Clarion Hotel Orlando International Airport

The lobby carpet shows a lot of wear, but the hotel and grounds were clean and well kept. The front desk clerk was friendly and helpful, and asked when our flight was so she could move checkout later. We appreciated not having to beg for that. My spouse has mobility issues, and the room had the accommodations we needed, including a shower we could both use. It was clean and had plenty of ports for our electronics. There’s an outdoor pool that was in constant use, and airport shuttle service that many guests were using. The hotel is tucked behind a car wash, so watch for the Holiday Inn Express sign, but it’s close to restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores. For a place near the airport and local attractions, it works well.

Update: Kariann, the manager, followed up and was very nice. She offered the best solution she had, and I appreciate it. The front desk was rude when I asked for a simple change. The hotel is down an alley behind a car wash and a 7/11, with lots of traffic and a creepy old, possibly abandoned hotel behind it. I almost always stay at a Holiday Inn Express, and this was one of the least pleasant ones I’ve visited. There are plenty of other places around, so we won’t return and will pick somewhere else next time.

The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and breakfast was good. Still, we won’t stay here again because we don’t feel like we matter to them. We’ve stayed many times, but both airport pickup experiences were bad. On an earlier visit, we needed a shuttle from the airport and were told it was full because a large group had arrived. They said it was the last shuttle of the night and wouldn’t return for us, so we had to pay for a taxi or Uber. This time I called in the morning and was told the shuttle would come in about 20 minutes. We waited, then called again after 40 minutes. They asked where we were, as if they’d forgotten us, and then said they were busy and we’d need a taxi. After the red-eye, I was upset about being left waiting. When we arrived by taxi, the manager was curt and a bit defensive. I told her how unhappy I was, and she said she understood but that I didn’t need to be so angry. I told her not to tell me how I should behave. When we described the earlier experience, she insisted they would never say that and suggested we’d stayed at another HI Express. We hadn’t. She repeated that several times, which felt like she was calling us liars. We were told again and again that they were busy taking people to the airport, so apparently that mattered more than us.

Our flight was delayed, so we didn’t reach the hotel until 12:30 AM. Even though the shuttle had stopped running at midnight, the concierge sent one to pick us up at MCO. After a long travel day, we really appreciated the help. The room was clean and updated. We stayed again the night before our flight out and had another clean room where we slept comfortably.