More about Days Inn Orlando International Drive South of Universal
Basic, but clean and well located
by A TripAdvisor Member
This is very definitely a two star hotel, but for the money you pay very good value for all that. After reading some other reviews on the site, I was concerned enough to consider cancelling and re-booking elsewhere: I'm glad I didn't.
We were on the second floor facing in towards the pool. The room was large, clean and comfortable enough. The location on I drive was very good: we walked out every evening to find somewhere to eat, which meant both of us could have a beer when we got there. No on site restaurant (the shop/cafe is only open 7-11, 4-7 selling basic items) but Denny's is across the road.
Easy parking, and very good access back on to I-4 by doing a U-turn at the entrance to Universal off Kirkland...
Worst Hotel I have ever stayed at.....
by A TripAdvisor Member
Please, please don't make the mistake I did and stay at this hotel. First, they oversell their rooms. We arrived to find out they had sold our room. For a while, I thought we would have to sleep in car. They placed our kids in one room and us in another but told us we had to change rooms in the morning. I am very ill so this is possibly my last vacation with my family so it was important but due to how much illness cost these days I had to try and find a decent bargain. In this case, I would have preferred to have stayed home...
Anyway, I called early the next morning about changing our room and was told I must wait until after 11am. By the time we finally did get moved it was already later in the afternoon, the kids were hungry and I was exhausted. I made the mistake of telling the kids we could start early the next day using our 5 day Park Hopper Ticket and just stay an extra day. The next surprise was their deli. Get this, you have to pick out your food, and cook it yourself and then pay for it. Kinda like your own kitchen but you pay for using it. Also, if you wish to use their microwave, you pay for the use as well. Let's not forget the "Internet Available in Deli" , yeah, you pay for this too. Even if you use your own IP it's $.55 a minute to use thier connection. Now, let's add their "Maid Service" They don't clean room. Let's see, we had no towels, shower water would not go down, no coffee left in room, no vacuuming and let's not forget the roaches that seem to like the Alarm clock that the alarm doesn't work on. Also, when plugging in the light, the cord actually exploded in my hands. Luckly, I dropped the cord as soon as I saw the fire coming out of it or I would have been toast. I knew trying to get out while so sick was going to be hard, but this was incredible. I even had a maid come up to me and pointingly remind me she would be off Thurs and Fri when we would be leaving implying I should give her a tip now.... For what? My husband and I always clean up our on mess. We always kept garbage in bags and even set it by the door so to ensure it was taken. We kept all edible food in sealed bags. We even put dirty towels and washcloths in one pile to ensure they were taken. No cloths or anything was ever left on the floor to the point that we always packed our vehicle with our pillows etc every day to not confuse the cleaning staff. Then to add insult to injury, I was informed that we could not stay the extra day. The hotel managment had decided not to allow any stay overs since they had once again over-booked the hotel. I found the staff to care less how we felt, if we ever came back etc. No brochures or menus could be found inside rooms to assist a person in finding food. The Service Desk only wants people to do the 90 minute tour thing to get cheaper tickets other than that they don't care. It's a shame. We live in Florida so my kids will return more often to Orlando even if I don't. But after this experience, I felt I must let other people know just what they are in for since brochures etc can often be misleading.
Customer Service is everything... Word of mouth counts... It would not have taken so much to rectify the situation we encountered but the staff preferred to act annoyed if I mentioned anything.... Like I was told, they are always sold out..... so what do you care if a patron is happy or not.....
Just thought others should know... Spring Break 2005 was the worst Spring Break we have ever had and not just because of me being sick.
Not great.
by TripAdvisor Member Ozzy3c
I have just got back from this motel. The previous review seemes to be from a couple? I'm sure it was quite good if you were there without kids and you sleep like a log. It is a good location but the rooms are pretty shabby and the deli expensive. You can definitely get a better place further south on I drive. It was very noisy all through the night and the staff didn't do much about weirdos walking around at night either. If you are single then give it a go. If you have a family then find somewhere else.
Basic but good location
by A TripAdvisor Member
We traveled to Orlando for the first time in Oct 04, we stayed at the Inn and Suites for two weeks, I too was concerned after reading the reviews. I though the worst when we arrivied late in the evening after our flight was delayed by 5 hours, the receptionist was very very misarable!! but we just wanted to go to bed and see what we found the morning.
Our concerns were alievated when we went to see the reception in the morning for some information, she was so so nice and very helpful. Hotel is very basic but clean, we too found no insects, I have stayed in worse European hotels of the same rating! We found the location excellent, pool was small, but wet and wild is next door, we just went there, there is no bar within the hotel, but there are loads of factilities around.
A Note : If you are traveling to this hotel, expect a clean basic hotel with an excellent location, if you want a "better" room pay more, however for the time you spend in your hotel room we would rather spend the money in Florida!!
We are booked to go to this hotel again this April, its good value considering the price we have paid!
