Cathryn G.
Yelp
I stayed here recently for a conference. I'll start with the pros. My room was very large. There was a king size bed, a large sofa that turned into a bed, and an arm chair. There was also a desk, full-size mirror and television. The bathroom had two sinks.
The pool isn't terribly special but it has a nice bar and restaurant next to the pool and the splash area for kids is quite outstanding. There was a small splash area with a tiny slide for toddlers and then there was a bigger, splash area with two larger slides. My five-year-old was very happy at both. Also, as a Marriott Bonvoy elite member I was very happy that my room was ready early.
The cons. The parking here is atrocious. It is $36 a day to self park and $50 a day to valet park. I'm pretty sure the reason they do this so that people don't park here and walk across the street to Sea World but those parking rates are highway robbery. Additionally, many hotels in the area offer courtesy valet for people with a disability placard but this hotel does no,t so if there are no accessible parking spots in the self park, you will have quite a walk or you will be paying $50 a day for valet. So not only is the parking rate absolutely insane, but the parking isn't terribly convenient either. We also had some issue with the valet in that they weren't very friendly and they weren't well organized in moving people through and pulling those who needed to stop over to the side.
I don't love the vibe in the lobby. It feels a lot like an airport. It's also extremely loud and you can hear the noises from the lobby in your room.
The check-in line was extremely long upon arrival, so I highly recommend using mobile key. If you are Bonvoy Elite, there is a separate line that will speed things up for you.
There were also inconsistencies at check in. Most of the other people at the conference were given 2 drink tickets at check in for the bar. I'm elite and did not receive these.
The food at the convention was also very hit or miss. They had continental breakfast until 8:30am, but by 8:15 there was nothing left but hot water and they wouldn't refill it. We had a reception one night from 5-6pm. There were tortilla chips, salsa, queso, and guac. I went to get a drink first. After getting my drink I go to get the chips and they are out. I ask if they are brining out more and they say no. So no chips left after 15 minutes, but tons of salsa, guac, and cheese to put on nothing? The convention dinner was good, albeit strange with Moroccan chicken, Italian pasta, and Indian bread. The breakfast was atrocious with burnt bacon, under scrambled eggs, and hasbrowns so over cooked it was nothinig but crust.
Overall the room was nice and the location great for Sea World or International Drive attractions, but the food and service are real hit or miss.