wilbret
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2018
From a previous thread, we needed a hotel for the past weekend (2/14-2/17), and no DVC vacancies existed, and our go-to hotels were 2 times the normal rate, or worse.
We resorted to Hotwire and got "Caribe Royale" for $80.
I'll keep it short and sweet. I'd give this place 3.5 stars. I'd stay there again, but it wouldn't be first choice. After years of driving past it, I was glad to have finally checked it out, and would have no problem recommending it to anyone that needed a basic place to stay.
Property appearance overall was nice. It does need TLC in some places, but you can tell they actually try to keep the grounds neat, and the lobby is pretty impressive. I will give them the benefit of the doubt, because there was active maintenance while we were there.
Room was dated, but generally speaking, it was okay. A fresh coat of paint was obvious (you could smell it), and they didn't re-mount the towel hook, and the bathroom door stuck due to paint. The room could use a deep cleaning, as areas around the bed were filthy, but overall it was okay. The beds were comfortable, but the pillows were not. Not nearly enough outlets, and zero USB outlets that you find or expect in modern rooms.
The staff seemed friendly and helpful. We needed towels, and had them within minutes. Check in was simple and pleasant.
Lots of on-site dining options, but we only utilized the pool bar, which was pretty nice. Typical resort prices. 16% tip was embedded in the price. Bartender neglected to tell me, and I added a tip before reading the bottom of the receipt. Oh well, I guess he did a good job! ;-) I did use the cafe in our tower, and was surprised that the price of a "Coke" was reasonable. Food options are plentiful, and I did read good reviews, but we dined off-site. We did have food delivered on arrival night, and I had to go to the main lobby to pick it up. No big deal, just be aware, especially if you are far removed from the main lobby.
The pool and slide were nice, the kids had a great time... however... please note, there was NO LIFEGUARD. There was a person at the top of the slide to ensure kids couldn't just pile on, but they were wearing long pants and shoes. They were not prepared to jump in, nor were they even looking around at the pool. There seemed to be plenty of seating around the pool, but note this was February. It was 80-85 degrees out, but you may experience larger pool crowds in the summer. There was music from the bar, and a lot of people, so it was a fun scene. If you want quiet, this may not be for you.
Parking was a problem. At check-in, there were no spots remotely near our tower, and there were no carts. We unloaded at the tower, and I parked the van at another tower. I moved it in the morning, but every night you will be battling for a spot.
Fees, fees, fees. Typical of resorts, and wish I had researched it more. It's not a shocker, but $25 per day to NOT have lifeguards at the pool seemed crazy. WIFI seemed slow, so if you need it, be aware.
$12 per day for parking at a resort so far out, seemed a little nuts. But look, we needed a room and with all the fees it was still a reasonable deal. Just go into it knowing what to expect and you'll be ok.
Bonus: from our room in Tower II, you could see Epcot. We had a clear shot of fireworks from our Window. Pretty cool.
We resorted to Hotwire and got "Caribe Royale" for $80.
I'll keep it short and sweet. I'd give this place 3.5 stars. I'd stay there again, but it wouldn't be first choice. After years of driving past it, I was glad to have finally checked it out, and would have no problem recommending it to anyone that needed a basic place to stay.
Property appearance overall was nice. It does need TLC in some places, but you can tell they actually try to keep the grounds neat, and the lobby is pretty impressive. I will give them the benefit of the doubt, because there was active maintenance while we were there.
Room was dated, but generally speaking, it was okay. A fresh coat of paint was obvious (you could smell it), and they didn't re-mount the towel hook, and the bathroom door stuck due to paint. The room could use a deep cleaning, as areas around the bed were filthy, but overall it was okay. The beds were comfortable, but the pillows were not. Not nearly enough outlets, and zero USB outlets that you find or expect in modern rooms.
The staff seemed friendly and helpful. We needed towels, and had them within minutes. Check in was simple and pleasant.
Lots of on-site dining options, but we only utilized the pool bar, which was pretty nice. Typical resort prices. 16% tip was embedded in the price. Bartender neglected to tell me, and I added a tip before reading the bottom of the receipt. Oh well, I guess he did a good job! ;-) I did use the cafe in our tower, and was surprised that the price of a "Coke" was reasonable. Food options are plentiful, and I did read good reviews, but we dined off-site. We did have food delivered on arrival night, and I had to go to the main lobby to pick it up. No big deal, just be aware, especially if you are far removed from the main lobby.
The pool and slide were nice, the kids had a great time... however... please note, there was NO LIFEGUARD. There was a person at the top of the slide to ensure kids couldn't just pile on, but they were wearing long pants and shoes. They were not prepared to jump in, nor were they even looking around at the pool. There seemed to be plenty of seating around the pool, but note this was February. It was 80-85 degrees out, but you may experience larger pool crowds in the summer. There was music from the bar, and a lot of people, so it was a fun scene. If you want quiet, this may not be for you.
Parking was a problem. At check-in, there were no spots remotely near our tower, and there were no carts. We unloaded at the tower, and I parked the van at another tower. I moved it in the morning, but every night you will be battling for a spot.
Fees, fees, fees. Typical of resorts, and wish I had researched it more. It's not a shocker, but $25 per day to NOT have lifeguards at the pool seemed crazy. WIFI seemed slow, so if you need it, be aware.
$12 per day for parking at a resort so far out, seemed a little nuts. But look, we needed a room and with all the fees it was still a reasonable deal. Just go into it knowing what to expect and you'll be ok.
Bonus: from our room in Tower II, you could see Epcot. We had a clear shot of fireworks from our Window. Pretty cool.
