Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs Area {US-FL}
May 29, 2017, 9:31 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 176
Ok, so I'm back and coherent. Nevermind its Tuesday.
-> Breakfast is down in the restaurant ( something PRESS). Super expanded, very nice. However, since the renovations are done, they are now charging us for the expanded breakfast. Full on buffet with lots of meats, cheeses, waffles, cinnamon buns, fruit, yogurt, omelette station, cereals, oatmeal, etc. Also has lots of condiments around, so you aren't waiting 20 minutes for the waiter. Lots of seating. And sunlight. Food was very good quality compared to last time.
> Diamond Status: Was allowed to check-in at noon, and was thanked for being a diamond. The agent explained all of my benefits thoroughly. I did inquire about a suite in the Island Tower, she said she'd gladly give me one as a Diamond Upgrade, but said there were a lot of families over there and the rooms hadn't been refreshed. She said she believes I'd like the room I'm in, which is an upgrade from the standard king. Was offered points, 2 waters, breakfast certificates, wifi password (although it was faster when I logged in using my HHonors # and password, room).
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-> Breakfast is down in the restaurant ( something PRESS). Super expanded, very nice. However, since the renovations are done, they are now charging us for the expanded breakfast. Full on buffet with lots of meats, cheeses, waffles, cinnamon buns, fruit, yogurt, omelette station, cereals, oatmeal, etc. Also has lots of condiments around, so you aren't waiting 20 minutes for the waiter. Lots of seating. And sunlight. Food was very good quality compared to last time.
> Diamond Status: Was allowed to check-in at noon, and was thanked for being a diamond. The agent explained all of my benefits thoroughly. I did inquire about a suite in the Island Tower, she said she'd gladly give me one as a Diamond Upgrade, but said there were a lot of families over there and the rooms hadn't been refreshed. She said she believes I'd like the room I'm in, which is an upgrade from the standard king. Was offered points, 2 waters, breakfast certificates, wifi password (although it was faster when I logged in using my HHonors # and password, room).
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Oct 24, 2017, 12:15 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New Jersey, USA
Programs: UA-Gold, HH-Diamond
Posts: 152
Updates for Gold HH Members?
Hi All,
Planning a stay at this property with the family next month. Can anyone advise:
Is there an Executive Lounge at this property? (There was no entry in the Exec. Lounge thread for this property)
How/where is breakfast handled?
Chances of getting a room upgrade?
Status of renovations?
Much thanks,
SilverGoat
Planning a stay at this property with the family next month. Can anyone advise:
Is there an Executive Lounge at this property? (There was no entry in the Exec. Lounge thread for this property)
How/where is breakfast handled?
Chances of getting a room upgrade?
Status of renovations?
Much thanks,
SilverGoat
Oct 25, 2017, 10:49 am
#33
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: District of Columbia
Programs: AA ExecPl, AT Gold, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, Hilton Diamond, National
Posts: 2,440
Hi All,
Planning a stay at this property with the family next month. Can anyone advise:
Is there an Executive Lounge at this property? (There was no entry in the Exec. Lounge thread for this property)
How/where is breakfast handled?
Chances of getting a room upgrade?
Status of renovations?
Much thanks,
SilverGoat
Planning a stay at this property with the family next month. Can anyone advise:
Is there an Executive Lounge at this property? (There was no entry in the Exec. Lounge thread for this property)
How/where is breakfast handled?
Chances of getting a room upgrade?
Status of renovations?
Much thanks,
SilverGoat
Breakfast is a pretty nice buffet in the restaurant. For Golds, continental buffet (pretty good selections) is free all week; full breakfast upgrade is $7 Mon-Sat and $10 Sunday. Sunday breakfast (whether continental or full) includes characters, so it's a pretty good value for a character breakfast!
Upgrade chances are pretty low.
The renovations are complete - though note that the quality seems to vary. My room was quite clean, while my aunt's room had stained wallpaper and very soap scum covered glass doors to the shower.
Overall, though, a pretty nice stay, especially if you like Disney Springs.
Nov 15, 2017, 12:55 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New Jersey, USA
Programs: UA-Gold, HH-Diamond
Posts: 152
Okay, completed our stay at Lake Buena Vista Palace this past weekend.
We did the Continental breakfast on one day and the upgrade to hot breakfast on the other in Letterpress, the hotel restaurant. Nice spreads, the Continental includes oatmeal, the hot spread has a cook-to-order omelet station in addition to the usual steam pans.
We did not receive an upgrade.
