DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, FL

Will start off by saying that we ended up very pleased with our stay at this hotel. Always clean and quiet. The room's were great and perfect for a family with a small child like ourselves. Affordable suites in the Disney area are very hard to come by but it was wonderful having another room to spend time in after our toddler's 8pm bed time. The pool area is lovely. There are tables and cozy shaded loungers which I really appreciated. Unfortunately the hot tub was closed for our entire stay due to some mechanical issues so we were very bummed about that. We were also disapointed that the pool bar is only open Friday-Sunday though, I do totally understand the purpose of this as I am sure a majority of weekday guests will be at the parks all day. Unfortunately though, on the one Friday we spent at the pool, the bar never opened and no one seemed completely sure why. The front desk seemed to indicate that the bartenders were supposed to be there but just weren't. I don't know. Not a huge deal though as there were drinks for sale in the market in the lobby and we were able to bring some down from our room as well. The splash pad was also closed the first day we arrived but this was fixed by our next pool day so that wasn't a huge deal. The true highlight of our stay was front desk manager (?) Zoe. When we were barless at the pool, Zoe offered to bring out some wine for us and when we asked about the splash pad not working she walked right out to the pool with me to see if she could fix it herself. At the same time, I was confused about whether I had purchased breakfast when I booked. When I couldn't confirm in my booking emails, Zoe offered to still give us the breakfast vouchers for all six days of our stay to make up for the issues we were having at the pool upon our arrival.--and let me tell you, the breakfast was wonderful. Everyday, a fully stocked buffet (Including Mickey Waffles and an omelette station) that you could either eat in the restaurant or box up to go. Breakfast starts at 6:30 and it was wonderful to be able to send one person downstairs to load up and bring back to the room so we could eat while getting ready for a full day at the parks. Food always tasted fresh and the employees of the restaurant were very helpful grabbing us to go drinks or anything else we might need. We used the free shuttle to get to the parks on a few occasions. You do have to reserve in advance but it is free and frankly a reservation took away some of my anxiety of being able to fit on a shuttle when pick ups had already been made at other hotels. Due to the few issues we had, at the end of our stay, Zoe very kindly waived our resort fees and gave us a complementary late check-out that allowed us to have access to a room until we needed to leave for the airport. While we did have a few hiccups, I really do believe that it is hard to beat the value of staying in a suite at this hotel. This is the first time I truly felt first hand how the staff of a hotel really can make or break things. Zoe, several times, showed that she cared about us having a good experience. Give that girl a raise or something and keep her customer facing as long as you can! I will remember her hospitality for a long time.

Bottom line: would not recommend. Came here with our two year old daughter for Disney. They advertise as a “Disney partner” hotel with early entry & shuttle service to the parks. While they DO offer early entry, their shuttle service costs $15 per adult, is on an awkward schedule, and must be booked in advance, which is all fine had that been advertised on their website up front. We also had issues with room temperature, at one point our room was t 66 degrees. No hot water most evenings of our stay, and a bathroom light that didn’t work. For the price it’s not worth it. It seems like a convenient option on its face, but you may as well stay somewhere else and drive to the parks.

Overall a good stay. We did not eat at the buffet due to the cost, instead purchased coffee and yogurt in the market. The buses to the parks were easy to use with great staff just know you need a ticket which is free. They do not provide transportation to any special Disney events. The rooms were clean and quiet. The bathroom door needs replacing as it has water damage. The water was out for over 3 hours which was outside of their control, but they knew the day before so some port o potties, Ubers to Disney Springs or other arrangements should have been made! The suites do not have any paper towels or dishes in the small kitchen area.

Room is basic but comfortable enough. Main issue is no hot water for 2 days so will speak to reception (again) and hope it's fixed by the time we get back from the parks. Free shuttles work very well

Suite was nice size. The front staff was friendly. LOVED the breakfast staff. Got give a huge shout out to Ms Lucree. She made everyone feel like family. The location provided free transportation to all Disney parks. It is a short uber ride to Disney spring