DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando Review (Disney Springs)
This review of the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando shares a detailed account of our last stay. We preview a standard suite and discuss other resort amenities. For reference, all of the rooms at this hotel are suites with separate living spaces. This particular hotel is located within walking distance of Disney Springs. It is also eligible for early theme park entry.
The primary selling points for this hotel are the reasonable price for larger accommodations and proximity to Disney Springs. It’s the only all-suite hotel in the area. Over the years, I’ve heard many positive reviews of the DoubleTree Hotel at Disney Springs. So, I thought it was time to stay here and compare it to a few other resorts in a similar price range and location. This DoubleTree Suites at Disney Springs review will examine our experience at the hotel. We’ll also preview a standard suite to see what in-room amenities you can expect.
Unfortunately, my arrival at the DoubleTree didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. Upon arrival, I was notified that my room wasn’t ready. When I questioned how long I should expect to wait, I was told rather abruptly that rooms weren’t guaranteed until 4:00 p.m. and that they would text me the room number when it became available. While this was understandable, the message was rudely delivered. (Also, it was after 2:30 p.m., so I wasn’t considerably early. It isn’t uncommon for rooms to be ready early at hotels, and guests arrive at different times.)
To make things worse, I had a headache and asked where I could purchase something for it. I was then told I would have to leave and go elsewhere because the hotel’s convenience shop didn’t open until 5:00 p.m. For whatever reason, I decided to press my luck and ask if they had a first aid kit with individual Tylenol samples or something similar. At this point, it was nearly 3:00 p.m., and the last thing I wanted was to have to leave to find something. You know, since my room was guaranteed at 4:00 p.m.
Unfortunately, no help was available. So, I returned to my car and headed out to find the nearest drugstore. At 4:00 p.m., I still hadn’t received my room assignment via text, so I returned to the hotel. I waited in line at the front desk again. Thankfully, this time, my room was ready. Needless to say, things started a little rocky.
That said, the bell services guy who brought my luggage was an angel. He provided me with all the information I needed for my stay. For instance, he mentioned that the hotel offered a shuttle service to the parks, told me about the pool, and even recommended dining options near Disney Springs.
When I asked him how long he had worked for the company, he mentioned that he worked through a temporary service but had been there for a while. All I can say is that the Hilton is lucky to have someone at the hotel who cares about the needs of their guests. He turned an unpleasant check-in process around and made me feel like a wanted guest. Isn’t that how most of us want to feel on vacation?
Anyway, I was pleased with the size of the suite I had reserved. This room cost $182.25 for the night at the time of this stay. I paid extra for parking. Thankfully, this hotel doesn’t charge a resort fee. (These rooms have been updated since this stay, so you can expect more modern furnishings. Parking charges have also gone up since this stay.)
Regarding pricing, the higher price of the room was likely due to the time of year. For reference, I stayed here over a weekend in mid-July. In August, the rates were much more reasonable than what I paid. Of course, if you have a vehicle, you’ll want to consider the extra parking cost. Below is a photo of the living room area for the one-bedroom suite, which has a king-size bed and a sleeper sofa. This room is 540 square feet and can sleep up to four guests.
I appreciated having a separate table and chairs in the living area. Since I ran a few errands while waiting to check in, I brought dinner back to the hotel. Having a proper place to enjoy a meal and get a little work done was nice. Speaking of work, free wifi was available.
In the corner, a small kitchenette area provided a sink, microwave, and individual-cup coffee maker.
As of this trip, I’ve decided I’m over this style of coffee maker. Unfortunately, the coffee isn’t good, and I miss being able to make a pot of coffee while I’m getting ready. These allow the coffee to get cold quickly, and you can’t warm it up by adding more.
A moderately sized mini-refrigerator sits under the counter. If you were to bring back leftovers from any of the nearby restaurants at Disney Springs, you could store them here and heat them later.
In addition to having a large living area, it was nice to have a separate bedroom. You could close the doors between the two rooms for added privacy.
