Hilton Orlando

The pool was a big hit with my kids, especially the lazy river, basketball court, and hot tub. The adult pool was great too, and I’d recommend getting a cabana, though there’s a fee. There aren’t nightly activities, but the pool stays open until 11 p.m., which was perfect for unwinding. The Universal shuttle was a nice extra. The hotel felt calm, upscale, updated, and immaculate. The gym was fantastic, with two StairMasters, and paid self-parking was close and convenient. The chat feature made it easy to communicate, and requests were handled quickly. The food was amazing, especially at the poolside restaurant. I was grateful for the upgrade. Huge thanks to Richard for making the stay outstanding. Probably one of my best Hilton stays. Highly recommend the Hilton Orlando!

The water park is small, but the kids had fun there, and they also loved the lazy river. The property was clean and well cared for, and the staff were welcoming throughout. Scratch Market became part of our morning routine for great coffee and fresh orange juice. There are two restaurants, and we especially liked the sports bar. For $45 an hour, you can book a private room and eat with your family while playing golf or other sports. We used Uber to get to and from the parks, which was very convenient. This was better than many Disney resorts we’ve stayed at before. We’ll definitely return and highly recommend it.

Our main problem was the front desk experience. After getting back from Universal Epic around 10:30 p.m., Andrew greeted us pleasantly, then abruptly turned to complain to a colleague about the messy reception desk while we waited for our room assignment and keys. We ended up beside the elevator. Our child fell asleep in about 15 minutes, but the noise kept us awake all night, and it was too late to reasonably ask to move with our child already asleep. The next day, my wife asked to change rooms. Staff said they’d let her know, then stayed silent for three hours. When she followed up, they snapped that the room was ready, without having told her. Getting replacement keys from Sanjay was unpleasant too. At checkout, I raised it with Chloe, a trainee. She smirked and said we should have used the system’s text box to request a quiet room away from elevators, stairs, vending machines, or other things. The manager stood right beside her, listened, and agreed. Being told we should have asked for a quiet room that way felt incredibly dismissive. John from sales approached us after we left the elevator at checkout and tried to sell us on staying at Hilton again. It felt as if Expedia guests were treated as second-class: the hotel seemed to use Expedia to bring in bookings, then push guests to book direct while giving them a worse experience. The lobby sales approach also came across as aggressive. In two nights, I’d had enough. Guests pay for a smooth stay as well as amenities, and this property fell badly short on that front. The front desk interactions made me question how the team is hired and managed. The hard-sell approach felt like an attempt to drive repeat stays, possibly in response to high turnover or low occupancy.

We booked pretty close to NYE and had a great stay. The manager went out of the way to make sure the accommodations exceeded my expectations, and the staff were friendly and efficient. We ate at FastBreak, Todo Vos, and Tropics Pool Bar and Grill. Service was great at all three, and the food was fantastic. It was too cold to use the pool, but the area looked very nice and we plan to return when it’s warmer. We didn’t try the grab-and-go food, though it was nice to have the option, especially for a longer stay.