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We booked the Holiday Inn as we had stayed in others around the world, and most recently in Buena Park, LA. Unfortunately the standard of accommodation does not seem to meet up to the standard of LA Holiday Inn. I don't know whether it is because there were loads of Brits at the hotel in Orlando and Brits are not known for complaining as much as perhaps their US counterparts, or perhaps because it is used by the main tour operators as the package hotel, or maybe I am just mistaken and and it was up to usual Holiday Inn standard??
The pool was great for the kids. The breakfast was fantastic, buffet style, but far pricier than the restuarants just up the road. Also, the breakfast buffet is usually too much for me, I do not seem to get my 'moneys worth', so it is worth bearing in mind that the lobby has coffee machines and basic cereals and muffins for sale.......so if you are not a big breakfast eater it may be cheaper to just buy at the lobby in the morning.
Our room was OK, but the safe was hanging off the wall when we got there and then fell off during our stay...we reported it three times but no-one ever came to even see it. We were worried we would be charged for the damage left on the wall (big hole in plasterboard) but that didnt happen luckily. Also, we had to ask for more coffee/tea/sugar for the room a few times as there were only a small number of sachets left and there were four of us staying in the room.
As I said the hotel seemed to be mainly British guests, however, contrary to other info/tips on other sites I found the children and teenagers were well behaved and there wasnt any incidents of late nite rowdiness, etc that I witnessed.
The hotel was well placed on International Drive, near to restaurants and shops, and the IHOP trolley stop was just outside. Tickets for the trolley could be bought at the souvenier shop just across the road.
Unique Quality: Best qualities of the hotel.................great bus links to the major parks (additional but reasonable charge) if you are not driving.
Also, the pool was great.
Nail/beauty salon in the lobby, reasonable prices and very friendly staff, quite easy to book appointment.