OverviewLocated just off Highway 535 and about a 15-minute drive from Walt Disney World, the Orlando Vista Hotel is geared towards business and leisure travellers who prefer a well-priced hotel with a free breakfast, easy highway access and a free shuttle to Walt Disney Theme Parks.
This hotel has 246 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering cable TV, a coffeemaker, a table and chairs, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Standard rooms offer two double beds, while various rooms offer additional amenities such as kids' bunk beds, a sitting area with a sofabed, a separate bedroom, a balcony, a jetted tub, a mini-fridge and/or a microwave.
In-room Wi-Fi is an additional $9.95 per day, but is available for free in public areas. The hotel is wheelchair accessible. Pets are permitted for a fee of $50 per pet, per stay.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, a hot tub, in-room spa services, a fitness centre, meeting/banquet space, a games room, a business centre, a lounge, guest laundry facilities, a gift shop, vending machines and free parking. There is also a tour desk and a concierge desk. A free continental breakfast is offered at Vista Cafe, located on site.
The hotel also offers free shuttle service to each of Disney's four theme parks and also some local shopping centres. Guests are urged to please contact the hotel for departure schedules.
IHOP is a 3-minute walk away, and Denny's and Burger King can also be reached within 3 minutes on foot. Orlando Premium Outlets offers shopping roughly 6 minutes away by car. Universal Studios Orlando is about a 20-minute drive northward, and Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a 20-minute drive northeast. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi $9.95/night, free parking, pets permitted for $50/pet/stay, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 8, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, value and staff.
Numerous reviewers enjoyed the hotel's location, finding it to be close to Downtown Disney, Magic Kingdom, shopping, restaurants and highway access. One lodger remarked, "This hotel is ideal for those vacations that will be spent mostly at Disney Parks or shopping all day".
The hotel was considered to provide good value by many guests. They described the rates as affordable, low, well priced, excellent and cheap, and also cited the free Disney shuttle as adding to the hotel's overall worth.
Several lodgers complimented the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly and attentive, as well as able to provide good suggestions and recommendations.
In addition, several guests enjoyed their rooms and felt they were clean and spacious. However, there were some complaints about decor, furnishings and amenities (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the rooms and the breakfast.
While several guests enjoyed their rooms, some reviewers had complaints about their accommodations. They reported worn decor, tired furnishings, stained carpets, musty odours and some cleaning issues. Guests were also disappointed that mini-fridges and Wi-Fi were not included in their rooms, although both services are available for additional fees.
Some lodgers were disappointed with the hotel's free breakfast. They reported a limited choice, canned or boxed items only, and described the breakfast area as noisy and crowded.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #228 out of 328 Orlando hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 585 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 3.3 out of 5 with a 66% recommendation rate from 531 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.5 out of 10 from 312 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 8, 2013 to verify some information.
