Our family decided to venture to Florida over the Christmas/New Year's break.  We are a family of four and we need a lot of room when traveling.  We are "jumbo-sized" if you know what I mean.  I began by reseraching Disney properties.  They were outrageously expensive and the value properties were practically as small as a cabin on a cruise ship.  I stumbled upon the Caribe Royale and saw that it was close by the parks, affordable, and had a resort-like property.  So I scoured the internet and found MOSTLY good reviews but a few that left me skeptical.  Instead of skipping over this hotel, I emailed the hotel manager with my concerns.  She instantly emailed me back and assured me that my concerns would turn out to be nothing.  She was 100% correct.  


About Caribe Royale

The Caribe Royale is located very close to many Orlando hotspots.  It's a quick drive from the airport and located on a very main thoroughfare, World Center Drive.  It is beautiful to drive up to the lobby receiving area and it is a HUGE property.  One of the main reasons we chose the Caribe Royale was its proximity to the parks, especially Sea World, which was only a few miles up the block, literally about 10 minutes.

The Caribe Royale has ample parking encircling the entire building.  The hotel consists of three hi-rise towers and a low rise front building.  You park your car by the tower you are assigned.  There are entrances all around.  The hotel is an all-suite property, which provided large, ample rooms for my family.   We had a view overlooking the beautiful pool grounds.
The lobby is beautiful.  There is a convenience store/gift shop located right there, as well as a Ticket Desk.  We bought our Sea World tickets there and they provided us with a small discount over buying the tickets at the park.  Every little bit of saving adds up!
The lobby leads to the atrium area, where you access the restaurants.  You can also go directly to the pool.  The lobby also leads to the Business Center, where you can use their computers (not free), fax machine, printer, etc.  Along this hallway is also an individual Hertz desk so you can rent a car directly at the hotel.

The Restaurants

There were many on-site eating choices at the Caribe Royale.  The Venetian was the formal, upscale dining room.  We did not eat there.  The Topicale was the standard restaurant serving three meals daily.  We ate there on New Year's Eve, which was a buffet extravanganza.  You needed reservations and it was costly.  The buffet was gorgeous to look at but disappointing in taste and value.  There is a 24-hour cafe right off the pool area which was convenient.  Additionally, there were bars located poolside and lounge/entertainment areas in the lobby atrium area.  
The Caribe Royale is located near many chain restaurants if you do not want to eat onsite. 

The Pools

The pool at the Caribe Royale was fabulous.  It is a lagoon style pool, freeform in shape, surrounding a very cool waterfall (the kids love swimming under it).  The pool was heated, which was nice in January, even in Florida!  The deepest parts of the pool were about 6 feet but the pool was mostly around 3-4 feet.  There is no diving.  The pool also had its own waterslide, which was fun!  Off the main pool area is a small waterpark for the toddlers.  This area has its own chairs for parents to sit.  I felt that this really amped up the flexibility of the pool area.

Fun Additions

When we were there in January, each night part of the pool area is set up with a jumbo projector movie screen and they show movies under the stars!  They provide FREE popcorn for this free service.  We all sat snuggled up in the lounge chairs watching family friendly movies.  SUCH a perk when you are in for the evening after a long park day.

There is a fitness room, although working out isn't a Fun Addition to me!  It is a separate two floored building by the pool.  It is a beautiful facility and it gets a lot of use. There is also a game room with video games for the kids. 

The Room

The rooms were amply sized for amply sized people like us!  Even though it is a suite, it simply seemed like two areas simply divided in the middle with a bathroom.  There were 2 Queen beds in the rear room, with its own tv, and a pull out sofa in the front room, also with a tv.  The centered bathroom was a room with a toilet and shower, with the sink and mirror located in the hallway.  I am not a fan of this setup but it works with a family of four all jockeying for bathroom rights.  The room was very clean and very comfortable.

Last Words

The Caribe Royale is an excellent value in the Disney and Sea World area.  One shortcoming though is that there are no continuous shuttles to and from parks.  They have a schedule shuttle service but it isn't to all the parks and it isn't convenient.  You will need a car if you stay here.   Especially if you want to dine off premises (which I would recommend).  Dining is this hotel's one downfall.

Book your room early, if possible.  I booked in October for New Year's and paid about $150 a night.  As it got closer to our travel date, I re-checked all my reservations (I saved a ton on my rental car this way) and I saw that the room rates went way up.  This hotel definitely likes earlier bookings.

We would absolutely stay here again!  It is a fabulous place for families, with something for everyone.  There is even a spa onsite now!  I tried getting a booking but they were filled.  This is a budget friendly hotel that is in pristine condition.  The manager is friendly, as were the staff.  I can't say enough good things about the Caribe Royale.

Recommended: Yes