Castle Hotel, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Dr. Phillips

Driving up to the hotel it looked promising, lift up to our floor felt bit old but worked well with the style, rooms were ok but looked like it could do with some freshening up. First thing we noticed was a stain on one of the pillowcases, this made us wonder whether the beds were properly changed or cleaned, we did see a single strand of hair in the bathtub but gave it the benefit of the doubt that could be the cleaner if they did clean it. Sadly on the website it states luxury toiletries- well these were disappointing and did not feel it. We were provided with one set for two people. That is one shampoo, one conditioner, one body lotion, no shower gel, (you get a shower in the room) one face soap, one hand soap. The hot water kettle dispenser was not cleaned as when we went to do an initial clean there was a lot of black stuff coming out, we had no coffee in the room either. We had to go ask reception to give us a new one and that’s when we found out we should have had coffee provided with the kettles. So far very disappointing, We found out during our stay that the hotel doesn’t clean your room on a daily basis and we weren’t aware of this so our bins were over filling, we had to ask for toilet roll, and new towels. When we received the towels in the bedroom whilst we were out they were left on top of the toilet. Not exactly the best or cleanest place to put if especially if we haven’t had the room cleaned for a good few days. If you want your room cleaned I expect you will need to let reception know. I’ve stayed at Marriotts before and I’ve never experienced it where they don’t clean your room and I don’t mind if they don’t do it on a daily basis but they should inform you at reception when you check in. We stayed during Hurricane Milton and we were very disappointed as international tourists not to have received any information from the hotel that it was coming and what to do/ how to stay safe/ whether there was going to be reduced restaurant opening times/ services. This was our first hurricane. We instead received much more information and advice from our Uber drivers such as to stock up on food and water. Our other information was from alerts we received on our phones and also by watching the news otherwise we would have been none the wiser. We are aware that other hotels received a note under their door as a minimum. We were looking to hire a car but this hotel charges 27 dollars to park a day. So we decided to use Uber and actually turned out cheaper for us so bear this in mind. The pros: It’s very central and icon park is about 5 mins away, lots of bars and restaurants along the the drive in either direction. Close to the parks if that’s what you’re here for. Reception staff are very nice and really get straight on to the case when you need something.Two people who stood out for us was firstly Joe, who was standing outside one day as myself and my friend were deciding to visit a mall was so helpful. He even gave us some leaflets to hand it at our destination to get discounts and a free bag. He was really friendly and chatty and a great sense of humour. The second person was Ryan, from housekeeping was also very helpful when my friend was after some items for our room. Very cheerful. I’d only recommend this hotel if you just want somewhere to sleep for a few days. I wouldn’t come back here again not for a holiday as I feel the basic expectations of a hotel service was lacking. Can’t fault any of the staff...

The Castle Hotel reads like a 2-to-3-star hotel built decades ago that they heavily renovated to make more trendy and chic. There is a lot of effort put towards a singular vibe, but that ends up bland and unremarkable. Every of-the-moment bar and eatery that caters itself to a younger, somewhat feminine but explicitly upper class moneyed millennial? Here you go, here's a hotel that's doing that.

Despite that, it whiffs hard on a lot of ways you would expect bare minimum for a hotel like this. There are no dedicated water glasses in the room--you have to use the plastic wrapped disposable cups. That sounds minor, but it's a waste of plastic, a waste of a compostable plastic cup that ends up in the trash and feels at odd to many other hotels I've experienced in other parts of the country.

The TVs lack the entertainment box Marriott offers to hotels as a bare minimum default way to allow people to watch YouTube and Netflix and any other of a number of other streaming services on their TV. I personally travel with a Chromecast for instances like this, but if I had kids and they absolutely needed Bluey, like right now, and all I could do was give them a tablet? Not sure I'd be happy with that. In fact, multiple times during my stay I noticed my Chromecast open random apps or turn on the TV by itself. I was confused, but then I realized it's because they set up the Wi-Fi to allow any device on the network to see any other device. So people would turn on their TV, see the lack of apps, open their phone, see a Chromecast, and go "oh I guess I can cast to my TV instead." It gets blasted to my TV, and I groggily sit up in my bed wondering why my TV just blasted light in my face.

