If you like Super 8 stay here
Written: Jul 27 '06 (Updated Jul 27 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice pool and hottub whirlpool
Cons: Old, uncomfortable bed linens; poor quality food at Jack's; Overpriced beverages
The Bottom Line: There are many other nicer places to stay..that may even be less expensive.
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| likeprancer's Full Review: Rosen Plaza Hotel (The) |
So I had the opportunity to stay at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando June 18-21, 2006. I was in town for a conference and the hotel was one of the hotels they had special rates for. The special rates were still relatively high but it was supposed to be a nice hotel. I checked in late Sunday evening, after 10pm and was not even greeted at my town car by a valet (but they were all around). I found my way to the check-in counter and checked into my room. The front desk staff were pleasant enough, not outgoing, but they were fine.
I went to my room and was surprised when I opened the door at the poor layout and quality of the room. The air also seemed somewhat stale. The room was laid so that the sink counter was the first thing you saw when you entered the room and the lights were somewhat dim, not ideal for putting on makeup. The shower and toilet were next to the sink area and had a door separating that from the sink area. The bathroom was nothing special and certainly did not make you feel like you were staying in a high end hotel. The closet was right behind the sink area so this was a little cramped and would not be ideal if you had more than one person in that room.
The room had an air conditioning unit below the window and when I went to turn mine up, I noticed the floor was wet but I did not think much of it. I crawled into my bed and noticed that the bed had a flat sheet on the bottom that did not completely fit the bed and you could see the small mattress pad beneath that did not extend over the entire mattress. The blanket they had on top had seen better days. It was scratchy with pills and did not give you the feeling it was clean so I certainly did not want it touching my body. The bedspread was equally uncomfortable and looked dated. I did not sleep well because the flat sheet kept moving when I moved and the blankets were just that uncomfortable. Plus the air conditioner kept kicking on and off and this woke me up when it did so. The walls in this hotel were not very thick so when the A/C kicked off I could hear people in the hallway and next door fairly well.
In the morning I awoke to a young child yelling daddy every 5 seconds for about 10-15 mins. It was not a nice way to awake but not necessarily the hotels fault. I also awoke with an extreme sinus problem. When I went to check the A/C unit I again noticed that the carpet around it was soaked. I went to ask the front desk if it was standard to have an ill-fitting flat sheet on the beds and if the carpet was supposed to be wet around the AC. The gentleman at the front desk explained that neither were supposed to be the case and they would have someone look at the AC. As the day went on I noticed that my sinuses were so bad and that probably meant the wet floor was an ongoing issue that no one bothered to fix and they subjected me to a toxic-moldy room. I went back to the front desk and asked to be moved. I was not offered any assistance with this move.
So I moved all my belongings from one room to another across the hall. The bed linens were exactly the same but the floor was not wet. This time the AC had a fan that ran the whole time but the AC part kicked on and off. This offered me enough white noise that I slept much better the second night.
I had the opportunity to partake in a beverage at the lobby bar. The bartenders were not overly friendly and their assortment of options was limited and very overpriced.
I also ate at Jacks, their high end restaurant. I ordered a Pinot Noir to start and the waitress brought a bottle (that had already been opened and was sitting on a ledge at the front of the restaurant, even though I was one of the first customers that night). The wine tasted as though it had turned so I refused it. I ordered a Cabernet instead and while this was a wine that had not gone bad, for the price it certainly was a lower end Cab. I ordered a salad and it arrived with more dressing that lettuce. I also ordered a steak, cooked medium, and it arrived with very little flavor and a little overcooked. It was not that the food was horrible but for a $65.00 meal for one person, I expected it to be good.
Finally, I had the opportunity to swim in the pool and sit in the whirlpool/spa. I believe the water was a saltwater mix instead of chlorine. I had never experienced this before so it was a bit odd but it was still nice. The pool area was very well kept up and was the nicest part of staying in that hotel.
Overall, I was very disappointed in this hotel because the room and bed were not very well-appointed and the expensive restaurant was no better than a Bennigans but cost a lot more. I was very happy that the night of the 21st I flew to another city and stayed in a Marriott and finally got a great nights sleep because the bed and the linens were heavenly compared to what I had to sleep in at the Rosen Plaza!
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID: likeprancer
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Member: Jen
Location: Monroe, LA USA
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me: 37yo, Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Public Speaker/Educator. Traveler; technology user; passionate about customer service.
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