OverviewLocated about a 15-minute walk from the University of Central Florida along Highway 434, the Homewood Suites Orlando-UCF Area is suitable for business or vacation travellers looking for short- or long-term all-suite accommodations with extended kitchen amenities and a free breakfast along the highway.
This hotel has 99 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a DVD player, a full kitchen, a coffeemaker, a sitting area with a sofabed, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. One-bedroom suites are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, a basketball court, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, a convenience store, guest laundry facilities, free grocery shopping service, free parking and a free breakfast. Complimentary drinks and dinner are available Monday through Thursday, and pets are not permitted.
Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar-B-Q is roughly a 2-minute drive south of the hotel, while Waterford Lakes Town Center is a 4-minute drive south. The Amway Center is about a 20-minute drive into Orlando's city centre, and Orlando International Airport (MCO) can be found 25 to 35 minutes southwest by car.
Walt Disney World Resort is about 30 to 35 minutes away by car. (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: August 4, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms, breakfast and location.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly, helpful, attentive and informative. One lodger noted, "The staff were consistently courteous and went out of their way to meet all our requests".
The hotel's rooms were the source of many compliments by reviewers. They were described as clean, spacious, quiet and well equipped, with comfortable beds and good water pressure.
Several patrons enjoyed the hotel's free breakfast, describing it as yummy, fabulous and superb. One guest remarked, "Daily breakfast was well stocked and fresh with varied choices of ... beverages and food".
The hotel's location was also praised by several lodgers. They described it as safe, and close to the University of Central Florida, shopping restaurants, highway access, Walgreens, Full Sail University and the Kennedy Space Center. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had issues with the location (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were very positive, there were a couple complaints about the location.
A couple of guests expressed disappointment with the hotel's location, and found it to be far from the Disney Theme Parks and attractions. One reviewer remarked, "Ok, this hotel is a long way from downtown and the 'attractions', however I was there for business and the office was around the corner. Don't stay here if you plan on just going to the Disney attractions".
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #22 of 329 Orlando hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 169 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.7 out of 5 with a 98% recommendation rate from 187 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 9.1 out of 10 from 7 reviews.
The author called the hotel on August 4, 2013 to verify some information.
