Residence Inn or Hilton Grand Vacations

[delilah18]

Hello

Trying to narrow it doen to these two properties


Do you have to attend a timeshare presentation if booked through a Seaworld package, is parking charged here?
Where do you get the quick que passes?
Is it nice here I have seen some bad reviews on Trip Advisor

For Residence Inn, do they have laundry facilities are they clean?
Is this a nice property is it clean?


Thanks

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Do you have to attend a timeshare presentation if booked through a Seaworld package - No

is parking charged here? - Not at RI, unsure at Hilton

Where do you get the quick que passes? - from the Expedia desk in the lobby

Is it nice here I have seen some bad reviews on Trip Advisor - we liked it

For Residence Inn, do they have laundry facilities are they clean? - Yes. One large room on the first floor. I believe their were 14 washers and 18 dryers.

Is this a nice property is it clean? - You can check out my December 2012 trip report (see the link in my signature) for pictures and our full write up of our experience there


Thanks

See my answers above, in red.

 

[annabug]

We just got back from the residence inn. we liked it. sure its not perfect, and i read the bad reviews too, but we would stay there again. And I am not easy to please!!


Huge laundry room, it was clean, I was the only one using it at the time. $2 per load. You can get quarters at the front desk.

We had a 2 bedroom suite, nice space, full kitchen, although much to my surprise, I didn't use the kitchen much at all. Nice to have a full size fridge.

Decent free breakfast.

Helpful expedia service desk. Got QQ passes whenever we needed them.

Any other specific questions, just ask!

Annabug

 

[rottiemom]

We stayed at HGVC SeaWorld last year & plan to do so again this year. I found the rooms and the grounds lovely. We had a 1 BR suite with pull out couch, screened in balcony with ceiling fan, separate tub & bathroom, full kitchen, etc. We loved it. Since it's a resort the buildings are not connected to each other so you have to do a bit of walking depending on where your room is in order to get to the restaurant & pools but I don't find that a big deal. Full kitchens with DW, washer & drier in the rooms, assorted soaps and detergents provided as well. There is regular, daily maid service like a hotel.

No charge for parking, they will give you a parking pass. We didn't book a SW package but we did pay for the rooms and did not have to attend a time share presentation. We did get a call shortly after we checked in "inviting" us to a complimentary welcome breakfast with prizes, gifts and a short presentation but I just said that we would be too busy to attend anything like that and that was the end of it. No pressure, no need for me to be rude. I'm on my vacation that I paid for, I'm not giving them any of my time. If the gifts sound tempting & you want to take advantage of them it's totally up to you.

Also since the HGVC is a resort there are activities going on throughout the day as well as a kid's club on the premises so you can take advantage of those offerings.

The QQ passes can be gotten at the SW desk in the main lobby, to the left of the check in desk. You can make your shuttle reservations there as well.

I found the on site restaurant OK but the on site market does breakfast & deli sandwiches. There's a 7-11 & Bonefish Grill right across the street and there must be a ton of restaurants in the area...this time we're going to explore those options .

Have fun & good luck. Let me know if you have any questions about HGVC!

 

[kathy884]

The HGVC is going to be larger, more spacious, a little more luxurious, has a balcony, has more amenities onsite. It is a spacious timeshare resort condo. (No you do not need to attend a timeshare presentation). If you are going to be doing laundry, it's nice that this is right in your condo.

The Marriott Residence Inn is going to be much more spacious than a hotel, includes a breakfast which is quite good, and include other typical hotel amenities. If you are booking retail, the Residence Inn is also going to be quite a bit less expensive than the HGVC, at least when I've looked.

*****************
My personal preferences:
If it's a longer stay (like a week) I love something like the HGVC (a timeshare condo) // If I have a week stay I usually rent these from owners on sites like TUG2.net or Redweek.com to save money. Usually for shorter stays, I've gone retail, haven't seen owner rentals. // I've gone condo for short stays on occasion for the large space for visiting with extended family and the balcony.

If it's a few nights, normally I'd probably go with the Residence Inn for the included breakfast, as I wouldn't be out and about doing my own grocery shopping.