, resort-type property. The rooms are much more upscale, and the Sleep Number beds are a treat. It's pretty easy to get into and off of the freeway... much easier to navigate around that the Springhill Suites IMO. I think the resort-style coupled with the high-quality accommodations make this an excellent choice, although SS offers larger rooms and a free breakfast.

I'd be subjective when reading tripadvisor -- most people only join to write a negative review. And I dislike the way people review properties... for example, one review for the Comfort Inn LBV said (paraphrased) 'We're use to staying at Disney Deluxe properties, but we stayed here because money's tight. It's OK for the price but I don't like staying in budget properties. Everything in it was cheap compared to Disney. 1*' Well, it's a $30-$60 budget property and should be reviewed according to THOSE standards, not $250-$500 Disney Deluxe property standards. If money was no object, obviously people wouldn't be staying there ; ).

It sure sounds like more of you have pleasant things
to say about the Springhill Suites in the Marriott Village than the Radisson.

 

[davinakb]

Also stayed at both and the reports you've read are pretty accurate. The Radisson does have more of a resort style to it, nice rooms (was in an updated SleepNumber room), yet I really do not consider it a resort just more of a full service hotel.

I find the rooms at the Springhill newer and with recent updates, probably as nice, though the rest is just a basic pool, hot tub and lobby, same as any other. Free breakfast is good at SHS. To me, traffic issues not withstanding, it is a better location if you are doing more than WDW (SW, outlet shopping, whatever). Not sure if you have a better deal at one place or another, if you're planning one room or two. If one room, I would thing the extra space at SHS would be welcome for a longer stay, unless Radisson offers larger rooms. FWIW.

 

[majorlu]

I love coming to this board because you all offer such incredible, truthful reviews. So now I am more confused than EVER!

Here's the scoop: I have a better deal at the Radisson Celebration. That's good. Doesn't include breakfast but it does include a $50 voucher which can be used for anything there. The rate at Springhill Suites is only about $20 a day more than the Radisson, but it includes breakfast and more space.

Taking that into consideration, is there any truth to the comments about the Radisson that talk about old rooms, no space, mold and all the other complaints I have read on trip advisor? Tell me about your experiences at Radisson Celebration. I wish I could check these out beforehand. I love the idea of it being more resort style, but not if it's NASTY!

I'm reading everything I can online but my best information is from YOU!

Thanks again!

 

[majorlu]

You are SO right about the way things are reviewed on trip advisor LAS2AMS! I should definitely be more objective reading what the complainers have to say!

 

[swilshire]

With two teens, I wouldn't want to stay in a room. I'd look for a condo to have some space to spread out. Well worth the extra cost to have two bathrooms and multiple televisions.

Sheila

 

[LAS2AMS]

With two teens, I wouldn't want to stay in a room. I'd look for a condo to have some space to spread out. Well worth the extra cost to have two bathrooms and multiple televisions.

Sheila

Just a guess, but I doubt it's a viable option at this point - considering she's traveling X-Mas week, and she's making plans barely 60 days out : ).

 

[LAS2AMS]

majorlu,

It really depends on what you're seeking. Personally, I prefer the Radisson Resort Celebration -- I generally prefer upscale, deluxe, full-service hotels. Room service (here's a tip: always ask if they offer a children's menu, then order off of that... prices are generally inexpensive and portions are quite satisfying) and poolside drink service are amenities that are important to me. The Radisson also offers a superior pool area, with plenty of activities (like volleyball, etc.) It's also a unique hotel with beautiful grounds, as opposed to the Springhill Suites which might as well be Springhill Suites Gatorscreek GA. I also like the location -- easy on, easy off the freeway as opposed to Springhill which can be a pain-in-the-butt to get in/out of (especially when Dixie/the mall closes/etc.)

That said, the Springhill Suites is a very nice hotel. It's also 25-30 years newer than the Radisson (although I think the Radisson is just fine... I've very picky about where I stay usually preview multiple rooms before I find one to my liking -- that's true no matter where I stay). Give the time of year you're traveling at, you'll probably have to arrive at the breakfast area as soon as it opens in order for it not to be picked-over (it gets crowded quickly!) But the room arrangement (2 beds + sofa coach & 2 tvs) is probably more comfortable than the Radisson.

I'd compare the TOTAL prices of both properties, including taxes & fees (remember the $10+tax "service fee" at Radisson) at both properties, then calculate that against the amenities I desire. Also, I don't know where you're booking at most websites (including Radisson's own) allow you to add on two breakfast buffets for $10/night which is a great bargain (you can add additional for $10/night, which includes the additional person charges... the buffet is like $13 direct so it is a small savings).

Also check land-only vacation packages via US Airways Vacations and Funjet (sometimes United Vacations, which utilizes Funjet, offers better pricing). Keep in mind that Funjet/United includes resort fees (plus they throw in Gatorland admission for free for your party) whereas US Airways does not. These websites generally have great prices on these two hotels, but X-Mas may be picked over depending on your dates.

 

[swilshire]

Just a guess, but I doubt it's a viable option at this point - considering she's traveling X-Mas week, and she's making plans barely 60 days out : ).

It would be more of a challenge planning relatively late, but not impossible. I have reservations beginning 12/29 and have been debating going early on the 26th. There is availability, just not as much as I saw when I booked the original week.

Sheila

 

[majorlu]

Amazing advice everyone! I am beginning to lean more toward Radisson now - can't even believe I'm saying that.
I'm not so worried about having multiple tvs, extra space, etc. since we actually enjoy spending time together as a family and the girls can bunk up for a few nights as well as the guys.

I just positively didn't want an old or moldy room for our Christmas break! I wanted something I could make look nice for everybody when we weren't at the parks. Well, I guess it's time to decide.........ho ho ho

 

[MattM]

Amazing advice everyone! I am beginning to lean more toward Radisson now - can't even believe I'm saying that.
I'm not so worried about having multiple tvs, extra space, etc. since we actually enjoy spending time together as a family and the girls can bunk up for a few nights as well as the guys.

I just positively didn't want an old or moldy room for our Christmas break! I wanted something I could make look nice for everybody when we weren't at the parks. Well, I guess it's time to decide.........ho ho ho

Majorlu, I sent you a message regarding this!

 

[gtalum]

I can't speak directly to either specifric hotel, but I can tell you to go for Springhill Suites because personally I'll never stay in a non-suite hotel unless there are no choices. It's so much nicer to have the comfort of a suite that it trumps any other amenity at a hotel, IMHO. There are so many inexpensive all-suite options out there that it just doesn't make sense to cram yourself into a single hotel room any more.