At a recent business conference in Orlando, I had the pleasure of being a guest at the Marriott World Center, minutes away from both Walt Disney World and Sea World. The location was very convenient and the bed was, dare I say it, the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever slept in. Overall, my experience at the Marriott World Center was right on par with previous experiences with the Marriott hotel brand- better than average.

Resort Entrance
Right off of Interstate 4, the Marriott World Center is easy to locate. It is one of the tallest buildings around. The rather long entrance is currently undergoing construction, in efforts to make it an even bigger property! The Gaylord Palms Resort, which is practically across the street, gives the Marriott World Center a run for its money, which is why I suspect they are attempting to catch up in total size.

There are four lanes under a large rood for loading, unloading and valet parking. If there was any self parking, I could never find it, so I opted for the valet service, which for $18 per day, offered good service with in and out privileges. The bellmen were all very friendly and helpful. They even held my bags in storage for the day when I checked out (in the morning) but wasn’t actually leaving until the end of the day.

The front desk was huge. It reminded me of an airline ticket counter, but without the self-check kiosks. I was quickly helped, though, and sent on my way to find my room. Had I realized just how large and confusing the property was, I would have asked for better directions on how to get there!

The lobby housed a reception area with refreshing lemon water and coffee, even though a full service Starbucks was also in the same area. A gift shop with typical Orlando souvenirs was in the lobby area as well. On the opposite side of the lobby was a nice looking bar with an open air feeling, since it was surrounded by glass windows overlooking the pool area. The entire lobby was an atrium style, with glass elevators and nice looking botanicals throughout.

The Guest Rooms- Find them if you dare!
With guest rooms accessible by North, South, East or West elevators, unless you are lucky or have requested a handicap accessible room, you can plan on a bit of exercise to get there. The front desk staff should help direct you to the correct location of your room, but the hallways are long and a map of the resort is a good thing to keep in hand!

I found the rooms to be fairly average sized. I had a room with two double beds that were by far one of the most (if not the most) comfortable beds I have ever slept in. Heavenly Bed, be damned- they’ve got nothing on the Marriott World Center’s! The bed in my guest room surpassed all other Marriott beds as well. They were very soft, but firm enough to not hurt my back. The sheets were thick and perfectly smooth. The down comforter was the perfect weight and the combination of both down and firm pillows was lovely. The bed had a pillow top mattress with memory foam. I have stayed at plenty of other Marriott hotels and I still can’t figure out how or why, but this bed really was amazing.

Aside from the beds, my room had a nice sized desk, high speed internet that was available for $12.95 per day, a rate that seems pretty ridiculous if you ask me. There was a television set inn an armoire with three dresser drawers. A sitting chair and ottoman were tucked into the corner of the room near the balcony, which was accessible, through sliding glass doors. There were two chairs and a small table, perfect for taking in some fresh air (cooler weather permitting). The closet was big enough for two people and housed an iron and ironing board. The closet doors were full length mirrors, which was nice for a quick touch-up just before leaving the room. Additionally, my guest room had a small coffee maker (no mini-bar) and the television was equipped with pay-per-view movies and games.

The bathroom had a sink and vanity area and with nice lighting. There was a make-up mirror and wall-mounted hair dryer. Separately was a small room with the toilet and shower. I would almost have preferred to have had the entire area as part of one room to give an overall larger space. The towels were nice and fluffy and the spa quality toiletries by Nirvae Botanicals were so nice, I actually called housekeeping for more!

Things to Do
Being less than a five minute drive to Walt Disney World and Sea World, the Marriott World Center does its best to keep guests happy with additional activities for those staying on their property. For the adults wanting to indulge, there is a full service spa, which I suggest making reservations for early (like when you book your room, or at the latest, when you check in). The spa has a separate, tranquil pool area that you can relax at without the hustle and bustle of families or children around. Although there is a fee for using this pool, you do not have to have any special spa services or reservations. A massage could be the perfect thing to relax you after a day on their Championship gold course and a pedicure may be the answer to your aching feet from all the theme park walking. The complimentary fitness room is located in the spa area as well.

