OverviewLocated about a 2-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 4 on-ramp and a 4-minute drive from Orlando's city centre, the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel is geared towards travellers who prefer a centrally located hotel with easy highway access and on-site dining.
This hotel has 290 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering cable TV, a mini-bar, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Standard rooms offer one king or two double beds. Rooms with a separate bedroom, dining area, a living room with a pull-down bed, a mini-fridge, a microwave and a bathrobe for each guest are available.
Club Level rooms give guests access to the Club Lounge, which serves a free breakfast and evening snacks, offers a bar, and is furnished with a TV area, dining area and computer workstation. The Club Lounge offers free Wi-Fi.
The hotel is wheelchair accessible. Hotel amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, 16 meeting and event rooms, fitness facilities, a business centre, guest laundry facilities, a gift shop and a free shuttle service to locations within a 5-mile radius of the hotel (pre-booking required). This hotel also features a 24-hour front desk and concierge service.
On-site dining is offered at Livingston Street Cafe, which serves breakfast daily, and Spectators Bar and Grill, which serves lunch and dinner daily. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
There is no self-parking available at this hotel, but valet parking is available on site for $16 per day. Wi-Fi service is an additional $9.95 per 24 hours. One dog per room, weighing up to 40 lbs, is permitted free of charge.
Disney World is about a 30-minute drive southwest of the hotel, while SeaWorld Orlando is a 20-minute drive southwest. The Amway Arena is roughly a 9-minute walk northwest, and the Orlando Science Center is about a 10-minute drive northeast of the hotel. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is about a 25-minute drive southeast. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Wi-Fi $9.95/day, parking $16/day, one dog up to 40 lbs permitted free of charge, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: May 31, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, staff and rooms.
The hotel's location was praised by numerous lodgers, who found it close to highway access, bars, restaurants, Amway Center, shopping and Orlando's downtown area.
Many reviewers complimented the hotel's staff, and found them to be friendly, professional, efficient and accommodating.
Several guests were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, spacious, modern and well equipped, with comfortable beds.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the value and noise transfer.
Some reviewers felt the hotel charged too many extra fees on top of the room rates. They were disappointed at having to pay for the valet-only parking, and also felt the added costs for the Wi-Fi and daily breakfast should have been included in the room rates.
Noise disturbances were noted by some guests. They reported train noise all through the night in pool-facing rooms, as well as highway noise and loud guests in the hallways.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.1 out of 5 with an 86% recommendation rate from 202 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #212 out of 328 Orlando hotels with an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 154 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.6 out of 10 from 64 reviews.
The author called the hotel on May 31, 2013 to verify some information.