Tropical Escape Resort Homes

We had a lovely week in a clean, beautiful, comfortable five-bedroom house with Tropical Escapes. The resort was within a half-hour drive of all the Disney parks, which we visited every day, and communication with the staff was very good throughout. We’d definitely stay there again. Just a couple small suggestions: a full-length mirror in the foyer would be nice, and a grab bar in the downstairs shower would help. We loved the house and our stay.

The inside of our Championsgate villa is okay, but the outdoor area is awful. There are cockroaches everywhere, the cushions are mouldy, and the patio furniture is rusty and broken. Of the furniture, only two seats are usable for our family of five, even though the villa says it sleeps up to 15. Three broken seats were left tipped over in the garden. There’s no net for getting bugs out of the pool. We paid for pool heating, which seems to be working somewhat, but the hot tub stays cold and only bubbles like a bath. The company was slow to respond. Update, one hour after posting: The company got in touch and sent a lovely young man who did what he could. He removed most of the broken furniture, but nothing was replaced, leaving us with two loungers and half a dining set, and less than that if we avoid the mouldy seats. The bug problem still hadn’t been addressed. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

We asked on the first day if we could move to another home, any size, as long as the equipment worked for some private family time. Our plan had been relaxing evenings with a private pool and hot tub, but we ended up without a hot tub, and the pool heater didn’t work during Florida’s cold weather. Maintenance called it a high priority each day, yet took 3.5 days to inspect the equipment and tell us it couldn’t be fixed. So far, they’ve waived the pool heat charge, which is obvious since it doesn’t work, and returned our $36 early check-in fee. That’s all. No park or dinner vouchers, and no rental reimbursement. We have one day left of our seven, and I doubt this review will get the terrible customer relations team at “Tropical Escape Vacation Homes” to make sure we’re satisfied, but I hope they see it. We’re disappointed with the whole TEAM at Champions Gate.

The pool and bar staff were apologetic, and the area itself was quite nice. They even gave me a website for Balmoral so we could book directly next time. But our stay in a Tropical Escape Vacation Homes villa was a mess. My brother-in-law gave my wife and me the Florida trip as a holiday gift, and we were excited to stay with all ten of us in a six-bedroom, six-bathroom “Luxury villa.” At the last minute, he was told the owner had put the house on the market, so we were moved to the only alternative, a four-bedroom home in the same community. He’d chosen the gated resort for its splash pool area for the little ones and nearby shopping, but had no choice but to accept the change. Some children slept on floor pads until we spotted large “water bugs,” as staff called them. After the first night, most of us were sneezing and sniffling, and my wife’s eyes nearly swelled shut from what she said was the extreme dust. Joe called the office and was told it was probably the weather changing. When he asked for the AC filters to be changed, they said the right size wouldn’t be available until the next day or so. Despite repeated promises from upper management, no new filter arrived during our stay. I had to move my family to a nearby place that looked like a local council flat, at my own expense, and we went home early. My brother-in-law also left early and tried to get some compensation, but was told it was our choice to leave and the owner had already been paid. They’ve ripped off owners and guests and are very deceitful. By all means, never book with them.