I wrote this review for Tripadvisor and wanted to share it here.
From December 24-31, 2011, we enjoyed our second stay at HOBC. As much as I have enjoyed our stays at various Disney deluxe resorts, it's going to be really hard to justify paying more than twice as much for a Disney hotel when we know how great the Hilton is. We had stayed for three nights during Spring Break for less than $190/night.
This time, I booked a 2-queen room with HHonors points and selected e-upgrades for a high floor and a suite. When the e-upgrades came though ($135 per night), we were absolutely blown away by the size of the "parlor"; it is equal to two rooms. You can see an example floor plan at
http://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/content/ORLHHHH/media/pdf/en_ORLHHHH_Hilton_Deluxe_Suite.pdf. 1,200+ square feet were more than our family of 4 knew what to do with. The leather couch was comfortable enough for one to sleep on as-is, though it is a queen-size foldout. In addition to all the extra furniture, it was nice to have that huge open space by the wet bar where we could leave all our luggage, still easily accessible but completely out of the way.
Service was nearly impeccable throughout our stay. Staff knew my name in just about every instance when they could reasonably be expected to find out. Little extra touches make me suspect that they were also aware of my Diamond status. The only miss was one time (out of seven) that I requested my car from the valet and it took nearly 30 minutes (with two additional asks) before I had it. The quick valet service every other time enables me to recommend wholeheartedly that you choose the $20/day (plus tips) valet over $13 self-parking. The housekeepers were unobtrusively efficient in both daily cleaning and nightly turndown. On Christmas day, Rosa fashioned a few towels into a lovely basket of flowers.
Regrettably our plans took us away from the hotel for most meals, except one lunch at the poolside restaurant Beech, a light dinner from room service, and most breakfasts at the Harvest Bistro. The breakfast buffet exceeds expectations in this family-oriented market where hotels can easily get away with less. In particular, the omelet station works much faster than I am used to seeing at either standalone restaurants or hotels like Embassy Suites. During busy holiday periods like Christmas week, get down to the Bistro before 8:30 to avoid waits of 45 minutes or more for a table.
Because I have free theme park parking with my WDW annual pass, I used the theme park bus service only once, to go to Animal Kingdom. The bus makes two pickups, one at the Hilton and one at the Waldor, then goes to Magic Kingdom, and finally to AK. A second bus line goes to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Downtown Disney. Since DD is only about 5 miles away, I recommend a taxi instead of the 45-minute bus ride. The buses are luxury coaches with reclining seats.
Other reviewers have made clear the very high level of HOBC's facilities. I would just point out that the lazy river is unmatched by any Disney hotel pool, including Stormalong Bay. The holiday decorations, while perhaps not Disney-quality, were certainly superior by any other standard. Our seven nights at HOBC flew by and my family is looking forward to our next visit. Next time, we'll make more of an effort to try all the restaurants.
to the DIS, SigEpMike13. I'm sorry I can't find a dress code, but here is a Disney Food Blog blurb about it:
), for posting your very thorough and informative HBC review! It sounds like you might not be returning onsite for a while. Have you also tried the WAO? Glad you had a great visit and we look forward to more of your reviews.
DH and I have been pricing out our vacation for F&W festival and the prices are 
. Originally I wanted to stay at BWI but the WAO looks amazing and I am seriously considering staying there. The grounds looks beautiful and its still close to the parks. We always rent a car so Im not concerned with transportation. But, since we love to spend time at Epcot and DHS, I wanted to make sure that we were still close if not staying at a "Disney" resort. WAO is definitely on the top of my list!