As for the renovations, what renovations? Seriously, our room had a lot of peeling wall paper, heavily rusted hinges on the bathroom door and the bottom 4 inches/100 mm of the bathroom door was swollen from water damage or high humidity. The mirror/light over the sink also had a lot of wear & tear on it and should have been replaced if the room was truly renovated. The property did have an overbearing musty/damp stench and everything in the room was cold to the touch due to dampness.
My conclusion is that the Hilton Lake Buena Vista (not the Palace) is a much nicer hotel for the same price range. It also has an Exec. Lounge and both properties are Disney-affiliated. Since we paid with points, there was no "Resort Fee" for us. The fee covers free Wi-Fi (already free for us), shuttle bus to parks, and drink & suntan lotion vouchers.
-Goat
We did the Continental breakfast on one day and the upgrade to hot breakfast on the other in Letterpress, the hotel restaurant. Nice spreads, the Continental includes oatmeal, the hot spread has a cook-to-order omelet station in addition to the usual steam pans.
We did not receive an upgrade.
As for the renovations, what renovations? Seriously, our room had a lot of peeling wall paper, heavily rusted hinges on the bathroom door and the bottom 4 inches/100 mm of the bathroom door was swollen from water damage or high humidity. The mirror/light over the sink also had a lot of wear & tear on it and should have been replaced if the room was truly renovated. The property did have an overbearing musty/damp stench and everything in the room was cold to the touch due to dampness.
My conclusion is that the Hilton Lake Buena Vista (not the Palace) is a much nicer hotel for the same price range. It also has an Exec. Lounge and both properties are Disney-affiliated. Since we paid with points, there was no "Resort Fee" for us. The fee covers free Wi-Fi (already free for us), shuttle bus to parks, and drink & suntan lotion vouchers.
-Goat
Nov 15, 2017, 5:27 pm
#36
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
As for the renovations, what renovations? Seriously, our room had a lot of peeling wall paper, heavily rusted hinges on the bathroom door and the bottom 4 inches/100 mm of the bathroom door was swollen from water damage or high humidity. The mirror/light over the sink also had a lot of wear & tear on it and should have been replaced if the room was truly renovated. The property did have an overbearing musty/damp stench and everything in the room was cold to the touch due to dampness.
This hotel is on my personal "do not return" list. I bailed after one night on a multi-night reservation because the room was dirty. It was easily the dirtiest room I've seen in 20+ years. The hotel management gave me a free-night certificate because of the room. I never used it because I don't think I could stay in a room there without remembering the rather horrifying bathroom filth.
Dec 12, 2017, 8:46 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: DL Silver, AS MVP, UA Silver, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,883
I'm pretty sure all the suites are in the "island" section. Unfortunately it's a decent hike from the main tower and check-in and the renovations are mostly superficial. I'm not sure if the standard rooms in the Tower section have received any more substantial upgrade, but it would take a much lower rate (resort fee included) for me to consider this over other solid options in the area.
Dec 12, 2017, 8:56 am
#39
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New Jersey, USA
Programs: UA-Gold, HH-Diamond
Posts: 152
We had a room that was on one of the higher floors in the short building. It was facing Epcot and listed as an "Epcot Fireworks" view room. The other alternative is a "Disney Springs" view. In theory, the tower should have a better/longer view but ours was fine. Obviously, a Tower room on a lower floor doesn't advance your efforts.
Take heed of WriterGuyFL's thoughts on the renovations - our bathroom was also pretty skeevy.
-Goat
Take heed of WriterGuyFL's thoughts on the renovations - our bathroom was also pretty skeevy.
-Goat
Feb 25, 2018, 2:01 am
#40
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO / HKG
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 187
Just finished a 6-night stay at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs. Beware the complimentary shuttle to Disney Theme Parks is hit-or-miss. They are always late or skip our hotel because the bus is already full (the bus is shared with Best Western and Wyndham). Plan ahead with Plan B if necessary. Limited selection for free (Diamond/Gold) continental breakfast. Upgrade to American breakfast is $10/day.
Absolutely no upgrades for Diamond at this hotel. I booked a resort view (basic) and the front desk manager wanted to upsell me to a Disney Springs view (the next category) for $50/night!
Absolutely no upgrades for Diamond at this hotel. I booked a resort view (basic) and the front desk manager wanted to upsell me to a Disney Springs view (the next category) for $50/night!
Feb 26, 2018, 9:23 am
#41
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 25
Stayed there for 4 days for this past Valentine's day weekend and was very disapointed with the facility.. Hightly recommend staying at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek instead!
