Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld
- Thread starter drolen
- Start date
Drolen: If you are talking about the Residence Inn Seaworld, we stayed there two months ago and I wrote a review about it on Tripadvisor. I'll repost it here for you:
As some have noted, if you do not have transportation and like to stay at a place where you can walk to restaurants, shops, etc., this place is not for you. This property is marketed in every way (including by name) as convenient to SeaWorld, yet I found it fascinating, and a bit disappointing, that they have done nothing to enhance access from the hotel to the park. No sidewalk, to cross-walk at the busy Central Fla Parkway / Westwood Blvd. intersection, etc. If you have small children, SeaWorld might as well be miles away, and you'll need to use the sporadic shuttle service. Those driving the quarter mile in their own cars will have to pay the $9 parking fee at the park.
On first impression, the property itself is well-appointed by Residence Inn standards. The pool is beautiful, nicely landscaped with squirting fountains, and the highlight for families is at one end, where there is no drop-off and the little ones can wade in and splash around without fear of falling into deeper water. Inside, there is a large lobby/breakfast area with a cozy area off to the side with big armchairs and a television.
Check in was so-so. We arrived at 2:00 p.m., a bit early to be sure, and our room was not ready. The staffperson took my cell-number and told us she would call when a room was available. We decided to go to SeaWorld for the afternoon, so we did not get back to the hotel until the evening, and there had been no cell-phone call as of yet. Regardless, there was a room available by then, and we then discovered a very strange design feature of the building . . . .
There are no elevators near the lobby in the middle of the building. This means that anyone going to a room that is on one of the 5 upper floors must necessarily go all the way to one end of the long building. God forbid you should have a room in the middle of the structure, because then you have to go all the way to the end, go up the elevator, then trudge all the way back to the middle again to get to your room. If you walk slow, a trip from your room to the lobby back to your room could take more than 10 minutes. This is not a 5000-room resort. When you consider how compact the building and property really is, it is incomprehensible why someone would design a hotel building in this way.
After checking in with my wife and two little daughters, we made the first long walk to our 5th floor nonsmoking room, which, when we entered, smelled like it had just hosted a poker party for cigarette fiends. I am not particularly sensitive to smoke or mold, and ordinarily I wouldn't even notice it, but in this case it was intolerable. A sign on the door clearly states that the room is a nonsmoking room, so I fault the cleaning staff for not advising the lobby that they could not put guests into this room who have asked for nonsmoking. As it was, with the long circuitous route back to the lobby, it took about 20 minutes by the time we could get into another room. No problem for me alone, but but when you've got a tired wife and kids in tow, it was inconvenient and more than a little annoying to have to deal with.
Once we were finally checked into an appropriate room, we found the accommodations very nice, with a good-sized living area and a separate bedroom. Everything was clean, including the kitchen area, and the room featured everything you would expect from a mid/upper level hotel. Another word of warning, however. If you need it quiet when you sleep, this may not be the place for you. The walls were not thin, in that we didn't hear noise from other guests, which is a plus. But the hotel is right off of the busy I-4 route, which features heavy traffic almost 24 hours a day. The windows did not keep out the sounds of motorcycles and heavy rigs.
We were tired from a long first day and decided not to try to venture out to eat. The little pool bar also has a Pizza-Hut window and there is a limited selection of sandwiches/appetizers to choose from. The kids shared a pizza while my wife and I opted for the grilled chicken sandwich. We had no complaints with the food at all, but we wouldn't rave about it either.
A word about the staff -- although I have noted some glitches, for the most part the staff was friendly, courteous, and helpful. Although changing rooms was an unanticipated ordeal, the front desk clerk handled it as quickly and efficiently as possible. And when we inquired about off-site restaurants, we were given several choices and detailed directions.
One final consideration. For those travelling later in 2006 or beyond, there is a large area of land between the hotel and a Marriott Horizons timeshare property that can be seen from poolside that has been cleared for what looks like imminent construction. My guess is that those staying here later in the year can expect a lot of construction noise to interfere with their enjoyment of the pool area.
All in all, we really wanted to like this hotel, but I do not think we will be back. As I said, the staff was helpful, but the property itself is flawed with respect to location, configuration, and access.
As some have noted, if you do not have transportation and like to stay at a place where you can walk to restaurants, shops, etc., this place is not for you. This property is marketed in every way (including by name) as convenient to SeaWorld, yet I found it fascinating, and a bit disappointing, that they have done nothing to enhance access from the hotel to the park. No sidewalk, to cross-walk at the busy Central Fla Parkway / Westwood Blvd. intersection, etc. If you have small children, SeaWorld might as well be miles away, and you'll need to use the sporadic shuttle service. Those driving the quarter mile in their own cars will have to pay the $9 parking fee at the park.
On first impression, the property itself is well-appointed by Residence Inn standards. The pool is beautiful, nicely landscaped with squirting fountains, and the highlight for families is at one end, where there is no drop-off and the little ones can wade in and splash around without fear of falling into deeper water. Inside, there is a large lobby/breakfast area with a cozy area off to the side with big armchairs and a television.
Check in was so-so. We arrived at 2:00 p.m., a bit early to be sure, and our room was not ready. The staffperson took my cell-number and told us she would call when a room was available. We decided to go to SeaWorld for the afternoon, so we did not get back to the hotel until the evening, and there had been no cell-phone call as of yet. Regardless, there was a room available by then, and we then discovered a very strange design feature of the building . . . .
There are no elevators near the lobby in the middle of the building. This means that anyone going to a room that is on one of the 5 upper floors must necessarily go all the way to one end of the long building. God forbid you should have a room in the middle of the structure, because then you have to go all the way to the end, go up the elevator, then trudge all the way back to the middle again to get to your room. If you walk slow, a trip from your room to the lobby back to your room could take more than 10 minutes. This is not a 5000-room resort. When you consider how compact the building and property really is, it is incomprehensible why someone would design a hotel building in this way.
