-My family and I received a free trip for 3 days/2 nights from a family member. We decided a good family place to go was Orlando, FL. This hotel along with one other were our two choices for lodging. After researching both places over the internet, I concluded the best place was the other hotel. Unfortunately the other hotel was booked, so we had to to take the Wyndham.

-We had arrived on a Sunday evening coming from the International Orlando Airport which was approximately 15 miles from this particular Wyndham. My first impression, although it was dark, was a fairly good one! This surprised me because of the other reviews I had read had given this hotel some pretty bad ratings. The hotel "brochure" reads it has lush gardens and romantic lagoons covering a large portion of the grounds. Personally, I found this to be for the most part true. Considering this hotel is in the midst of a very busy intersection in Orlando, I think they did a nice job making it look tropical. There is a large sign with huge red letters which is easily seen off highway 4 and International Drive which makes it pretty easy to locate. We found at least 3 different ways to enter the resort from three different directions which I thought was very nice too.

-This hotel is located closest to Universal Studios and Sea World, but Walt Disney World isn't very far at all. If you are traveling to any of these places you will find very easy access, and signs to these places are abundant. Did you forget anything? No problem! There is a Walgreens across the street and plenty of tourist shops are also close by. A McDonald's is located on the opposing corner which is open 24 hours, and we found plenty of eating establishments all within 5-8 miles in any direction. I guess I am trying to make my point that with a family these are things you look for when searching for a hotel, and all are very close by!

-Upon check in they give you a map and your room key. As I said before, we did not pay for this room, so our check in required a confirmation letter, photo ID, and a credit card. We paid for all applicable taxes and proceeded to our room. We were located in a first floor, non-smoking standard room in building 15. I was informed beforehand that this resort had no elevator, so I made sure to call and request first floor about a week before we arrived. The rooms are supposed to be "villa style", but to me it looked like a hotel. Granted, there were several different buildings with many rooms, but the rooms are still connected to one another in each building, so I am not sure what that meant exactly. Each building has a vending machine and washing facilities. The washer and dryer were $2.00 each and a sign says you should not do laundering after 10 pm. The stairs I saw leading to the second floor looked ok, but there are 2 flights of them which looks difficult to haul luggage on.

-We unloaded our things and went into our "villa style" room. The first thing I detected was the lack of ventilation. We are all allergy sufferers, so this is pretty crucial. It felt as if we entered a sauna without the heat. The next thing I noticed was how extremely small the room was! The room had 2 beds, a nightstand, an armoire with a huge TV, drawers, tourist guide, and game control in it, a small table with one wicker chair, a tall lamp with a molded lampshade, and next to the other bed was one other wicker chair. The space in between the two beds was MAYBE 2 feet. My carry-on luggage barely fit there! There was a big window which had sheers and drapes and a temp control underneath. The decor colors were yellow and blues. I sat in the wicker chair next to the table and part of it came loose. The bathroom was "around the corner" and there was also a make up counter. The coffee pot was located by the shower (the only plug in) right next to the hair dryer. In the small closet was the iron and ironing board. There was no laundry bag, and I noted that our 2 tiny trashcans were without liners. Other amenities included a paper at doorstep, room service, AM/FM alarm clock, and in room games and movies. These last two and room service at additional costs.

-After staying one night, not any of us slept very well. My husband and I woke up with terrible back aches, and I'm not sure what was up with my daughter. All night we heard people next door slamming doors and some talking very loudly. We tried to watch some TV but had limited channels. It did have Disney and TBS. There was no Weather Channel which is something I expected in a huge tourist area. Our package included a free breakfast in the St. Augustine's restaurant. They have a buffet, but ours was an American style breakfast which was worth $9.75 I found out later. The theme of the restaurant is tropical-like and we were greeted by the hostess at once. We were seated at a huge table and our order was taken. We only waited maybe 15 minutes and our breakfast arrived hot and very fresh. Even the orange juice was fresh squeezed! The waiter continually checked up to see if we needed anything. Great food and great service. Looking at the menu, they had a pretty big variety of typical breakfast foods ranging from bagels and muffins to pancakes and eggs. I heard the buffet is best, but our package did not include this. The kids menu was a little skimpy. It had 2 choices. I thought the price was tad high for the buffet, and especially since the kids were only a dollar cheaper. We were told to add $7.00 to our price for the buffet which would have made it about $17.00 dollars a person. The next morning we ate at the cafe which had a Starbucks Coffee in it. It also had fresh fruit, yogurts, muffins, bagels, junk food, and a wide selection of cold beverages at minimal costs. The service here was a bit slower, but it was good none-the-less.

-Check out was very easy. We had made no phone calls so it was just a matter of turning in our room key. The gentleman at the counter was very nice and told us we could come back later in the day and use the pools if we had liked and even gave us good places to find near the beach.

-In conclusion, I would like to add some tidbits I did not encounter or I have forgotten to mention. We traveled at a slow time of year and the weather was rather cold for Florida. There were several heated pools but due to weather it wasn't an option until the day we left. The hotel also offers kid programs and activities, but again a bad time of year so a lot of these things were not going on. It offers volleyball and other sports during busy times. There is a convention center near the lobby with it's own entrance. It is also said there was a game room and health spa although we did not locate these. By request you may have a refridgerator in room, but there is an additional cost of $5.00/day. Last but not least, it says they offer "kid rooms" but we were only allowed a standard room. I would recommend trying these out if with a family. I never saw it, but it HAS to be bigger than what we were in! For $30.00 more a room, I think it would be worth it.

Recommended: No