Travelodge by Wyndham Orlando / Heart of International Drive

The staff started out friendly, and the room looked freshly done up, like they were trying to make it modern on a budget. Then I noticed the floor was peeling badly. For the first two days, the shower pressure was barely a drizzle and the water was freezing. Breakfast was free, but amounted to packaged pastries and fruit that didn’t taste fresh. On the final night, we lost a key card and asked for a replacement to get into our paid room. They threatened a $10 fee if we didn’t return it, which felt like a lot for a cheap plastic card after those showers and that crumbling floor. The staff’s attitude also went from friendly to acting like you shouldn’t speak unless you were paying extra. The mood changed faster than the water temperature. Started cute, ended in chaos. Your patience may be gone well before checkout.

The staff were polite, but the stay was a mess. The TV and phone didn’t work when I arrived, and instead of moving us to another room, they sent maintenance, who took over an hour. The fridge barely kept things cool. I couldn’t shower for three days because there was a crack in the shower floor, and water came up through it when I stepped on it. There was standing water in it, which seemed like a bacteria risk. I saw dead roaches outside, but none inside our room. They didn’t provide soap. Breakfast was just oatmeal, bananas, and oranges, with warm milk and cereal because the fridge was locked and the milk had been left out. The floors were so dirty we threw our socks away at the end.

The best part of the stay was the housekeeper next door. She saw me unloading my bags, quickly moved her cart from in front of my door, and apologized. The room itself was clean, with a comfortable bed and nice bedding, and the location was great, with Chili’s across the street, Juicy Crab next door, and lots of other restaurants nearby. But there was construction and a huge fence out front, so it was easy to miss the parking lot. The front desk person wasn’t friendly and tried to give me a double room even though I’d paid for a king. The room had cheap laminate flooring damaged in a straight line from the AC unit to the bathroom, with large gaps and missing chunks, as if there’d been a leak. The bathroom was clean, but I was put in a wheelchair room and wouldn’t use either of the old, gross-looking shower seats. The towels were clean and okay for their size. If you don’t expect too much, it’ll be fine.

The location was fantastic, and the hotel was comfortable and well organized. Everyone on the staff was attentive, friendly, and helpful from beginning to end, and they really made the stay special. I loved it here and would definitely come back. Highly recommend! 😊