TownePlace Suites by Marriott Orlando Theme Parks/Lake Buena Vista

We booked more than one room, and some of the beds were old and sloped so your head was lower than your feet. One bed had wrinkled sheets with hair in it, so it wasn’t clean. The ACs were loud, the TVs small, and housekeeping seemed to throw the beds together. It feels like they’re overlooking the basics and should inspect the rooms more carefully and hold them to a higher standard. Parking is expensive too. The place was much nicer when it first opened. It’s gone downhill and feels like a three star hotel bumped up for a few features. Not sure what changed.

That little kitchen in the room was a lifesaver for my weeklong stay. Being able to make breakfast, snacks, and quick meals saved me from eating at restaurants seven days straight. The free breakfast was convenient, though not the best. The hotel has a free shuttle to the Disney parks, but I had a rental car. The location is great, close to the parks and Disney Springs. There’s also a pool and an arcade, which were nice for downtime with kids. My room was clean, roomy, and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

There are lots of places to eat nearby, including Pizza Hut and Mexican and Indian restaurants, and Orlando Vineland Outlets is just across the highway for shopping and good deals. Disney World is about a 15 minute drive from any of the parks. The pool in the middle of the hotel was a nice place to unwind in the evenings. My room was clean and had a kitchenette with an induction cooktop, fridge, and microwave, plus an LCD TV with current programs and on-demand channels. The bathroom towels and toiletries were good. Elida at reception was kind and helpful when we checked in, and made both check-in and check-out easy. Breakfast was hot and had cereals, fruit, scrambled eggs, potato bites, pancakes, Mickey-shaped waffles, oatmeal toppings, coffee, milk, yogurt, and plenty more. One thing to know: parking is $26 a night through a third-party company, LBV TPARK, on top of your room cost.

There was plenty of space for our family, including two little kids and Grandma. The suite was over 1,200 square feet, with two separate bedrooms, a spacious living room, an adequate kitchen, and a dining table for four. One bedroom was a huge master with its own bathroom, while the other had a separate bathroom. That extra bathroom was handy for the toddler’s bedtime while the baby was asleep in the master. The suite was very outdated, and I hope they renovate, but it was clean and roomy enough that I’d stay again.