OverviewLocated about a 3-minute drive from Disney World and the nearest Interstate 4 on-ramp, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista is geared towards travellers who require a hotel with a free breakfast, a free Disney shuttle and easy highway access.
Each of this smoke-free hotel's guest rooms and suites offers free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a microwave, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Rooms with a separate bedroom, a living area with a sofabed, a jetted tub and bunk beds are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness centre, a games room, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, guest laundry, vending machines and a free breakfast. A free Disney theme park shuttle is also offered (please contact the hotel for details). Parking is an additional $5 per day and pets are not permitted.
Downtown Disney and Orlando Premium Outlets - Vineland are both roughly a 7-minute drive from the hotel, while SeaWorld can be found 11-minutes away by car. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a 22-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, parking $5/night, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: November 15, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, rooms, breakfast and staff.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's location, finding it close to Disney World, restaurants, shopping, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Universal Studios and Walgreens. One patron noted, "Location is fantastic. There are numerous restaurants and drug stores in this area as well as some of the larger places you may need, and most are within walking distance. It's very easy to find and get to and from at any point throughout the day".
The hotel's accommodations were enjoyed by many reviewers. They were described as clean, spacious, quiet, modern and well equipped, with comfortable beds and good Wi-Fi signals.
Several travellers were impressed with the hotel's breakfast. They described it as excellent, varied, delicious and frequently restocked, with several hot and cold items and a large dining area. A few guests did complain about the breakfast area being crowded at times, however.
The hotel's staff were the source of several compliments. They were characterized as helpful, professional and efficient.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about parking and noise transfer.
A few lodgers complained about the hotel's parking. They described it as being somewhat limited due to the shopping mall next door, and reported having difficulty finding a spot when arriving back at the hotel late at night.
Noise disturbances were mentioned by a few reviewers during their stay. They reported hearing noise from guests in adjacent rooms and the hallways.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #74 of 328 Orlando hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 239 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.7 out of 10 from 196 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.5 out of 5 with a 95% recommendation rate from 111 reviews.
The author called the hotel on November 15, 2013 to verify some information.