sbams

Feel free to do this even if you don't have children

Sherab Sherab

Can anyone recommend some good Hilton property in Orlando that is not expensive on points rate and is a family friendly hotel with a microwave and a fridge in the room? We are a diamond member. We have a small child with us. Would like a hotel that has a park nearby for my child to play. We are going there to visit legoland,seaworld etc.We are not going to Disney.

Thanks

Cledaybuck

Do you care about pools?

Sherab Sherab

no big deal for us

farnorthtrader

Legoland and SeaWorld are a long way apart, so you pretty much anywhere would entail quite a bit of driving one way or the other, so anyplace in the area works. For 40,000 per night, Homewood suites theme parks would be a decent option and centrally located. Home2Suites international drive is newer and cheaper though (usually 5-10,000 per night cheaper), so I think that would be my first choice. Not quite as good a location, but you are driving pretty much wherever you decide to stay.
Unfortunately, a park to play in is a near impossibility in the tourist areas. There are very few outside of school yards and there is no access to school yards. You would have a better chance out near Legoland, however, I don't think there are any Hiltons that would have a microwave and fridge out in that area. Home2Suites Lakeland is fairly close to Legoland, but really far from SeaWorld.

sallyerd

The various Hilton Vacation Clubs in the Orlando area have efficiencies and playgrounds and extensive grounds to explore (especially SeaWorld). There are four of these properties (Tuscany, Parc Soleil, SeaWorld and Las Palmeras). Does one fit your point level perhaps? The efficiencies have lower redemption rates than the real suites at these properties. If you stay at one, be sure to unplug the phone in the room to avoid helpful (harrassing) time-share phone calls from the sales dept. and also give them a fake phone number on your account profile before your stay to avoid robo-dials after your stay.

Sherab Sherab

I was looking for a Hilton chain where the points rate is not expensive and I can use my Hilton Amex resort credit for one night but I find none. Looks like most are Disney related hilton hotels and costly on points or cash and huge parking fee. Any recommendations? We are not visiting Disney but going to attractions like Sea world & lego land. Will be renting a car and staying for a week. Do we get free breakfast for being a diomond member at all hilton chains there? I better look at country inn or hyatt house I guess.

bitterproffit

Hilton Garden Sea World was reasonable last time I stayed there. It is right across the street from Sea World and near some malls. Hilton Gardens all seem to have microwaves and refrigerators in the rooms. It also has a pool. As a diamond you would get their nice breakfast as well. Not sure about park nearby.

The grounds were nice, but not a lot of green space.

Sherab Sherab

booked standard and got suite upgrade as diamond? How many points per night ? what about amex resort credit? free parking?

bitterproffit

LOL, none of those were in your first request.

I don't think there are suites. There was free parking when I stayed there. Its not a resort, there were no resort fees when I stayed there You can use the app to see how many points per night for the calendar nights you need them and to answer all these other questions.

farnorthtrader

Okay, you are changing things up on us with each new post Sherab Sherab, but I will take another shot at it. Trying to find a place that has fridge and microwave that will allow you to use your resort credit is likely a non-starter. Resort and quasi-kitchen really don't occur together. Your best shot at a reasonably priced hotel that qualifies for your resort credit is doubletree seaworld. None of the Hiltons in the area will likely give you an upgrade to a suite (oddly, the only ones I have heard about were at the Waldorf, which would seem to be out of your price range), so if you want a suite, then you would need to book a suite at doubletree suites, Disney Springs area (it is all suite), where you can also use your resort credit. They also have fridges in all rooms, I am pretty sure, but no microwave. The SeaWorld Doubletree generally runs 25-30,000 points per night, so up to 180,000 points total for a week. The doubletree suites runs 35-40,000 points per night, so up to 240,000 for a week. Don't think you are likely to find a better deal at any chain for a suite. Both will charge you for parking, but your resort credit will more than take care of it. Pretty sure that all Hiltons in the area will give you breakfast for two as a diamond. I don't think either has resort fees, but, in any case, your points redemption would waive the resort fee for Hiltons anyway.
Like most domestic Hiltons, a suite upgrade is very unlikely, but then I don't think you are getting a suite upgrade at Hyatt house or Country Inn either and you certainly aren't getting a $250 credit. As a general rule, you are likely to get a better breakfast from Doubletree than you are at more limited service places like Country Inn or Hyatt House. Moreover, there is one Hyatt House in the area and it is, taking into account the relative value of points, considerably more expensive than any of the options I have suggested. it would have free parking and a microwave and fridge. The only Country Inn in the area is not a very highly rated hotel (in the bottom third on TripAdvisor and in this market, that is a pretty bad hotel). it would have no fridge or microwave and is priced very similarly to the two Hiltons on points, although somewhat more expensive due to the lack of 5th night free benefit. I presume, but don't know, that it has free parking.

writerguyfl

Although highly unlikely to happen, hotels use guest room telephones to contact guests in the event of an emergency. That's also the way they will contact guests to alert them of important but not emergency issues. Phones won't ring, but a voicemail will be left. "Due to an unexpected maintenance issue, the water will be turned off in your building between noon and 2pm. Please contact the Front Desk if you require assistance during that time period."

The way to keep those things intact without being bothered by sales calls is to place a Do Not Disturb (DND) on the phone. Simply dial "0" from the guest room phone and request a DND to be place on your room.

The bonus to that method is that you don't have to remember to plug the phones back in when you check out. DNDs should automatically reset when the room is checked out.

The DoubleTree Suites rooms (aka suites) do have a small microwave.

But, like many of the Disney World area hotels, that one has both a resort fee (waived with an all-points redemption) and parking fee (not waived).

I concur. I used to live just off Universal property. I worked for Disney in a few different locations, including an office complex in the I-Drive area as well as a few different locations at the Disney World Resort. There really aren't any public parks anywhere in what's known as the I-4 Tourist Corridor.

farnorthtrader

That's right, Doubletree Suites do have a microwave. I was thinking that there was nothing on top of the counter, but it is on a shelf underneath the counter. Sherab Sherab, that likely makes this your best bet. It gives you your suite, your fridge and microwave, you can use your resort credit, it is relatively easy to get to both SeaWorld and Legoland, and it is relatively inexpensive at 240,000 points or less for a week. There are also off Disney property restaurants nearby for fairly inexpensive eats. You will have to pay for parking but your resort credit will cover your parking and a little bit more.

Sherab Sherab

Is it this one?

DoubleTree Suites – Disney Springs™ Area. it is expensive at 50K points a night and $40 resort fee on cash rate.

I did lots of research for the best deal for me and what I found is 1 King Bed-deluxe-wetbar-nonsmoking at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld, 10100 International Drive for $149.63 including $20 resort fee and the tax. It has fridge and microwave. Parking shows $18 a night. so that would be $168. Will the 2 of us and my child get free breakfast since I am a diamond member? I guess I should stay a night here by paying with my Aspire to get the full room rate credit and then move to Hyatt house for the remaining 7 nights. Can't find anything else for 2 nights that doesn't exceed $250 .

aww3583

To my recollection, there’s no resort fee at the DT Suites at Disney Springs.

Stayed there many times. Best bang for your buck Hilton property in the area.

We were upgraded to a 1,000 sf conference room suite last time.