Home2 Suites by Hilton at Winter Garden Review

On a recent visit to Disney World, I had a little difficulty reserving a last-minute room. Of course, a few options were available if I had wanted to pay over $500.00 a night for a room I probably wouldn’t use for more than 12 hours. So I expanded my search to find an off-site option that would work for the limited need of this stay. That search proved challenging as well, given occupancy and price considerations. It’s also how I ended up booking a stay at the Home2 Suites by Hilton at Winter Garden. For this review, I’ll share my experience of how this stay came to fruition, what to expect, and why you might consider staying at this hotel. It’s such a little gem.

As someone who’s previously lived about 15 minutes from this area, I’m not very familiar with Winter Garden. If you ever decide to move to central Florida, good luck. I still don’t have a clue as to where I will hopefully eventually find a permanent home. Since I’m back and forth for the time being, I decided to come down a night early. Therefore, I needed to find a hotel, and I literally booked this one on a Thursday night before I drove down on Friday. That’s about as wild as it gets around here.

As mentioned above, I was not about to book a last-minute $800.00 a night room at the Grand Floridian. The options on Disney’s website were few and far between. If memory serves, it was that or a cabin at the Wilderness Lodge, which well exceeded my budget for the entire month. When I’m booking these rooms, my priority is to always stay somewhere that I haven’t stayed or book a room that’s been updated, so I can get fresh pictures for our readers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even find any availability at the Flamingo Crossings Hotels, which are my go-tos for budget-friendly options. We’ve done all of the Marriotts at that location, but there are two Hiltons we haven’t tried.

After several searches, I decided to give Priceline a whirl, which is where I found a reasonable rate of $150.00 a night + tax for a room at the Home2 Hilton in Winter Garden. A quick check showed no additional fees, so I secured the room, hoping for the best. For reference, this stay was during a fairly busy holiday weekend. This instance is also a good example to secure a room earlier rather than later. As your vacation date approaches, rates will get higher, and those who really need a room will end up paying for what’s available.

When I arrived at the hotel, I was immediately impressed. A staff member had me checked in with a room key in just a few minutes. They were also able to give me a quick rundown of the hotel and pointed me in the right direction for nearby dining options. (There were a ton of fast-food and table service restaurants within less than a mile of the hotel.) It was getting late, and my main priority was to get a few photos of the room and the pool before sunset. When I opened the door, I was surprised to find such spacious accommodations. It turns out my Priceline deal was for a Mobility/Hearing Accessible Tub Studio Suite with a Queen Bed. (This is an upgraded room. So a standard room should be less, depending on availability.)

Even though my stay was brief, I felt like I could easily stay here for a couple of weeks and get by just fine. The hotel and room offered pretty much all of the same amenities you would find in a condo.

The room had a small, separate sofa area with an end table, lamps, an ottoman, and a full-length mirror.

Here is a look at the space from the back corner of the room.

This corner had a built-in closet area with an iron and an ironing board, a dresser, a television, and a desk area. A small table pulls out from under the desk area that can be used for dining or office work. There was also a built-in luggage rack, which I thought was a nice touch.

As you can see, the room also came with a full kitchenette.

When you first enter the room, you’re met with the kitchenette area. The bathroom is on the immediate left.

While there isn’t a built-in stove-top or oven, I felt as though the kitchen was sufficient.

A closer look at the microwave reveals a notice that portable cooktops and skillets are available. You just need to ask the front desk. I have stayed in many of these types of hotel rooms and found that a hot plate works wonders for preparing full meals.

While my stay wasn’t long enough to utilize the kitchen, I did order takeout and used the plates and silverware provided in the room. It was nice to have real plates and load them in the dishwasher out of the way when I was finished.

I would have preferred a full-size coffee maker over the individual-cup option. That said, this hotel offers complimentary coffee throughout most of the day. So I was able to get a fresh cup from the lobby.

The kitchen area had a separate sink.

Here are a few photos of extras in the kitchen, including a toaster oven and colander.

One drawer was well-stocked with utensils.

Items like dish soap, a sponge, and dishwasher detergent were also available. If you’re comparing an extended stay hotel to a condo, this is something you might want to consider. Most condos do not have things like paper towels, dish soap, detergent, and general toiletry items. Often, you’ll end up adding these “needed” items to your grocery store run, which is an extra expense. So it’s nice that these items are included.

