OverviewLocated about a 5-minute drive from Disney World Resort just off Highway 530, the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orlando - Orange Lake Resort is geared towards travellers who prefer a resort-style hotel with a water park, extended kitchen amenities, on-site dining and easy highway access.
Each of this smoke-free hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and villas offers free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a kitchenette, an in-room safe, a DVD player, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer and a seating area with a sofabed. Rooms with a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, a separate bedroom, a dining table and a jetted tub are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include a waterpark (with seven outdoor pools, four waterslides, a lazy river and a lake), four golf courses, three arcades, three fitness centres, tennis, racquetball and basketball courses, a playground, a kids centre, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, a gift shop, massage services, a convenience store, BBQ facilities, nine restaurants and free parking. A free shuttle within the resort is also available (please contact the hotel for details).
Animal Kingdom is about a 10-minute drive from the hotel, while Epcot can be found 15 minutes away by car. Town Center at Orange Lake offers shopping roughly a 4-minute drive away and Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a 30-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, no pets, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: December 21, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and staff.
The hotel's location was praised by numerous reviewers. They found it close to Disney parks, Universal Studios, shopping, restaurants, grocery stores, highway access and golf. Some patrons did recommend the hotel only for those with a vehicle, however, due to the hotel's lack of free shuttle service to Disney parks.
Many lodgers were pleased with their accommodations at the hotel. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped, spacious, updated and tastefully decorated, with comfortable beds and linens.
Several guests complimented the hotel's staff. They were characterized as friendly, helpful, professional and efficient.
Some travellers had complaints about the hotel's check-in process, however (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the hotel's check-in process and added costs.
Some lodgers were disappointed with the hotel's check-in process, due to the staff timeshare pitches. These guests found the sales pitch to be pushy, and felt it shouldn't be a part of checking into the hotel.
A few reviewers complained about the added costs they incurred during their stay. They found the hotel's food to be expensive and were also disappointed that some of the hotel's amenities (such as inner tubes for the waterpark and the mini-golf) charged added fees.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #20 of 161 Kissimmee hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 2,524 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.2 out of 5 with an 87% recommendation rate from 2,148 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 220 reviews.
The author called the hotel on December 21, 2013 to verify some information.