In addition to the golf course on site, there is a driving range and pro shop. This could be a good opportunity to take advantage of their gold academy as well. If you aren’t into golf, but still want to be outdoors, the Marriott World Center has a huge pool area, with a lagoon style pool that is just huge. It has plenty of seating, private cabanas, poolside drink service, waterfalls, whirlpool hot tubs and a really fun waterslide for the kids (or adults who want to act like kids). I found the entire area to feel fun and relaxed and never over crowded. Towels were readily available and restrooms were also easily accessible. A kiddie pool was also in the same area and great for those with smaller children.

If the weather isn’t so nice out, there are plenty of things to do indoors as well. A fully stocked game room is located right off of the pool area as well as the Children’s Activity Center, with planned activities geared towards children of all ages. There is the gift shop off of the lobby as I mentioned for items such as forgotten toiletries, newspapers and magazines, snacks, bottled water and sodas and other random souvenirs. On the lower level of the hotel (the lobby is on the first/main floor) is the Mangrove Emporium Shop with items of the Sea World theme and other, nicer “gift shop” type items.

Guest services can help you with local needs, including theme park ticket purchases, transportation information (complimentary transportation to area parks is available). There is an Enterprise Rent-A-Car desk on site, should you need a vehicle, although the bell stand will be happy to get you a taxi or arrange additional transportation (airport shuttle, limousine service, etc). Although there isn’t really a clothing store on site (aside from the golf pro shop), there is a guest laundry room should you need to wash clothes yourself and laundry service as well.

If you are in Orlando on business, there is a business center with computer terminals, printers, copiers, faxes and the likes. There is a charge for all of these services, but still, it is nice to know it’s there, just in case! There are wireless hotspots throughout the hotel- in the main lobby, Solaris restaurant, the pool bar and the food court area. I am not sure if there is a fee for the wireless service, but the guest rooms do charge (for wired).

You must be getting hungry by now, no?
There are plenty of dining options at the Marriott World Center. My favorite (and most frequented) was the Starbucks, located on the lobby level. This wasn’t one of those “we proudly serve Starbucks”, it was the real deal, where I didn’t have to worry about my order of an iced Venti, sugar-free vanilla, non-fat latte. There is an Italian restaurant, Ristorante Tuscany and a Japanese steakhouse, Mikado. Hawk’s Landing Steakhouse and Grille provided an additional dinner experience, while I was impressed by Champions Sports Bar & Grille- it was huge, with tons of televisions, pool tables, a large bar area and plenty of tables for casual dining. Solaris was popular for breakfast and casual lunch.

On the lower level was a food court, with cafeteria style dining options with a seat yourself layout. I enjoyed the Pavilion Pool Bar, which was located above the pool, with a covered outdoor seating. The menu was casual, yet slightly upscale and pricey. The service was hardly mediocre, but their flash-fried potato chips with bleu cheese totally won my heart, regardless of the cost and poor service. Of course, in-room dining is always available and the menu was pretty much a conglomeration of all the options available throughout the Marriott World Center Resort.

Overall Thoughts
While I clearly enjoyed my sleep at the Marriott World Center and really appreciated some of the services offered (hello, Starbucks just down the elevator), I found the entire property to be rather unpersonable. The front desk staff was helpful and pleasant and the bellmen were also very nice, but no one stuck out in my mind as being exceptional. Other than the outright bad service I had at the Pavilion Pool Bar, I did not have any bad experiences at this resort. Still, I left the hotel not sure if I would ever return here again. Because of the beds and the fantastic outdoor area, as well as its close proximity to Walt Disney World, I probably would come back.

I would recommend the Marriott World Center Resort with the one caveat that guests expecting that “bend over backwards for you” mentality probably won’t find that here. With all the services and options available to guests and nothing terrible to report, I am going to give the Marriott World Center a 4 star rating, however if I do return and receive any additional sub-par service, they should be warned, they could go down a notch to a three.



If you are looking for additional Orlando lodging information, here are a few other reviews:

Hilton Walt Disney World Resort
Embassy Suites Orlando Airport
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel

Recommended: Yes