Room was ok at best, but the bathroom was moldy and dirty. The doors were scuffed, wood was chipped all over, and the walls were peeling. I've seen better condition bathrooms at Red Roof Inn!
Also, as a Diamond member, I barely got a 12 pm checkout and the agent helping me was full of attitude. The only positives from staying here was the breakfast buffet and the direct shuttles to Disney. The breakfast on Sunday is a Character breakfast so it was a good opportunity to meet some Disney characters.
Room was ok at best, but the bathroom was moldy and dirty. The doors were scuffed, wood was chipped all over, and the walls were peeling. I've seen better condition bathrooms at Red Roof Inn!
Also, as a Diamond member, I barely got a 12 pm checkout and the agent helping me was full of attitude. The only positives from staying here was the breakfast buffet and the direct shuttles to Disney. The breakfast on Sunday is a Character breakfast so it was a good opportunity to meet some Disney characters.
Mar 22, 2018, 7:32 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Gulf Coast
Programs: Hilton Honors Lifetime Diamond; National Car Rental Executive Elite
Posts: 2,318
My review/comments from a recent stay:
Pros:
Fast Wi-Fi
Great breakfast, both continental and upgraded.
Bar service was above average.
Pool and lazy river were fun and great for families.
Cons:
Treatment of HHonors Diamond members.
Housekeeping was subpar.
Thermostats are limited to a small range of settings, and controlled via motion sensor.
Comments specific to our stay:
At check-in, we were downgraded from a room with a balcony to a room without a balcony. The HHonors terms and conditions indicate we were eligible for an upgrade, but we were disappointed to be downgraded to a lower-level room.
The room was adequate for a small family. It wasn’t spacious, but it was plenty for us.
The breakfast offering is strong and very reasonably priced. There are ample options for the complimentary breakfast and upgrading to the full buffet is $7. We thoroughly enjoyed each of our visits to the breakfast. There were no Disney characters at any of our breakfast visits, including Sunday.
The small bistro/café on the first floor is a great spot to pick up supplies/snacks for the day. They have a ton of pastry and drink options and the breakfast coupon can be used here. This was a great option if a sit-down breakfast wasn’t possible.
The pool area is perfect for families. My kids thoroughly enjoyed the lazy river and pools. There are a ton of chairs, umbrellas, and shady spots.
We napped one afternoon during prime housekeeping hours. When we departed later in the day (3PM), we specifically asked the front desk to communicate to housekeeping that we needed our room serviced. When we returned (8PM), we found that housekeeping had not cleaned the room. We asked the front desk agent and the first question was “Did you have the ‘Do Not Disturb’ tag on the door?” We replied “No. We also specifically asked for the room to be cleaned when we left 5 hours ago.” Housekeeping visited about 15 minutes later.
Check-out was quick and efficient, but we were prohibited from taking a luggage cart up to the room. The bellman said it’s hotel policy that the bell service must be used for check-out. We like to pack and depart at our own pace and weren’t fond of this policy. However, it wasn’t a big deal.
Observations and Opportunities for Improvement:
We called the hotel directly with some questions before arrival. While the agents were friendly, we received some conflicting information. We called back the next day and got a different answer. It seems like some of the agents had varying levels of knowledge regarding availability of certain amenities.
There is conflicting information regarding parking prices between Hilton HHonors website, the hotel’s website, and our booking confirmation email. We were charged $10 for daily self-parking, as indicated on the HHonors website, where the hotel’s specific website indicates a higher price.
This hotel has a 5-day cancellation policy. Hilton Corporate has a 24-hour cancellation policy but allows properties to periodically change the cancellation window based on demand. I’ve never seen a hotel have a greater-than 72-hour cancellation window. Five days seems overly punitive.
The hotel charges a mandatory $30 Daily Resort Charge. Frequent travelers are beginning to tire of the mandatory charges… they allow publishing of lower base rates, so properties appear more favorable in booking engine searches. The mandatory charge includes: Guest internet access (free anyways); Disney Parks shuttle(a welcome benefit to some); Disney Extra Magic Hours(a welcome benefit to some); 2 daily sun-care products (2-oz size); float lagoon access (is free anyways); DVDNow rentals; $5 discount on one attraction ticket; local/toll-free/domestic long distance calls (can’t think of the last time I used a hotel phone).
Parking is highly inconvenient, to the point where I’d consider it unsafe. The guest parking lot is approximately 600-feet away from the main entrance. To walk from the hotel to the parking lot, guests must walk down a 2-story-tall ramp that is the entry/exit for all vehicle traffic. There are no sidewalks, covers in case of rain, or dedicated walking paths along this route. It can be dangerous during high-traffic periods or when walking with small children. We saw several golf carts parked near the valet line that appeared to be used as shuttles, but we never saw them in service.
