We have stayed at HIFS twice, 01/00 and 01/01. We stayed with my parents and two kids in a classic suite. Was it a good deal price wise? Absolutely. We got the senior rate of $84.00, considering we were housing 6 people and we all ate a big breakfast everyday, that's some bargain. The breakfast was adequate, but if you're accostumed to breakfast/brunches that have omelet stations, belgian waffles and piles of delectable fruits, you will not find that here. If you have enjoyed the size of the living area in a Hawthorne or Embassy suites, you may be suprised. If you're used to the speed and effciency of a check-in at a Marriot, be prepared to cool your heels. If you like your fast food from the food court, well, FAST, avoid peak dining times. If you eat at the buffet in the evening, be prepared to have a 15% gratuity added even if your server never returns once to refill your drinks.
I cannot stress enough, GET A WRITTEN CONFIRMATION. WE have done three check ins with them and each time they were messed up. The worst being at 3:00am (flight delayed) when they had magically changed our resi to a Residence suite that would not sleep all of us on a night when they were booked solid. Without our confirmation letters we would have had a big problem. When we returned after going to the beach for a few days, they again had us in the wrong rooms. Sigh. With the wrong rate.
We had no trouble with housekeeping, in fact my child also got sick in the middle of the night and someone was there with linens within 10 minutes of our call. Our lock stopped working, it took 40 minutes for them to come and let us in as we sat in the corridor watching our ice cream melt. A chair and a lamp were missing from our room, which they replaced once we let them know.
The front desk and food court were terribly understaffed, you need to be aware and try to avoid busy times.
I know many people have said the shuttles are good, I would still HIGHLY recommend having a car.
Although you are blissfully close to WDW, nothing is in walking distance, if you want to eat somewhere besides the hotel, or want to buy groceries at a grocery store etc. you'll need a car.
The rooms are smallish, but well designed, in my opinion. It's true if you use the sleeper, it takes up the whole room. By shifting the tv stand a little we were able to clear enough space to slide by without crawling over it. The beds were very comfortable; even the sleeper wasn't too bad; slept on it with sick son. It can be noisy, I used ear plugs. And keep in mind there are 800 rooms at HIFS, so it can be crowded when everything is booked up.
So, I guess I'm saying I'd stay here again because it is a comfortable room at a good price, ( but short on luxury.) Once the kids are grown ..... back to a Marriot or comparable.
I cannot stress enough, GET A WRITTEN CONFIRMATION. WE have done three check ins with them and each time they were messed up. The worst being at 3:00am (flight delayed) when they had magically changed our resi to a Residence suite that would not sleep all of us on a night when they were booked solid. Without our confirmation letters we would have had a big problem. When we returned after going to the beach for a few days, they again had us in the wrong rooms. Sigh. With the wrong rate.
We had no trouble with housekeeping, in fact my child also got sick in the middle of the night and someone was there with linens within 10 minutes of our call. Our lock stopped working, it took 40 minutes for them to come and let us in as we sat in the corridor watching our ice cream melt. A chair and a lamp were missing from our room, which they replaced once we let them know.
The front desk and food court were terribly understaffed, you need to be aware and try to avoid busy times.
I know many people have said the shuttles are good, I would still HIGHLY recommend having a car.
Although you are blissfully close to WDW, nothing is in walking distance, if you want to eat somewhere besides the hotel, or want to buy groceries at a grocery store etc. you'll need a car.
The rooms are smallish, but well designed, in my opinion. It's true if you use the sleeper, it takes up the whole room. By shifting the tv stand a little we were able to clear enough space to slide by without crawling over it. The beds were very comfortable; even the sleeper wasn't too bad; slept on it with sick son. It can be noisy, I used ear plugs. And keep in mind there are 800 rooms at HIFS, so it can be crowded when everything is booked up.
So, I guess I'm saying I'd stay here again because it is a comfortable room at a good price, ( but short on luxury.) Once the kids are grown ..... back to a Marriot or comparable.
