RPR - how soon do I need to book?

[keishashadow]

Last trip to HRH in early Feb '05 we booked in Dec. & they offered us a free night if we'd stay 4 days , assume them days are gone.

Want to stay @ RPR 3 nights (including weekend) last week in June.

How soon do I need to book a room?

Are you still able to book @ rack/AAA; then switch over to AP rate if better deal?

Should I tie in the Loews member # for any percs? Seem to recall we got an upgrade to pool view, is this still available?

 

[rstamm]

Last trip to HRH in early Feb '05 we booked in Dec. & they offered us a free night if we'd stay 4 days , assume them days are gone.

Want to stay @ RPR 3 nights (including weekend) last week in June.

How soon do I need to book a room?

Are you still able to book @ rack/AAA; then switch over to AP rate if better deal?

Should I tie in the Loews member # for any percs? Seem to recall we got an upgrade to pool view, is this still available?

As soon as possible.
I wanted 1 night the week of June 18 and Monday thru Wednesday were sold out. Thursday was almost $300 and I was lucky to get Friday with a AAA rate of $191.
I thought I had plenty of time, till I checked the prices and found out those days were already sold out, I would recommend checking now, you can always cancel or change your dates later.

 

[keishashadow]

uh-oh - thanks.

 

[macraven]

each year i stay on site for the second weekend of october.
think hhn......

i always book my room early january of that year.
in 06, i booked my room on jan. 2nd

will be doing the same for the oct 07 trip. (booking early january)


i book with the AAA discount. i also give my loews first number for the perks of points stayed and the welcome gift.

in the late summer, i check the AP rates. if they go down tremendously, i call universal and modify my ressie. i rebook the room with the AP rate and cancel the ressie with the AAA rate.

do NOT cancel the room if you have the AAA rate already booked until you rebook with the other discount.

once that room is gone, it is gone and you can not get the rate back.

only a certain percentage of rooms per hotel is allowed to be booked on the AAA or AP rate.


book now. if the AAA rate is not out, call and modify it when it does come out.

check the website for the discounts now.

 

[keishashadow]

Thanks mac - Realize that different seasons garner different rates but, know that I paid less than $150 night (including all taxes, fees & parking) last trip to HRH. Surprised as to AAA rates I've found for standard rooms:

RPR $191+

PBR $239+

HRH $260+

When I last booked HR was the "middle priced" resort, always thought PBR was the "flagship" one.

Liked HR but, not willing to pay that prem. to revist. Is Portofino worth the extra bucks?

 

[macraven]

pbh has the largest more spacious rooms. 460 sq ft.
this is greater than the others.

it is a beautiful hotel with lovely grounds.
the only thing i didn't care for is its size.

its huge !!!!!

and, i prefer being closer to the parks so i like hrh.

if you have never been to pbh, you should try it at least once. i did and it was worth it.

hrh has lately been the highest of the 3 hotels for the room rates.
it only has i think 650 rooms, a lot less than the other 2 hotels and fills up quicker.

looks like with your figures that you would pay about just under $50 more if you decided to go with pbh than rph.

it is worth that extra money just in the space alone you will gain by staying at pbh.

go ahead and book the pbh. you will like it.

the only thing that i found not to my liking is the distance.
i am used to going to the parks early, walk back to the hotel (hrh) and then back to the park at least twice a day.......this hotel is so close, it doesn't bother me.

if you miss the boat at pbh and walk to the parks, it will take you at least 15 minutes. this might not be an issue for you and your family but don't know how you spend your days on your vacation when you are at UO.

 

[robvia]

When I last booked HR was the "middle priced" resort, always thought PBR was the "flagship" one. Liked HR but, not willing to pay that prem. to revist. Is Portofino worth the extra bucks?

Times have changed. The HRH became the "in" or "hip" property because of being so close to the parks and the pool has more action.
The PBH is our favorite, has bigger rooms, and a huge bathroom. The PBH is the better hotel, but 13 minutes away by walking path, or you take the boat ride.

Try the PBH, once you go, you'll be spoiled with the larger room size, and huge bathroom.

We also love the PBH because they allow dogs to sit at the top deck of the pool area. To a pet owner, it's the best to be laying at the pool with your dog next to you. Everyone comes around to pet them, even the life guards sit down, pet the dog, and talk. Where else can you not only bring your dog to a hotel, but bring it to the pool? I'd have to say, the PBH is the only place that allows this.

The PBH is the more beautiful hotel, but the HRH with it's "hip" attitude and being 5 minutes to USF made the demand go up, thus they raised prices making it the most expensive.

 

[keishashadow]

We really enjoyed everything about the HRH (except the Kitchen-yuck). Did think there was a fine line between the front desk staff being oh, so cool vs clueless.

Read a guidebook where it indicates that a PBH balcony room (I guess this is the deluxe?) is to die for...anyone stay in it before?

Other than price, what is RPR strong point?

Is it walkable to parks?

Will it be overrun with conventioneers? (Thurs to Sun)

It appears as though we could do concierge @ RPR for $10 more a night that HRH standard...shocking.

Same guide book indicates that RPR has cont. breakfast, light lunch & 1 or 2 entrees from the dining room available; along with free soda & beer all day...something to consider if it's still available.

 

[macraven]

some people love rph and not because of the price.
they just adore it tremendously.

it's strong features are the lovely large lobby, resturants, grounds and the pools imo.

i had friends that stayed concierge the days i stayed in a standard view at rph in october.
they liked the cont. breakfast a lot. all 3 hotels have that feature for the club levels.

the walk is something i never did. i went solo and didn't want to walk at 2:30 in the morning after hhn.........only a couple of times when i was on the boat did i see security on the path.

i did the boat only the entire trip last month for getting to the parks and back to the hotel.
i am told it is about a 12 minute walk from the hotel to the parks

yes, hrh was more than the club rph in october. demand is greater at hrh and it does have a lot less rooms than rph.

hrh and rph do hold a lot of conventioneers. each time i have been at hrh, there is always a group there that over laps my stay.

if it were me, i would stay hrh due to the closeness to the parks.
and for the larger rooms and separate wall from the bath to bed area.

less time to the parks from the hotel is my priority keisha.
if it isn't yours, and the free beverages and snacks are, then go for rph club.

as long as you are staying on site, you can not go wrong with any 3 of them on site hotels. they all have strong features.

 

[robvia]

Right, the convention crowd is the other reason the HRH went up in price. Big companies book the HRH for their meetings and fill it up. The demand went up, and so did the price.

RPR is a tropical theme, very beautiful. The pool is supposedly the largest in Florida. The walk to IOA is 7 minutes along the walking path, slightly farther than the HRH, but only by 2 minutes. Only negative about the RPR is the rooms are the smallest, almost like staying in a regular hotel.

Each resort offers something unique, you can't go wrong with whatever one you pick. If you haven't tried the RPR or PBH, then I'd say to try them. Go for the RPR, then on your next visit try the PBH and you"ll be spoiled with the room size.