Pros:
Fast Wi-Fi
Great breakfast, both continental and upgraded.
Bar service was above average.
Pool and lazy river were fun and great for families.
Cons:
Treatment of HHonors Diamond members.
Housekeeping was subpar.
Thermostats are limited to a small range of settings, and controlled via motion sensor.
Comments specific to our stay:
At check-in, we were downgraded from a room with a balcony to a room without a balcony. The HHonors terms and conditions indicate we were eligible for an upgrade, but we were disappointed to be downgraded to a lower-level room.
The room was adequate for a small family. It wasn’t spacious, but it was plenty for us.
The breakfast offering is strong and very reasonably priced. There are ample options for the complimentary breakfast and upgrading to the full buffet is $7. We thoroughly enjoyed each of our visits to the breakfast. There were no Disney characters at any of our breakfast visits, including Sunday.
The small bistro/café on the first floor is a great spot to pick up supplies/snacks for the day. They have a ton of pastry and drink options and the breakfast coupon can be used here. This was a great option if a sit-down breakfast wasn’t possible.
The pool area is perfect for families. My kids thoroughly enjoyed the lazy river and pools. There are a ton of chairs, umbrellas, and shady spots.
We napped one afternoon during prime housekeeping hours. When we departed later in the day (3PM), we specifically asked the front desk to communicate to housekeeping that we needed our room serviced. When we returned (8PM), we found that housekeeping had not cleaned the room. We asked the front desk agent and the first question was “Did you have the ‘Do Not Disturb’ tag on the door?” We replied “No. We also specifically asked for the room to be cleaned when we left 5 hours ago.” Housekeeping visited about 15 minutes later.
Check-out was quick and efficient, but we were prohibited from taking a luggage cart up to the room. The bellman said it’s hotel policy that the bell service must be used for check-out. We like to pack and depart at our own pace and weren’t fond of this policy. However, it wasn’t a big deal.
Observations and Opportunities for Improvement:
We called the hotel directly with some questions before arrival. While the agents were friendly, we received some conflicting information. We called back the next day and got a different answer. It seems like some of the agents had varying levels of knowledge regarding availability of certain amenities.
There is conflicting information regarding parking prices between Hilton HHonors website, the hotel’s website, and our booking confirmation email. We were charged $10 for daily self-parking, as indicated on the HHonors website, where the hotel’s specific website indicates a higher price.
This hotel has a 5-day cancellation policy. Hilton Corporate has a 24-hour cancellation policy but allows properties to periodically change the cancellation window based on demand. I’ve never seen a hotel have a greater-than 72-hour cancellation window. Five days seems overly punitive.
The hotel charges a mandatory $30 Daily Resort Charge. Frequent travelers are beginning to tire of the mandatory charges… they allow publishing of lower base rates, so properties appear more favorable in booking engine searches. The mandatory charge includes: Guest internet access (free anyways); Disney Parks shuttle(a welcome benefit to some); Disney Extra Magic Hours(a welcome benefit to some); 2 daily sun-care products (2-oz size); float lagoon access (is free anyways); DVDNow rentals; $5 discount on one attraction ticket; local/toll-free/domestic long distance calls (can’t think of the last time I used a hotel phone).
Parking is highly inconvenient, to the point where I’d consider it unsafe. The guest parking lot is approximately 600-feet away from the main entrance. To walk from the hotel to the parking lot, guests must walk down a 2-story-tall ramp that is the entry/exit for all vehicle traffic. There are no sidewalks, covers in case of rain, or dedicated walking paths along this route. It can be dangerous during high-traffic periods or when walking with small children. We saw several golf carts parked near the valet line that appeared to be used as shuttles, but we never saw them in service.
Nov 9, 2018, 8:04 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: JFK/LGA
Programs: AA EXP/5 MM, BA Blue Bayou, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 5,823
I got a massive upgrade here earlier this year (Feb), to a two level suite in the island building with a huge terrace. Sleeping area upstairs, living and dining area on first level. 3 night stay. Agree the bathrooms (2 of them) are in need of an update. Pool temperature was fine.
Aug 26, 2019, 9:03 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: MSP
Posts: 469
I'm incredibly confused about the room renovations at this property. The TripAdvisor page has me even more confused. Some pictures show that the bathrooms have been renovated to be very modern, but all of the reviews sound like they are still the original ones with shower tubs and the like. What is going on here? It sounds like the hotel is playing games.