The room had a roll of paper towels and an ice bucket. Ice machines were available on each floor by the elevator.

Here is the sizeable bathroom.

It had a full vanity with one sink, plenty of counter space, and open storage shelves underneath.

Bottles of hand soap and lotion were fastened to the wall.

A hairdryer was also available.

This room had a bathtub and a shower combination.

It had a bench that folds over for anyone with mobility issues.

The showerhead was detachable.

The built-in shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were also a nice touch. I think these are pretty much standard at most hotels these days.

We’ll hop back downstairs to check out the rest of the hotel. The lobby is fairly small, but I found everything at this hotel to be more than efficient.

You’ll find a few tables, chairs, and high chairs. But fair warning, the entire area will be packed full at breakfast.

A market area off the lobby sells a variety of snacks and items that would make for a small meal. If you were to come in late, you could purchase a frozen dinner to heat up in your room.

Here is the coffee area.

During breakfast, the coffee canisters were continuously refreshed.

Speaking of breakfast, I’m always happy to find a complimentary offering. This is another huge consideration for an off-site hotel. At Disney, the average cost of a quick service breakfast is $15.00 for adults and about $10.00 for children. That’s $50.00 plus tax for a family of four for breakfast. So having a no-cost meal option each day of your stay is a huge asset.

They even had make-your-own waffles. A fresh, hot waffle is a great way to start your day, even if it’s not shaped like a Mickey Mouse.

A few hot and dry cereal options were also available.

Here is a look at the plate I prepared.

This hotel had a small laundry room with washers and dryers.

A gym was available.

It didn’t have a ton of equipment, but it offered plenty of space and everything you need to get in a decent workout.

One corner had a variety of weighted balls and stability options.

There were plenty of dumb bells in a variety of sizes.

Outside, I found an outdoor eating area and a couple of grills.

The hotel had a small pool.

It had a mobility lift and a few steps on one end.

As far as location goes, this hotel is literally at the intersection of the Florida Turnpike and Florida State Road 429. (SR 429 is where you exit the turnpike to head toward Disney World. You can stay on the turnpike, and you’ll end up on the Universal Studios end of Orlando at Interstate-4.) A quick search of the internet said that I was about 15-20 minutes from Walt Disney World, but to clarify, this location is about 15-20 minutes from what’s called the West Gate. The West Gate is at Flamingo Crossings, and that road (Western Way) will take you to the corner of Buena Vista Drive and Coronado Springs Resort. It would take you about 30 minutes with moderate traffic to reach Disney’s Animal Kingdom from this hotel. Then, about 5 to 10 more minutes for the other parks.

Overall, you will have a little travel time to and from the parks if you stay here. The positive is that, for the most part, you can take the toll roads to both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. Therefore, you’ll be able to avoid a lot of long Florida traffic lights. Of course, you could run into traffic, but the toll roads are generally better than the interstate.

Final Thoughts

Before we wrap things up, I wanted to add a few considerations for anyone interested in this hotel. I think it would be a great option if you were considering doing a few park days here and there. However, the commute might be a little bit much if you’re visiting the parks for a full 5 or more days in a row and going from sunup until sundown. If that were the case, I would stay on Disney property at the cheapest hotel I could find.

My other idea for staying at this hotel is for anyone who’s driving down a day early and needs a place to sleep before the official start of their vacation. For example, if you’re visiting when a perk like the complimentary water park ticket (details for 2026 here) is offered on your check-in day at a Disney Resort. You could wake up, enjoy breakfast at this hotel, and drive over to Disney at your leisure that morning. You could check into your hotel, leave your bags if your room is not ready, and then head straight to the water park of your choice. Between free breakfast and free admission to a water park, it’s a win-win. It’s also a much more pleasant way to start your vacation, instead of driving all day, getting a little sleep, and hitting the parks full force the next day.

As far as the Hilton Home2 Suites at Winter Garden is concerned, I would definitely stay here again. I hope this review was helpful if you’re considering it. For more off-site options, see our guide to the best off-site hotels near Disney World.

In the Comments

If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them based on our experience. Let me know below in the comments or on our social channels.