Sonesta ES Suites Orlando - Lake Buena Vista

The location is about the only thing this hotel has going for it. It feels like a motel, with no elevator and every room reached from the parking lot outside. They charge a daily parking fee that should be part of the reservation, and it’s not even covered garage parking. The walls are paper thin, guests come and go all night despite the 10 pm to 7 am quiet hours, and the waste company arrives at 4 am to empty the dumpsters. That’s awful when you’re trying to sleep on vacation. We called two hours before check-in and were told the room was ready, but checking in before 4 pm would cost another $30. Why charge me to get into a room I’d already booked? The mattresses were worn out and uncomfortable, so bring your own pillows too. We gave it a chance for our Disney vacation, but the nightly noise and routine were so disappointing that we packed up and left a day early. Spend extra for an on-site or nicer hotel.

I picked this hotel because it had a suite, but the rooms were pretty small. The noise was terrible. Quiet hours are listed, but nobody seems to enforce them, and there were slammed doors and loud music late at night. People in the room above us were stomping around, so I called the front desk. They said someone would ask them to quiet down, but more than an hour later my husband had to go speak to them himself. No staff member had gone up. I was in town for the Disney run and got only an hour of sleep before the event. We left two days early, and I definitely won’t stay here again. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a peaceful, relaxing trip.

The rooms are laid out really well, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette. The pool and grounds were clean and nicely kept, and the location is perfect, about a 10 to 15 minute drive to the parks and Disney Springs. Wawa and El Patron are walkable for dinner. We’ve stayed twice already and plan to come back next year.

Cheap price, cheap quality. It might do if saving money and staying central are the priorities, but there were obvious problems. There was dirty underwear and a bra in the pullout couch, which makes it look like housekeeping didn’t clean properly. The bathrooms were dirty, with footprints in the shower, a clogged tub and toilet, a rusty showerhead, and dirty soap suds everywhere. The small, awkward kitchen had a disgusting dishwasher that wouldn’t drain. The carpets were dirty, smelled bad, and had pet hair all over. Front desk staff had an attitude. The three-story building has no elevator, breakfast isn’t included, and parking costs $15 per night per car with very few spaces. We paid $700 for four nights in a two-bedroom “suite.” The rooms and bathrooms are very tight for larger people.