As a Marriot Bonvoy Ambassador, I am eligible for a breakfast benefit. This means in hotels that have lounges, I get access to their lounge for no charge. If they do not have a lounge (which is common), the hotel has to offer complimentary breakfast. At most hotels, this means a voucher to the in-hotel dining that I redeem at breakfast, often for either a limited selection of the overall menu or for complimentary access to the buffet. It should be noted that hotel owners tend to dislike this program because of the cost and try to weasel their way out of their required offering. That is exactly what happened here: Castle Hotel's breakfast offering is entirely limited to a half-off discount on their hotel breakfast buffet for two. At a normal price of $20 a person, you still have to pay $10-20 for a perk that is supposed to be free. I did not take that offer, and from glancing at the buffet offerings in the morning I did not miss anything by opting not to pay for it.

I visited this hotel on a business trip and paid a set corporate rate, so I cannot directly speak to its relative pricing to nearby properties. From glancing at Google, it appears to price itself like a 4-star hotel: higher than most hotels in the area, but not the most expensive overall. This is not a 4-star hotel. It portrays itself as one, and Autograph Collection tends to aim for that level of experience. This fails to live up to the standard of that label, at least of the AC properties I have...

This is my second stay at this property - and the first time I have been here following a complete renovation of the interior - and I can share this hotel is a gem! This property has great amenities, wonderful rooms - and is a well location welcome alternative to the standard “box” brand hotels that saturate this area. Here are the details:

Renovation: The renovation (completed) - left the property feeling fresh while maintaining the Castle theme (note - this is subtle and tasteful - not overdone). All areas of the hotel were impacted by the renovation including rooms and public areas (inside and out).

Rooms: The rooms are incredibly comfortable - with high quality beds and bedding, large TV - and the room I was in had a pull out sofa as well. Small details are considered such as a wireless phone charging pad built into the table by the bed, a small fridge and coffee maker. Towels are above average in size and 3 to 4 sets are left in the room daily. AC system works very well (you can adjust the temperature and if you need constant air flow adjust the fan setting). Due to the high quality of the AC system and very comfortable bed - I have slept incredibly well here during my stay,

Service and Staff: The service here is OUTSTANDING - staff are so friendly and welcoming, and always try to find a path to a “yes”. To add to this - housekeeping is available daily and ALSO across a wider range of hours during the day. I usually request housekeeping when I plan to go out - the requests were welcomed and the work always done prior to my return (even at 6PM). Note: the hotel uses a cashless tip system which I appreciate as I do like to tip folks in the hotel but do not carry cash. Lastly - they look after details here, one morning I was having coffee by the pool early in the morning and there were some towels that were left from yesterday, in little time a staff member came by to clean up the area / set it up for the day and removed the towels.

Pool Area / Garden: The pool area is incredibly welcoming and has a round pool plus hot tub. Around the pool is a nice garden area that has some hidden seats / games. There is a restaurant and bar at the pool.

Location: Location is directly in the center of I Drive - with an abundance of restaurants (from McDonalds to Capital Grille and all in between) - and attractions (Icon Park, comedy clubs, movie theatre) - all within easy walking distance. Further Universal Studios and Sea World are both about a 15 minute drive (depending on traffic) - and Disney’s Magic Kingdom is close to a 25 minute drive - again depending on traffic.

Value for Money: I was able to get a great rate here on a few different stays - well in line with middle range hotels - and well worth it for this SOLID 4 star property!

Conference: They do have a small conference area to host meetings.

I would encourage solo travelers, couples or families to give this property a try - you will not be disappointed! To the team here - thank you for your efforts and hard work, they truly make a difference and are appreciated by your Guests! Looking forward to...