After checking in with my wife and two little daughters, we made the first long walk to our 5th floor nonsmoking room, which, when we entered, smelled like it had just hosted a poker party for cigarette fiends. I am not particularly sensitive to smoke or mold, and ordinarily I wouldn't even notice it, but in this case it was intolerable. A sign on the door clearly states that the room is a nonsmoking room, so I fault the cleaning staff for not advising the lobby that they could not put guests into this room who have asked for nonsmoking. As it was, with the long circuitous route back to the lobby, it took about 20 minutes by the time we could get into another room. No problem for me alone, but but when you've got a tired wife and kids in tow, it was inconvenient and more than a little annoying to have to deal with.
Once we were finally checked into an appropriate room, we found the accommodations very nice, with a good-sized living area and a separate bedroom. Everything was clean, including the kitchen area, and the room featured everything you would expect from a mid/upper level hotel. Another word of warning, however. If you need it quiet when you sleep, this may not be the place for you. The walls were not thin, in that we didn't hear noise from other guests, which is a plus. But the hotel is right off of the busy I-4 route, which features heavy traffic almost 24 hours a day. The windows did not keep out the sounds of motorcycles and heavy rigs.
We were tired from a long first day and decided not to try to venture out to eat. The little pool bar also has a Pizza-Hut window and there is a limited selection of sandwiches/appetizers to choose from. The kids shared a pizza while my wife and I opted for the grilled chicken sandwich. We had no complaints with the food at all, but we wouldn't rave about it either.
A word about the staff -- although I have noted some glitches, for the most part the staff was friendly, courteous, and helpful. Although changing rooms was an unanticipated ordeal, the front desk clerk handled it as quickly and efficiently as possible. And when we inquired about off-site restaurants, we were given several choices and detailed directions.
One final consideration. For those travelling later in 2006 or beyond, there is a large area of land between the hotel and a Marriott Horizons timeshare property that can be seen from poolside that has been cleared for what looks like imminent construction. My guess is that those staying here later in the year can expect a lot of construction noise to interfere with their enjoyment of the pool area.
All in all, we really wanted to like this hotel, but I do not think we will be back. As I said, the staff was helpful, but the property itself is flawed with respect to location, configuration, and access.
Joy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 13, 2005
- Messages
- 399
I just got back from the Residence Inn at Sea World. I went with my Mother and Sisters for a girls weekend. I thought the hotel was a great deal for the money. We had a two bedroom and a one bedroom unit. The kitchen was nice although we only used it to make coffee and we kept some drinks in the fridge. The rooms were in great shape. The carpet and all of the furnishings were very new. The beds were comfortable. Everything was very clean.
The breakfast buffet was quite good (especially for free). There was eggs, oatmeal and grits, sausages and waffles etc. Plus there was cold cereal, pastries, bagels and fresh fruit.
Check-in was quick. We got to the hotel at 3:00 and our rooms were ready. The person checking us in wasn't overly friendly, but the other staff we encountered were very nice.
The pool was nice. I didn't go in because my sister said it was cold, but I used the hot tub. It was great. There is a playground area for kids and gas grills if you wanted to cook outside. The grounds were well kept and attractive.
I would try to get a room on the pool side. We were on the side facing the road and it got a little noisy with traffic. It didn't keep me awake though.
You don't want a room on the first floor!!! The elevators are at the end of each of the two halls. If you are on the first floor, people will be walking past your rooms all the time to get to the elevator. Our rooms were on the fifth floor near the elevator. If they had been pool view, I would have said they were perfect. We did not hear noise from any of the other guests, but we may have been too noisy ourselves.
The location was good too. We could get to Disney in less than 20 minutes. It probably would have been quicker, but we kept getting lost. The last day, we went to the desk to ask directions and they gave us a list of directions to all of the attractions and stores in the area. Ask for that at check-in and you will be fine. You will need a car to get around.
If you have any specific questions, just ask. I forgot to take photos, but the photos on expedia are current. I would stay there again. The rooms weren't posh, but they were more than comfortable and clean. I think you will be happy for the price. Have a great trip.
The breakfast buffet was quite good (especially for free). There was eggs, oatmeal and grits, sausages and waffles etc. Plus there was cold cereal, pastries, bagels and fresh fruit.
Check-in was quick. We got to the hotel at 3:00 and our rooms were ready. The person checking us in wasn't overly friendly, but the other staff we encountered were very nice.
The pool was nice. I didn't go in because my sister said it was cold, but I used the hot tub. It was great. There is a playground area for kids and gas grills if you wanted to cook outside. The grounds were well kept and attractive.
I would try to get a room on the pool side. We were on the side facing the road and it got a little noisy with traffic. It didn't keep me awake though.
You don't want a room on the first floor!!! The elevators are at the end of each of the two halls. If you are on the first floor, people will be walking past your rooms all the time to get to the elevator. Our rooms were on the fifth floor near the elevator. If they had been pool view, I would have said they were perfect. We did not hear noise from any of the other guests, but we may have been too noisy ourselves.
The location was good too. We could get to Disney in less than 20 minutes. It probably would have been quicker, but we kept getting lost. The last day, we went to the desk to ask directions and they gave us a list of directions to all of the attractions and stores in the area. Ask for that at check-in and you will be fine. You will need a car to get around.
If you have any specific questions, just ask. I forgot to take photos, but the photos on expedia are current. I would stay there again. The rooms weren't posh, but they were more than comfortable and clean. I think you will be happy for the price. Have a great trip.
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