toomanybooks
Jul 1, 09, 8:52 am
I had a 13-day (June 10-June 23) visit with my 12 y.o. son to see The Mouse, including a Star Wars Weekend. Now that the points have all posted, I thought I'd give a report on Choice-hopping in Orlando.
We stayed at a total of 7 different hotels, as follows, and the base cost ranged from $40 to 63 a night:
1.* FL171; Comfort Inn International; ORLANDO, FL
2. FL707; Comfort Inn Universal Stu; ORLANDO, FL
3. FL445; Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista; LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL
4. FL612; Clarion Hotel Maingate; KISSIMMEE, FL
5.* FL140; Comfort Suites Maingate E; KISSIMMEE, FL
6. FL389; Quality Inn Airport; ORLANDO, FL
7. FL190 Quality Inn Plaza; ORLANDO, FL
The two with asterisks I thought were the best ones.
For me, the presence of a computer for the use of guests is quite important, and I don't count those godawful "internet kiosk terminals" that charge 25 cents a minute and don't work. Hotels #1 and #6 were the only 2 on my list that had actual computers for me to use.
Why a multi-million dollar enterprise can't spend a couple dollars a day (maximum) to have online access for guests is completely beyond me.
#1 had a very friendly staff that offered to let me use their computer even before I'd made a reservation there, and the fellow said I could come back any time and use it if I happened to be nearby. I thought that was quite nice. #1 was also conveniently located one block E of I-4, between Universal and Disney. Standard Comfort breakfast with waffles. Easy parking and quick access to the room.
#2 was fine, a little overrun with tour groups, but OK. Nice pool, but a little murky. Front desk was overwhelmed at checkout and not too efficiently run. Standard breakfast with waffles.
#3 has a good location, but indifferent bored staff. Crappy internet kiosk that hung up after 3 minutes before I could even open my email, but they refunded my money. 5 out of 6 ice machines on 3 floors did not work at all (even over multiple stays), and the 6th only partially. Adequate laundry facilities. Various restaurants quite close by, as was Downtown Disney. GIGANTIC lines for breakfast. No waffles.
#4 I liked. Nice staff, which was bemused to see me check in and out several times. No computer, but they said the owner understands that he needs one and will put it in when kiosk lease expires in a few months. Excellent laundry facilities and ice machines. No breakfast at all, probably because they have a restaurant off the lobby. 2 blocks from Walgreen's, which came in handy when my son developed an ear infection; our IL doctor was able to FAX in a prescription with no problem. Located on the dreaded Irlo Bronson, so dozens if not hundreds of retail stores/restaurants are close, including a Publix and Target 1.5 miles away.
#5 was the best overall, I thought, but it typically goes for $100 a night in the summer. I managed to catch it for $62 once. Best breakfast, with biscuits/gravy, bacon, sausage, and an attendant to make the waffles and speed things up. Large groups stay here, but no problem. Enormous (handicapped) room #418 with sitting area. Nice staff.
#6 we stayed in only because our flight to MCO landed at 10 pm. 5 minutes from airport. Pleasant staff. Standard breakfast. Did not examine the facilities much.
#7 I knew would be a problem the moment I walked up to the check-in desk. Huge swarm of noisy teenagers in lobby. Guy IMMEDIATELY tried to send me across the street to another hotel, which he said was better and usually goes for $300 a night. Uh huh. I said no, I wanted to stay there. He got into an argument about it, which I couldn't believe. Soon I said I wanted the Choice points, so he called Choice (or pretended he did) and told them to give me the points and stay credit. Then he started telling me how to check in across the street.
I knew where this would go, so I told him firmly that NO, I wanted to stay in his hotel and I did not want to argue about it any more. So he gave me a room, naturally the most inaccessible, on the top (10th) floor way around the back, and looking out over I-4.
But the bed was good and the furniture/fixtures were the best of any of these hotels. No breakfast at all.
It has taken 4 emails, but all the points, including 4 sets of top-up-to-14K "summer bonuses" are there. Well, actually they posted one night twice and did not post the #7 stay, which I had assumed all along would happen because of the problems with the check-in guy. I have the points I should, but got shafted out of a night toward the higher Choice tiers because of the double credit one night. So roughly 60K points, which I will probably convert to 20 Southwest credits.
Average about $55 a night. For my purposes, Choice points are worth almost a penny (need them every year for a Southwest Companion Pass), so I figure my net cost for the 13 days was quite low.
I had not considered that when you are hotel-hopping, you don't want some gigantic hotel that has multiple buildings and huge parking lots. Too much of a pain to get in and out and find your way around.
On a different trip, I have stayed at
#8 FL691; Rodeway Inn Maingate; KISSIMMEE, FL and
#9 FL722; Quality Inn & Suites Eastgate; KISSIMMEE, FL
which I have reviewed previously on Flyertalk. I'd certainly stay again at either. #8, which has lately been offered at less than $30, I would have very happily used for hopping, as my son and I did in April, but Rodeway is not part of the current 14K bonus offer. #9 I'd rate as an average Quality Inn with decent breakfast, good laundry, but no internet.
