Orlando Lakefront Tiny Home Community — Attraction in Orlando

Update: Beware, as the response to our review is inaccurate. For one, we were given an entry code via email that did not work and the attendant who helped us in "didn't know why" so he gave us HIS OWN to use (so he said). The email we received also said something about resort fees. I could pick apart the rest as well, but won't. I just hope some of our concerns are addressed for future guests. We only needed a place to stay for 1 night (in town for our oldest daughter's graduation) but we chose to make a full weekend of it because we thought it would be a nice place to relax. The property has lots of potential! The door lock didn't work when we arrived, but there was a quick response to resolve it (someone came by and a new code was given). We also appreciated the great suggestions for where to go in Winter Park and accommodating us when we asked if their were any playing cards we could borrow. However, the bad outweighed the good in our experience. The less than comfortable aspects that are typical of tiny homes are understandable. But there was no usable table at all with the unit we stayed in. The small table inside had small stools too high for the table and there was nothing at all outside to use. So there was no where to eat or even play cards. There is also no where to put your feet up, and the couch was so uncomfortable we didn't even sit there. The reservation was for 3 of us yet there were only 2 small bath towels (so our younger daughter didn't bother staying with us the 2nd night so she could shower elsewhere and because there was literally no where to even sit). I believe there was a resort fee but there really aren't amenities to justify that in our opinion, only a few kayaks. There was no wood at the fire pit and there was a volleyball net with no ball that we saw. With a resort fee I would expect things like a pool, clubhouse, walking paths, etc. We considered leaving early as well but decided to stay the 2nd night because it was paid for with no refunds. We feel it should cost half of what it did because there are many things to be addressed for this place to reach its full potential. I don't like giving negative reviews so this feedback was kindly shared privately with the resort immediately after our stay but it's been several weeks and we...

WARNING: We stayed here this past week. We arrived late Friday evening, we noticed some cleanliness issues immediately after we entered, but we shrugged it off because we aren't ones to complain. There was other people's trash in our trash can, there was hairs in the sheets upstairs and little black balls. We also immediately found a cockroach. Being that we are in Florida and against a lake, one roach really isn't something to freak out about. I took a shower, the water wasn't draining well, so I was standing in a few inches of water. The ground was soft and squishy. When I went to blow my hair, immediately the breaker broke so i had to get ready in the living room.

The next day is when we really took a closer look, we spent the whole day at universal and got back again late. I wanted to switch beds with my kids, as my "bed" upstairs was a super thin mattress thrown on the ground. We went to pull out the couch, & realized it was absolutely filthy and stained everywhere. The blanket on the bed was covered in crumbs. When I went to grab a sheet to cover the futon (again, its late- idk what to do) One sheet had a large brown crusty mark on it. the other one had a blood stain) I started freaking out, which is when my kids told me that their bed had crusty stains in it and made them itch all night. While I was discovering this- my husband was in the bathroom and discovered a crack in the floor where roaches were coming in and out of. We left immediately.

I reached out and asked for a refund- & was denied. BEWARE: bugs, infestation, roaches, dirty sheets,...

Overall, we loved our stay at "The Ritz". The view of the lake from inside the unit is tranquil. There are plenty of windows, so the unit feels bright and welcoming. If you need darkness to sleep at night, I recommend bringing a sleep mask as some of the windows do not have blinds, so the lights from outside may disturb you. There were only 2 of us, so the unit had plenty of room. If you are planning to go to Disney, this may not be the best stay for you as it is a 40 min drive. Universal is closer (around 25 min). I would recommend staying here if you just want to chill and unplug. There is a cute communal firepit area. As much as we loved our stay, there is definitely room for improvement. In terms of cleanliness, I would only give the unit a maximum of 3 stars. The floors were sticky, the kitchen sponge looked so grungy it felt like it would make the dishes dirtier if we used it, and there was mold in the shower and bathroom. We didn't have any hot water on one of the nights, we think it is because the temperature dropped and the geyser couldn't keep up. This was most unpleasant because a warm shower was exactly what we were needing to help warm up from the chilly weather. This unit also didn't have a nice outdoor deck or seating area like some of the other units. It only had an old-school, uncomfortable concrete picnic table. So not the greatest for enjoying the peaceful lake atmosphere. All and all, we hope to come back here one day, but plan to try a different unit and hope by then this review may have helped improve the cleanliness...