Beds to dream about
Written: Mar 12 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Newly renovated rooms, indoor pool, huge, heated outdoor pool
Cons: Landscaping falls short, no guide to recreational activities
The Bottom Line: Outstanding rooms, an indoor pool, a convenient location, golf and tennis make this a top choice for both families and business travelers visiting the Disney World area.
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| Profilewriter's Full Review: Marriott Orlando World Center Resort |
Epinions about this mega hotel nearly convinced us to go elsewhere, but a great rate -- just $129 a night -- a huge free form pool and a fine location persuaded us to give it a try.
Marriott World Center is big, for sure. Reviewers complained about the length of the walk to the parking lot, poor service, and sky high charges for valet parking and room service. Yes, at $14 a day, valet parking is on the high side, but we timed the walk to the free parking lot and it came in at just about 4 minutes. Using the convention entrance cuts that just about in half. Room service charges are about the same as they are everywhere --outrageous. My guess is that the $12 cereal orders are placed mainly by expense account visitors. Everyone else can go downstairs, where there is an excellent "street" of shops and fast food stations near the indoor pool and terraces leading to the outdoor pool. A full range of restaurants in all price ranges is just a mile or two down the road.
As for service, for the most part, we found it friendly. The resort's rooms are being renovated (in March 2001) and when we checked in many were unavailable. The desk clerk worked hard to get us a room with a king bed overlooking the pool. The only odd thing about service was that there was no brochure in the room describing recreation at the resort. From reading about the hotel, we knew there was tennis and could see that there was golf. A tour turned up the indoor pool and an adjacent game room. We had heard there was a fitness facility as well. Attempts to figure out hours and fees, however, went nowhere. At one point, I asked the concierge if there was a list of activities and fees and she appeared to find the question strange. Apparently there is no such comprehensive listing, and she waved vaguely toward the tennis center, suggesting that I check there for further information.
This was a minor oddity, however. Overall, the hotel is a find. The beds, which Marriott plans to duplicate in all its hotels, are amazing. They sport layers of down in pillows, comforters and blankets, and high quality pillow top mattresses. Freshly redecorated rooms are large and bright. The main pool is enormous, providing room for real swimming. It is perfectly heated, making swimming on 60 degree March days most comfortable. There are at least three hot tubs at the main pool. Other pools, including a very attractive, quiet pool in the north wing, dot the property.
The Marriott is two miles from Disney World down route 536, a road where traffic is light. This puts it closer to many attractions than are some of the Disney World resorts. It is a stone's throw from route I-4, which runs from Daytona to Tampa.
While the Marriott has a perfect, green golf course, a landscaped drive, and a crew that replaces flowers before they wilt, its landscaping falls far short of that on the Disney properties. The "no worries, you're on vacation now" feel of Disney resorts is missing too. But this Marriott's rooms are superior to most at Disney resorts, its dining options are more varied, it has an indoor pool and nice touches like a Starbucks in the lobby, and its location is excellent. At the $129 rate we got, Marriott World Center is much less expensive than "moderate" Disney resorts like Dixie Landings.
At that rate, we definitely would stay at this hotel again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Profilewriter
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Reviews written: 495
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