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With so much to see and enjoy during a trip to Orlando, it can be difficult to decide on a location to base yourself from.
Renting a private villa or townhouse is one option, or for those who prefer a hotel stay, both Disney World and Universal have their own on-site resorts. Staying in the heart of the action obviously comes with a hefty price tag, but luckily, there are numerous cheaper off-site alternatives situated between the two main theme park areas.
During our last trip to Florida, the children were keen to experience some of Sea World's coasters, so we decided to sandwich a few days in a nearby hotel between the Universal and Disney World parts of our holiday.
Sea World doesn't have its own resort, however, there are a number of locations - classed as Official Sea World Hotels and Partners - within a small radius. Guests at these hotels are entitled to a range of exclusive benefits, which are perfect if you want to visit Sea World, and we thought the central vicinity also made the hotels a great, less costly, base for travelling to Disney World and Universal Orlando too.
Our choice was the relatively new TownePlace Suites by Marriott. Here's what we thought:
Location
Situated on International Drive, TownePlace Suites by Marriott stands just across the road from the Sea World park, with some coasters visible from the hotel building.
However, it's worth knowing, walking to the main entrance takes around 25-30 minutes, which isn't much fun in the Florida heat. Luckily, it's only a 5 minute car journey, or you could catch the complimentary shuttle bus. Aquatica Water Park, on the other hand, takes under 10 minutes on foot, and is a fabulous place to spend a more relaxing day.
On the same site as the hotel, is a Firehouse Subs, Starbucks, and a Panera Bread - all great locations for lunch and snacks. More convenience stores, restaurants and outlets can be found a short walk away. We can highly recommend Thai Thani for dinner. The service, atmosphere and food were all fantastic.
Rooms
With 188 rooms spread across 6 floors, the hotel offers a number of room categories. We opted for a Family Suite with 1 Queen bed and bunk beds for the kids. What the rooms lack in aesthetics, they make up for in size and functionality.
The beds are divided by a wall for added privacy, which is the same in the bathroom with a vanity area separated from the shower and toilet.
There's a communal area - with a dining table, chairs, TV and storage unit - adjacent to a kitchen, which is well equipped with a fridge/freezer, microwave, small hob and sink. As well as plates, cutlery, glasses, mugs, a kettle, toaster, pans, and coffee pot, tea and coffee are also provided - along with complimentary cleaning products, including: cloths, dishwasher detergent and washing up liquid.
More storage can be found in the large wardrobe unit opposite the kitchen area, plus extra drawers, shelving and a small desk are located near the bunk beds.
There's also free WiFi available throughout the hotel, and all rooms are air- conditioned.
Overall, we deemed the rooms spacious and comfortable, providing everything we required for our stay.
Recreation
If you fancy taking a break from all the Orlando attractions, the hotel has its own swimming pool, complete with sun loungers, parasols, towels, and a pool bar.
Although we didn't use the pool itself, we did wander down one lunchtime intending to grab something to eat from the bar, only to find it closed. So, although the pool is open from 8am-10pm, it's worth checking the bar opening times if you wish to eat here.
The menu consists mainly of pizza, salads, sandwiches and burgers, with a few tempting looking appetisers also available...when it's open!
For the more energetic, there's an exercise room which can be accessed 24 hours a day using your room key.
Benefits
As well as its proximity to Sea World, another deciding factor when it came to choosing this hotel were some of the benefits offered including:
1. Complimentary Buffet Breakfast
A definite money saver, especially when travelling with family is the complimentary breakfast buffet - served daily in the dining area, situated just off the lobby.
Here you'll find a small selection of hot offerings, plus cereal, waffles, yogurts, fruit, and muffins, as well as hot and cold drinks.
Hint: Breakfast is served from 6.30am - 9.30am on weekdays, and from 7am - 9.30am at weekends. We would recommend arriving as early as possible for the best selection of food, as we noticed staff stopped replenishing dishes early (and some not at all), so those guests arriving towards the end of the breakfast service had an extremely limited choice.
2. Free Sea World Quick Queue
For those planning a visit to Sea World, the Free Quick Queue tickets available to all guests are a real advantage. Vouchers, issued by the concierge desk located in the hotel lobby, must be redeemed at the self-service kiosks within the park, in order to gain your actual tickets. These can then be used for front-of-the-line access to a number of attractions, valid on the day of issue only.
3. Free Shuttle Service
Guests wishing to travel to Sea World, Aquatica or Universal Orlando, also have the option to reserve a place on the free shuttle service which operates to these 3 parks. Again, this can be done at the concierge desk within the hotel. Although we used our own car to travel around, so can't comment on the service, we did notice a recommendation to book your seats early to ensure a place at your desired shuttle time.
4. 10% discount on dining and shopping
Any guests of the hotel wishing to dine at the Sea World, Aquatica, or Discovery Cove restaurants are eligible for a 10% discount. With a further 10% reduction applied to any purchases when spending over $50 in the retail outlets there.
Cost
A huge advantage of this hotel over some of the others we stayed in during our trip is the cost. At just £332 ($430) including fees and taxes, for a 3 night stay, we considered this great value for money. Not only does the price include breakfast, complimentary items in the room, shuttle service, and free Quick Queue tickets, but some of the payable extras are also charged at a reasonable rate - such as parking at just $10 per night.
For anyone seeking a cheaper base from which to enjoy the Orlando parks, whilst also keeping spending costs down during the trip, we can certainly recommend this hotel. The large room size, amenities, and option to self-cater if desired, make it a great choice for families, couples, and individuals visiting Orlando.
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