The Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando

The suite itself was clean, modern, and very spacious, with no complaints from us about the room. We had a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite on the 7th floor of building 3. The extended balcony looked over the entrance and lobby and was enclosed with a bug net. The corridor looked dated, so I was a bit doubtful as we walked down it, but I needn’t have worried. Check-in was quick and efficient. We booked through Virgin Holidays, so resort fees were capped at 5 days. We got discount cards, a detailed map, instructions to the suite, and our keys. The gym was small but had what I needed for a workout. We stayed two weeks and had a fabulous time despite a few niggles. The onsite shop was extremely expensive. We used it twice for convenience and applied one of the discount cards, but ordering a Target delivery or taking an Uber to Walmart would be cheaper. One day we stayed at the resort for the kids to have a pool day, but it was very busy at the pool and waterpark and we couldn’t find a seat. The room wasn’t cleaned at all during our 14 nights, even though at check-in we were told it would be serviced at least once. Trash was emptied once, and one day I left a bag in the hallway for collection. Toilet paper and kitchen roll were replenished on our second-to-last day. The most disappointing part was the shuttle to Disney and Universal. We used the Universal shuttle once. It picked us up at 7am and didn’t get us there until after 10am, which wouldn’t work for younger children. We used the Disney shuttle more, but it rarely came at the stated time and didn’t always drop us where we’d booked. Luckily, once on Disney property, you can take Disney transport to any park. One time the bus was far too small for everyone booked, so we took an Uber instead. The shuttle was why we chose this resort over another one that didn’t offer one. Knowing what we know now, we’d book that other place next time. We’d happily stay here again if we hired a car, but renting one wasn’t for us this trip.

We’ve visited this resort for many years, but after just one day of this stay, I already regret coming. I can’t understand what happened to the property since 2024. The drop in quality is shocking, and I won’t return or recommend it to friends and family. The hallways smelled strongly of humidity and mildew, the carpets looked poorly maintained, and both our room and the shared areas were noticeably dirty. My family of eight was given only two towels. There were no sheets, blankets, or bedding for the sofa bed. I called Guest Services and waited more than two hours for help. The towels arrived very late, and some of my family had to sleep on the sofa bed without proper sheets. We even shared towels because there weren’t enough. On the second day, housekeeping never serviced the room, and once again we had to call for clean towels because none were brought. Several staff members were rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. As returning guests, we felt like an inconvenience instead of being welcomed. Parking was excessively expensive, and its policies seemed unreasonable and designed to benefit the hotel. The cleanliness, service, attention to guests, and overall experience are nowhere near the standard this resort used to offer. It charges premium prices, and I expected far better from a place my family has supported and looked forward to visiting for years.

The resort itself is nice, but we won’t be back. The parking fee should be included when booking, since there aren’t other parking options. My wife luckily spotted the charge before we arrived. At least the resort fee is included in the booking price. Pool chairs should be covered by that resort fee too, in my opinion. We also had to pay for fresh towels, which should be part of the stay. We were in building 2, while the pool and Waterpark were beside building 3 on the other side of the resort. There was no direct route. The elevator closest to our room had been broken for 3 weeks, so we had to take a long way from the parking garage. To get anywhere, we had to walk far out of the way to M elevator, as did other guests. It became overcrowded and caused a lot of congestion. I was shocked by how many people seemed willing to “roll the dice” on the no-smoking rule. I saw 2 different people smoking weed and smelled it numerous times.

Michelle made our water park visit especially enjoyable. She greeted us warmly, kept checking in even though it was busy, and made sure we felt looked after. Her kindness and professionalism really stood out. Thanks, Michelle, for such memorable service. We’d happily come back and hope to see you again.