Our Universal/Islands of Adventure stay
by A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I stayed here this past weekend (April 1- April 3rd) and the only problem we ran into was that there wasn't an alarm clock...it really wasnt a problem at all, all we had to do was phone the lady in the office and one was given to us within say 20 minutes.....the room was clean, the area was clean, the pool was clean....the food area was a bit exspensive, but there is a Ponderosa Buffet down the street that was like 3.99 a person.....I didnt see anyone wondering around the area (like freaks, or homeless people) you did see some tourist walking by the front of the hotel but they were on the sidewalk minding their own business...this hotel is on International Drive...it is a busy street..you are on the main strip what do you expect.....Its not far from Universal and Islands of Adventure..its just around the corner..I would definitly return to Best Value, we are thinking of making another trip down there and taking our children....we have three kids ages 12, 8, and 5......I would not think twice about taking them....The staff here was nice also, I didnt run into anyone that had an attitude problem at all, but then again if you treat someone nasty Im sure your going to be treated the same way...I say give this hotel a shot, Im sure you will like it.....
Bad, Bad, Bad!!!!!
by A TripAdvisor Member
Basically, the room was in terrible shape, and the service was even worse. We paid for seven days and left after three after our ROOM HAD NOT BEEN CLEANED on the third night there...The carpeting was soiled, the ceiling was peeling, there was lots of rust on the shower curtain bar in the bathroom, the air conditioner was terribly loud, etc.
I guess we could have overlooked a lot of that if we had received some service, but when I checked about having our room cleaned, I was told first, "They have until five o'clock to clean it", then at 7:00, "they had a meeting today so things are late" and then at 8:30, we'll get someone there right away.....You get the idea.
Bad. We booked through ORBITZ, so we're hoping to get some money back, but regardless, it was soooooooo nice going to a NICE motel.
We were in Room 311.
Much better than expected
by A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed in this hotel over Easter. (We is my husband, me, our 4 yr old son.) Having read the reviews, I had been incredibly worried. However, we arrived at midnight, were greeted well and were directed to our rooms. About a month before I had called and asked for ground floor accommodation as my husband can't walk too well. We didn't get this on arrival, but there was a lift/elevator so there wasn't a problem. The room was large, had air conditioning (noisy, but I've never heard a quiet one), a TV, two double beds and an en-suite. It wasn't plush, but it was clean. What more do you actually need? The maid service was impeccable, and the room was cleaned every day. On our first day we had inadvertantly left the safe open, and nothing went missing. The pool is small and unheated, but once you're in, it's OK. For a 4 year old you don't need a big pool. I had been concerned about sharing a room with our son, but there was so much to do in the area (Disney, Universal Studios, International Drive itself) that he was so wacked at the end of the day, he simply slept. From a British point of view the food area wasn't expensive – limited yes, expensive no. However, Dennys across the road was excellent (24 hour diner).
It has to be said that this wasn't the best hotel I'd ever stayed in. However, because of its location it was excellent value for money.
Forum Posts
hotel info
by lsreng
hi, my boyfriend and I are going to be staying at the days inn on international drive in june 2006. Has anyone got any info or experiences about this hotel? Thanx!
RE: RE: hotel info
by lsreng
we had to book so early because my brother is getting married in jamaica, we're going to the wedding and then onto orlando for a fortnight. So we had to get everything booked at the same time so the family would all be together.
RE: RE: hotel info
by lsreng
we may be able to change if we do it soon enough ,also we have to watch the price as we are paying quite a lot for our 3 week round trip.Basically we are needing the cheapest place to stay but it must be clean
RE: RE: hotel info
by Hexepatty
FYI - 10 rooms are more become a group... But group rates aren't necessarily cheaper once I add my .02 Cents (I'm just being honest. A girls gotta make a dime... or 10% which ever is larger...)
Days Inn. International Drive. Located Near the Convention Center (South End of I-Drive.)
Known for it's -well, rock bottom prices.
Also on that spectrum: Howard Johnson Hawaiian Court... COmfort Inn Universal Blvd. ... Red Horse Inn.
Let me know the rate you are paying and i'll see what is cheaper. That might be the best way to do this.
Peace,
Patty
RE: RE: hotel info
by Hexepatty
I should point out my company has wholesale rates at all those properties I mentioned in earlier post.
We don't have a contract with the Days Inn.
Too many complaints...
Hope that clues you in a tad...
RE: hotel info
by whitny555
I dont know much about the days inn, but if its on International drive i would steer clear. Its just that I-drive is super super touristy with every trashy tourist themed shop imaginable. But it is close to all of the theme parks and all that so that is a definate plus if you are intending on checking all of those out.
good luck have fun
RE: RE: hotel info
by Hexepatty
Orlando Grand Plaza Hotel.
Rates are cheap. Rooms are NOT BAD. I did a sight inspection because we are beginning to sell this hotel.
2 Star / budget. GREAT location... and two pools.
I would stay here over Day's Inn ANY day... As Low as $35 a night pre-tax at 11.5%
http://www.orlandograndplaza.com/
Good luck!
RE: hotel info
by princessdorrie
comfort inn. great family rates with kid friendly in room tents. around 44-64 a night. lake buena vista. great shopping. residence inn's are great and offer up to 2 bedrooms per suite with kitchen and (when I was there last a few years ago0 ran about l29 a night and had kitchens, and living rooms with pull outs.
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