OverviewLocated about a 5-minute drive from Universal Studios Orlando, just off Highway 435, this Hampton Inn is geared towards road travellers who require a hotel with easy highway access, a free breakfast and a free Disney shuttle.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms comes with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, an in-room safe, a coffeemaker, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a desk, a free weekday newspaper, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness room, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, laundry services, a free breakfast, breakfasts to-go and free parking. A free shuttle to SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, Holy Land and all Walt Disney theme parks is also offered (please contact the hotel for details).
The hotel is wheelchair accessible and pets are not permitted.
Disney World and SeaWorld can both be found roughly 12 minutes away by car, while Orlando Premium Outlets are a 7-minute drive away. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is about a 20-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: September 15, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, staff, breakfast and rooms.
The hotel's location was praised by many guests. They found it close to Universal Studios, Disney World, SeaWorld, restaurants, shopping, The Island of Adventure, highway access and Walgreens.
Numerous reviewers offered compliments to the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly, accommodating and helpful with suggestions and directions. One guest remarked, "The front desk staff double as concierges and [Jeremy] was super helpful in giving us great advice on how to get around, reservations at his fave restaurant and just made our night with his great attitude and wealth of information".
Several patrons were pleased with the hotel's free breakfast, and described it as excellent, delicious and varied, with diligent staff and a clean eating area. One reviewer noted, "Breakfasts consisted of a wide array of delicious, well-prepared and nutritious foods, not just a few packaged items".
The hotel's accommodations were enjoyed by several lodgers as well. They described their rooms as clean, quiet, spacious and well maintained, with comfortable beds. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had complaints about their lodgings (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about noise transfer and the rooms.
A few guests complained of noise transfer during their stay. They reported noisy in-room air-conditioning units, as well as noise from guests in adjacent rooms and traffic noise in highway-facing rooms.
Although several reviewers were impressed with their clean and comfortable rooms, a few lodgers had complaints. They reported dated decor, small-sized rooms and a few housekeeping issues.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 with a 95% recommendation rate from 624 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 from 461 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #83 of 330 Orlando hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 229 reviews.
The author called the hotel on September 15, 2013 to verify some information.
