Introduction This was our second time to stay in the Homewood Suites International Drive (Convention Centre).In the heart of I-Drive’s tourist area, close to restaurants, attractions and easy accessible by road, the hotel is ideally located. We had requested a ground floor room some weeks before arriving, and in a very pleasant email, this was confirmed by Lana Burke, the Hotel’s General Manager. Lana also mentioned that the pool would be closed for repainting, and that the pool in the nearby Hampton Inn was available with a free shuttle. A very small inconvenience, but quite acceptable given the obvious commitment to keep the hotel looking its best. On checking in, we were warmly welcomed, recognised as Hilton Hhonors members and the hotel meal times & facilities outlined to us. Indeed, during our stay, the staff we encountered were always friendly and eager to assist in any way. Our ground floor room (first floor in US terms) was recently decorated in mutes beige and light brown tones. Bedding is white and the overall effect is bright and restful. We noticed that there was no in-room safe, but having spent almost 12 hours travelling, this was an issue we felt would keep until next morning. When we spoke to reception the next morning, we learned that there was no safe available to install in our room. However, Joel (in maintenance) came up with a resolution: a room was being used to store equipment during the pool refurbishment, and he moved that safe to our room to avoid us having to move to another room (with the packing and unpacking that would have entailed). This is an example of customer service at it’s best. One day I had to have a room key reprogrammed. Clint was on duty at reception and immediately apologised for this. Before issuing me the key, he asked me to confirm the name and address on the reservation corresponding to the rook for which the key was required. This took only a few seconds, but was a very effective security measure, and one I greatly appreciated. Breakfast was busy some mornings, but it was always possible to get hot and cold food items without too much difficulty. The coffee station remains open 24 hours a day, which is a nice touch. We sampled the evening reception a couple of times, and found the food quite pleasant. During our last stay here, we regularly met the Assistant General Manager, Pauli Perera. Pauli was highly visible, meeting and speaking to guests, particularly during meal times. He is no longer with the hotel, and in truth, we missed him. That said, the Homewood Suites brand is well able to deliver a very good service under the current management. However, it was always good to see a senior member of the hotel management mingling with guests, and taking on board their comments. No doubt Mr.Perera will be snapped up by another hotel who will benefit from his skills and ability.