Recommendation for offsite-stay

[Goseethemouse]

We will stay two nights off-site before checking in at SSR. We will likely check-in quite late on the first night so basically will have one full day and part of the next off-site.

I am having a hard time deciding on a hotel. What I am looking for:
- location: preferably on I-Drive. We won't have a car so I want easy access to restaurants, stores, activitites (mini golf etc.). We will do Disney and Universal later on in the trip so no need to go there.

- Nice pool: I would prefer a REALLY nice pool

- Room: Having two rooms/three beds would be a definite plus but is less important than location/pool.

So what is your recommendation for a hotel on I-Drive with great pool (price is of some importance too of course but I am willing to pay a bit more for a better experience)

 

[Lynn CC]

We just stayed at Melia Orlando Suites for 5 nights & loved it!

 

[mjhtvchick]

We will stay two nights off-site before checking in at SSR. We will likely check-in quite late on the first night so basically will have one full day and part of the next off-site.

I am having a hard time deciding on a hotel. What I am looking for:
- location: preferably on I-Drive. We won't have a car so I want easy access to restaurants, stores, activitites (mini golf etc.). We will do Disney and Universal later on in the trip so no need to go there.

- Nice pool: I would prefer a REALLY nice pool

- Room: Having two rooms/three beds would be a definite plus but is less important than location/pool.

So what is your recommendation for a hotel on I-Drive with great pool (price is of some importance too of course but I am willing to pay a bit more for a better experience)

There are a lot of great places in the I-Drive area. I would have a look at the I Ride Trolley as well - great for travelling further distances on I-Drive when you don't have a car. http://www.iridetrolley.com/map.asp

I recently stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages - that was very nice and you can get options with 1-2 bedrooms. You can also sometimes get great rates through mousesavers.

The Hilton Orlando also has a very nice pool area, as does the Hyatt Regency Orlando.

 

[Goseethemouse]

There are a lot of great places in the I-Drive area. I would have a look at the I Ride Trolley as well - great for travelling further distances on I-Drive when you don't have a car. http://www.iridetrolley.com/map.asp

I recently stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages - that was very nice and you can get options with 1-2 bedrooms. You can also sometimes get great rates through mousesavers.

The Hilton Orlando also has a very nice pool area, as does the Hyatt Regency Orlando.

That is pretty much what I am thinking. We have stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages before (and used the I Ride Trolley). I do like the fact that we would have more space/beds but if I remember correctly the pools are nice but not that special (my kids are teenagers so the pirate pool won't be as much of a hit as last time). Also, I think I would prefer going somewhere new (to us). But it is a nice option.

I have been looking at the Hilton and the Hyatt. The location seems great. I am having a hard time telling which has the better pool though?

 

[mjhtvchick]

That is pretty much what I am thinking. We have stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages before (and used the I Ride Trolley). I do like the fact that we would have more space/beds but if I remember correctly the pools are nice but not that special (my kids are teenagers so the pirate pool won't be as much of a hit as last time). Also, I think I would prefer going somewhere new (to us). But it is a nice option.

I have been looking at the Hilton and the Hyatt. The location seems great. I am having a hard time telling which has the better pool though?

You are right in that there is nothing "special" about the pool at SVV.

Honestly, between the Hilton and Hyatt, I think it is tough - the pools themselves are pretty similar but the Hilton has the lazy river which is nice if you are going to be hanging out there most of the day. On the flipside, the Hyatt is such a close walk to Pointe Orlando, you may not even have to bother with the trolley, unless there is somewhere specific you want to go further up I-Drive.

Maybe have a look at room options/rates for your dates - might help push you one way or the other.

 

[Goseethemouse]

You are right in that there is nothing "special" about the pool at SVV.

Honestly, between the Hilton and Hyatt, I think it is tough - the pools themselves are pretty similar but the Hilton has the lazy river which is nice if you are going to be hanging out there most of the day. On the flipside, the Hyatt is such a close walk to Pointe Orlando, you may not even have to bother with the trolley, unless there is somewhere specific you want to go further up I-Drive.

Maybe have a look at room options/rates for your dates - might help push you one way or the other.

Thanks! The rates are fairly similar - the Hilton is a bit more (but I haven't really searched to see if I can find a better rate). We would probably want to go to the outlet stores so might ride the trolley. How is the atmosphere at the two hotels? Is it fairly similar? I am looking for something nice/vacation-y but maybe a bit different from the more residential timeshare vibe (we will be staying at Saratoga Springs afterwards).

 

[pattyw]

The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has a lovely pool. The JW Marriott has a great lazy river pool and allows access to the Ritz Carlton next door.

 

[Goseethemouse]

The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress has a lovely pool. The JW Marriott has a great lazy river pool and allows access to the Ritz Carlton next door.

Yes, they look great. However, I really want to stay at/near I-Drive as we won't have a car and will stay at Disney for most of the trip. So that is our best chance to do some shopping, eat at more affordable places, explore some fun options without having to worry about transportation.

 

[robinb]

What about the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites? Mousesavers has a code that will get you free parking (I know you don't need it). Sometimes they offer even better deals through their newsletter. Back in June they offered free parking and free resort fees ($30). I don't think it's on the I-Drive Trolley, though.

 

[Penmac]

We did 2 nights here: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/florida/hyatt-regency-orlando/mcoro

Hyatt on I-drive. It's close to shops and restaurants. Huge hotel- very modern. The rooms are standard size, but there was an extra chair/sofa thing a 5th person could sleep on. We didn't need it so I didn't inspect it closely.