Needed a placed to stay for an impromptu trip to Universal Studios. Chose this place because of it's location and price. We typically stay at Best Western hotels, so our expectations were that this stay would be no different. While overall, our stay wasn't bad, a few things definitely negatively stood out about this location.
To start with the positives, the location was close to the theme parks, less than a 5 minute drive. It's located across the street from one of our favorite restaurants in Orlando, Soupa Saiyan. The check in process was easy. The room was average and bit muggy when arriving, but quickly cooled off once the thermostat was adjusted. The bed was very comfortable and we were able to get a good night's sleep.
Some negatives, the first thing we noticed when arriving were signs posted stating that the hotel would not be serving their advertised continental breakfast nor would they be providing shuttle services to the theme parks. This was not a big deal for us, but for other customers who possibly chose their location based on these amenities, this could present a problem. I recalled seeing these services advertised as available when I made our reservations. I would suggest that they provide potential customers with accurate information before they book with their hotel.
There is only one elevator and we were a bit unclear as to whether or not it worked. The light on the elevator button does not work, so after pushing it and standing for about 3 minutes we began to look for the stairs. As we got halfway down the hall, we heard the doors open. The elevator does work, it just takes a while.
We'd decided to take a swim in their pool, which was average. The patio area and pool could definitely use some TLC. There were spider webs and ants all over the patio furniture. And the deck could use a good power washing. The pool itself had a lot of things floating throughout it, mostly leaves. Before going to the pool, we showered and as there were only two sets of towels, I decided to call down to the front desk and ask for two additional large towels, as we did not want to use the same towels for the pool. We attempted to use the phone located in the room but it was not connected to a phone jack, and we were unable to locate one in the room. Using my cell phone, I called the front desk and asked for the towels, the attendant immediately asked if we had towels in our room. I said yes, but would like two additional large towels. She then proceeded to ask me why. I was taken aback by this, because this has never been asked of me when staying at a hotel. If I ask for more towels, I usually get more towels. Nonetheless, I answered her question and explained that we'd like to go to the pool and do not wish to use the same towels. She then stated that there are towels at the pool and hung up. I was shocked, so much for hospitality.
Finally, upon checking in, I'd inquired about contactless checkout, as this has been my experience at other Best Western Hotels. I was pointed to a clear box sitting on the front desk, and told to return our keys there. We were leaving pretty early, around 3am, so I called down to the front desk and asked for a receipt, and was told to stop at the desk to pick it up. When leaving, I did just that. The front desk attendant handed me a receipt, in which I only looked at the charges and verified the amounts. We proceeded to pack our vehicle and leave. It was at this time that the front desk attendant ran outside and stated she made a mistake and gave me the wrong receipt. A honest mistake on her part. I too should have looked at the name. But again, something I've never experienced when staying at this hotel chain. I encourage any future customers to thoroughly check all receipts just to be on the safe side.
Overall, our stay was not bad, just a lot of unexpected annoyances. I've utilized Best Western hotels frequently enough to know that this particular hotel isn't up to their standards. I will not be staying here again. less