The bedroom had a pretty dated television that didn’t work well. Since I spent most of my time in the living space, it wasn’t an issue. Inside the closet were extra bedding for the sleeper sofa and an in-room safe.
The guest bath was one ample space.
Here is the bathtub with a combined shower.
Plenty of counter space was available. However, the bath only had one sink.
Overall, the room was spacious, and the price was more reasonable for the room size than some of the neighboring hotels. Here is a video tour of the DoubleTree suite if you want to see the entire perspective.
Before we wrap things up, we’ll look at a few other amenities at the Disney Springs DoubleTree. Below is a photo of the lobby.
Seating was limited to these two small spaces.
Guests could rent a DVD with their room key if desired. I thought that was a fun touch and noticed several guests picking out movies.
There were a few workstations that provided computers and printers.
Below is the area that leads out to the resort’s bus stop.
Several hotels in the area offer complimentary shuttle service to the theme parks. This service is once per hour during the park’s operating hours. If you’ve read my previous hotel reviews, you know I’m not a fan of shuttle services because they are restricted to specific times. Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice that the hotels offer the service. But as someone who visits the parks often, I prefer to drive my personal car.
When I took photos for this review, I saw this sign in the image below and scanned the QR code to see how it worked. No one mentioned the shuttle service at check-in, so I assumed you would walk to the bus stop and wait.
When I scanned the code, it gave me a list of times and prices for the shuttle service. However, after looking at it for a few moments, I was more confused because the prices sounded pretty high. So, I went to the front desk and inquired how it worked. I was given this sheet of paper that provided a complimentary coupon code for the shuttle.
I would have had to pay for the service if I hadn’t gotten this code. So, if you take advantage of this offering, pick one of these sheets up at the front desk. After finding out about the transportation offerings, I decided to check out the pool at the resort.
I was surprised to find such an ample outdoor space behind the hotel.
The pool is open daily from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. No lifeguards are on duty. You must use your room key to access the space. The pool’s maximum depth is 6′ (feet), per the sign.
A nice-sized gym near the pool offers everything one would need to get in a decent workout.
Here is an alternate view of the fitness center.
A whirlpool spa sits toward the back of the pool in a private, shaded area. A hot tub is an excellent place to relax after a long day in the parks.
The resort had a pleasant pool area.
And a pool bar is available during the busier times of the day.
What surprised me most at the hotel was the tremendous outdoor space. A small playground was available.
It was surprising to see two sizeable outdoor tennis courts.
As I made my way back up to the front of the hotel, I checked the walkway to Disney Springs. Most of the walkway is shaded, and thankfully, there’s a large pedestrian bridge when you get to Disney Springs, so you don’t have to deal with traffic.
It’s 0.7 miles from the DoubleTree to the Marketplace entrance at Disney Springs, which is approximately a 16-minute walk.
Unfortunately, this hotel does not offer a complimentary breakfast, but they do have a pricy buffet option.
FYI, these make-your-own Mickey waffles are often included in many complimentary hotel breakfasts. However, at the Hilton DoubleTree, they are included with the expensive breakfast buffet charge.
I don’t usually like to get into this sort of thing, but many comparable off-site hotels offer a complimentary breakfast. So it’s something to consider. Since I stay at so many hotels, I can’t help but notice when there is a drastic difference between similar items. I hope our reviews help you determine which hotel is worthy of your hard-earned vacation funds.
Ultimately, the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando might be worth considering if you need a little space to spread out and would like to be near Disney Springs. I don’t have any major complaints about the hotel, but I can’t really sing its praises either. As for the money spent, I would have been happier elsewhere. The lack of customer service at the hotel (other than bell services) also contributed to my feelings about it.
We hope you enjoyed this review of the Buena Vista Palace. If you’re considering other hotel options in the immediate area, see our article: Off-Site Hotels Within Walking Distance of Disney Springs. For other off-site options in general, see our guide to off-site hotels near Disney World. Make sure to check back with Resorts Gal for more resort reviews and updates.
In the Comments
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