Resiedence Inn Sea World

[Mjasp]

This looks like a real nice hotel. Seems brand new as it says it opened in February 2002.

Has anyone stayed there??? And what did you think?

 

[hercamore]

I have stayed at the RI LBV last summer when it was new. Very nice spacious suites with big breakfast (free). From the pictures of the new RI at Seaworld, they look to be identical hotels.

I would like to try the new RI at Seaworld later this year. There have been a couple of positive reviews....try doing a search.

I have heard that the pool is really nice.

I'd check the Marriott website for intro rates.

Herc.

 

[nwdisgal]

I stayed there in April. I did a post on it shortly after that stated the positives and the few negatives. The biggest negative was that the back side of the RI faces I-4 and there is considerable road noise if thats where your room is located. Other than that, it was a very nice resort.

 

[Mjasp]

nwdisgal...Can you please bump up the thread you wrote on it. I did a search and don't recall reading it.

Thx
Joanna

 

[Mjasp]

FYI: My sister and MIL live a couple of miles from the Residence Inn Sea World. I asked them to go over and check it out for me. Well they called me Friday night and were raving how beautiful it is, they said alot of families with small children, the pool has a cafe and Pizza Hut next to it along with a bar.
They also said the lobby and grounds are absolutely gorgeous, looks like a 5 star property (we'll see about that one)
But I did book a 1 bedroom suite with 2 queen beds, full kitchen and 1 bath. The price is $89 a night and $85 with the AAA rate. So I am booked for that and will let you know if they are able to get in and see a room as all the 1 bedrooms were booked when they were there on Friday night.

Joanna

 

[nwdisgal]

Mjasp - I tried to do a search function for my previous post without any luck tonight. The system is excruciatingly slow tonight - and it may be just my system which is known to be tempermental in its own right

We stayed at RI in April 2002. It had been open for a couple of months. I believe it opened on February 14, 2002. Here are my positives and a few negatives. The lobby area is beautiful. There is also a nice pool area with fountains, and a good sized pool deck area with tables and umbrellas for shading and lounge chairs. There is a neat sports court, playground and barbeque area adjacent to the pool area. The bar is located next to the pool, and they have a Pizza Hut. The drinks are good, and reasonably priced and they put out complimentary pizza at Happy Hour (or they did when we were there). They have a large workout room, nice laundry room, and porch area with rocking chairs were you can look out on the courtyard. My husband had the complimentary breakfast buffet and his report was that the food was mediocre.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom and it was very spacious. There were bedrooms on each side of the living room, a good sized kitchen with all the amenities of home (soap, paper towels, etc.) In the 2 bedroom there was a Master Bed with 1 Queen and a desk area and full bath with a large vanity area outside the bathroom. The second bedroom was smaller and had two queens. Each room, including both bedrooms had a tv. There was also a second bathroom off the hallway in the main living area with full bath, vanity, etc. The decor was pretty in vivid yellows and blues. The bathrooms and bedrooms had plenty of storage area. The beds were super comfy.

I had some nitpicks. The first was with room cleanliness in the living room. There was a stain (appeared to by dried milk from a baby's bottle) over the front of the component holder for the tv, the varnish was peeling off in spots and spots on the couch in the main living area. There was also a spot on one of the blankets in the bedrooms. That was what it was like when we checked in. The kitchen and bathroom areas were spotless.

The second nitpick was the resort's location. Part of it faces I-4 and if you have a room on that side (like we did), it can be noisy, especially at night. I think a courtyard or poolview room would be very nice, and I would request that next time. The area around RI is still being developed, so if you are looking to the south (?) of the pool area, there is a vacant lot behind the fence. As the area develops and the landscaping matures, that view, I am sure will improve.

Overall, I thought it was a beautiful resort, and I would stay there again with a courtyard/poolview room. I hope that helps.

 

[Mjasp]

Thanks so much for rewriting about this resort. Since you say overall you would rebook, I am going to keep my reservation.
I did request a pool view, so hopefully I will get it.

By the way, its not your computer that is slow, the boards are slow tonight.

Joanna

 

[nwdisgal]

$89 is a great rate, and the nit picks I had could have been easily remedied (by requesting a different room). I think you will enjoy the resort and as I recall it is about a 10-15 minute drive to the parks. Have a great trip!

 

[TurtleMan]

We stayed there for the Memorial Day Weekend. It is nice. The staff is friendly and efficient. If you have a problem, speak up - they will make it right for you.
The only negative thing about it that we found was that the shuttle service was extremely limited. We were led to believe that the shuttle ran on very regular intervals. We did not do WDW this time but were instead guests at Discovery Cove and Sea World. The shuttle did it's final run of the day at 6:25PM when Sea World was open until 10pm each night. Also, the first shuttle of the day did not leave until 8:30 AM - this is late if you are going to Discovery Cove and want to get the 9am swim time! We discovered the I-Ride Trolley which was great. When I spoke with the Front Desk about the shuttle problem, they refunded me the cost of my "alternative" travel (taxi and I-Ride) without any problem at all. Have fun if you stay there!

 

[minnieears]

We just got back from a Disney cruise where we stayed at the RI Seaworld before the cruise and after the cruise.

Just wanted to let you know that we loved the hotel! The pool was great for my two daughters (ages 3 and 4.5). The Pizza Hut express was great for a quick (although expensive) lunch. The girls loved the playground and the sand vollyball court (when no one was playing volleyball on it). My husband liked playing on the basketball court.

The rooms had lots of space but the decor and furnishings are not that great. I guess I'm used to the true Marriot and Hyatt hotels.

The full breakfast buffet is nice to have.

However, it's a great hotel. I wouldn't hesitate about staying there again.

Hope it helps.