About 2/3 of the way through this ordeal, my son said, "Dad, I do not like this hotel-hopping."
PM me any questions.
We stayed at a total of 7 different hotels, as follows, and the base cost ranged from $40 to 63 a night:
1.* FL171; Comfort Inn International; ORLANDO, FL
2. FL707; Comfort Inn Universal Stu; ORLANDO, FL
3. FL445; Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista; LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL
4. FL612; Clarion Hotel Maingate; KISSIMMEE, FL
5.* FL140; Comfort Suites Maingate E; KISSIMMEE, FL
6. FL389; Quality Inn Airport; ORLANDO, FL
7. FL190 Quality Inn Plaza; ORLANDO, FL
The two with asterisks I thought were the best ones.
For me, the presence of a computer for the use of guests is quite important, and I don't count those godawful "internet kiosk terminals" that charge 25 cents a minute and don't work. Hotels #1 and #6 were the only 2 on my list that had actual computers for me to use.
Why a multi-million dollar enterprise can't spend a couple dollars a day (maximum) to have online access for guests is completely beyond me.
#1 had a very friendly staff that offered to let me use their computer even before I'd made a reservation there, and the fellow said I could come back any time and use it if I happened to be nearby. I thought that was quite nice. #1 was also conveniently located one block E of I-4, between Universal and Disney. Standard Comfort breakfast with waffles. Easy parking and quick access to the room.
#2 was fine, a little overrun with tour groups, but OK. Nice pool, but a little murky. Front desk was overwhelmed at checkout and not too efficiently run. Standard breakfast with waffles.
#3 has a good location, but indifferent bored staff. Crappy internet kiosk that hung up after 3 minutes before I could even open my email, but they refunded my money. 5 out of 6 ice machines on 3 floors did not work at all (even over multiple stays), and the 6th only partially. Adequate laundry facilities. Various restaurants quite close by, as was Downtown Disney. GIGANTIC lines for breakfast. No waffles.
#4 I liked. Nice staff, which was bemused to see me check in and out several times. No computer, but they said the owner understands that he needs one and will put it in when kiosk lease expires in a few months. Excellent laundry facilities and ice machines. No breakfast at all, probably because they have a restaurant off the lobby. 2 blocks from Walgreen's, which came in handy when my son developed an ear infection; our IL doctor was able to FAX in a prescription with no problem. Located on the dreaded Irlo Bronson, so dozens if not hundreds of retail stores/restaurants are close, including a Publix and Target 1.5 miles away.
#5 was the best overall, I thought, but it typically goes for $100 a night in the summer. I managed to catch it for $62 once. Best breakfast, with biscuits/gravy, bacon, sausage, and an attendant to make the waffles and speed things up. Large groups stay here, but no problem. Enormous (handicapped) room #418 with sitting area. Nice staff.
#6 we stayed in only because our flight to MCO landed at 10 pm. 5 minutes from airport. Pleasant staff. Standard breakfast. Did not examine the facilities much.
#7 I knew would be a problem the moment I walked up to the check-in desk. Huge swarm of noisy teenagers in lobby. Guy IMMEDIATELY tried to send me across the street to another hotel, which he said was better and usually goes for $300 a night. Uh huh. I said no, I wanted to stay there. He got into an argument about it, which I couldn't believe. Soon I said I wanted the Choice points, so he called Choice (or pretended he did) and told them to give me the points and stay credit. Then he started telling me how to check in across the street.
I knew where this would go, so I told him firmly that NO, I wanted to stay in his hotel and I did not want to argue about it any more. So he gave me a room, naturally the most inaccessible, on the top (10th) floor way around the back, and looking out over I-4.
But the bed was good and the furniture/fixtures were the best of any of these hotels. No breakfast at all.
It has taken 4 emails, but all the points, including 4 sets of top-up-to-14K "summer bonuses" are there. Well, actually they posted one night twice and did not post the #7 stay, which I had assumed all along would happen because of the problems with the check-in guy. I have the points I should, but got shafted out of a night toward the higher Choice tiers because of the double credit one night. So roughly 60K points, which I will probably convert to 20 Southwest credits.
Average about $55 a night. For my purposes, Choice points are worth almost a penny (need them every year for a Southwest Companion Pass), so I figure my net cost for the 13 days was quite low.
I had not considered that when you are hotel-hopping, you don't want some gigantic hotel that has multiple buildings and huge parking lots. Too much of a pain to get in and out and find your way around.
On a different trip, I have stayed at
#8 FL691; Rodeway Inn Maingate; KISSIMMEE, FL and
#9 FL722; Quality Inn & Suites Eastgate; KISSIMMEE, FL
which I have reviewed previously on Flyertalk. I'd certainly stay again at either. #8, which has lately been offered at less than $30, I would have very happily used for hopping, as my son and I did in April, but Rodeway is not part of the current 14K bonus offer. #9 I'd rate as an average Quality Inn with decent breakfast, good laundry, but no internet.
About 2/3 of the way through this ordeal, my son said, "Dad, I do not like this hotel-hopping."
PM me any questions.