Howard Johnson by Wyndham Orlando Lake Buena Vista South — Hotel in Kissimmee

DO NOT STAY UNLESS YOU LOVE SCAMS AND ROACHES! Bottom line up front: this hotel is NOT a Howard Johnson, charges fees for amenities supposedly included for “free,” and is a DIVE (see photos and roach video, if I’m able to post vid).

Listen, I’ve stayed at DOZENS and DOZENS of budget hotels in the Kissimmee/Orlando area. This one is near the top of my “worst” list. Here’s why:

1. I booked through Priceline, took screenshots of the fine print, and even chatted with Priceline. They assured me that all fees were included in the price I paid. Like so many SCAM HOTELS in the Orlando area, this one will try to add an extra 20% to your bill in the form of fees once you're standing there at the desk. Fees for what? Roaches? Peeling paint? Long check in lines? Parking, breakfast, and WIFI were included, so not sure what the $29 in fees was for two nights. I talked to "Alex" at the front desk to try to get the fees reversed. I emailed the front desk to try to them taken off. They didn’t bother to reply. I phoned them after my stay, and the person just wanted to argue about the legitimacy of the fees (they clearly have prepared arguments and deal with this a LOT, which they wouldn’t have to if it wasn’t a SCAM), and they had NOT read my email of a few days prior. SAVE ALL OF YOUR FINE PRINT ETC. AND CONTEST IT THROUGH YOUR CREDIT CARD.

2. The entry to the hotel is difficult to find.

3. The parking lot feels more lot a prison cells looking down on a prison yard, with people hanging out on balcony railings, etc.

4. The front desk never had two people, even though it’s made for two people. So, expect a 15+ minute wait whenever you need something (check in, check out, towels, etc.)

5. This is NOT a HOJO. This is a “Developer Inn” that paid HOJO/Wyndham for a license to use their name. Expect to be treated as such, and to receive no help from HOJO/Wyndham.

6. The paint was peeling in the shower, and NOT just a little. Like, HALF of the shower. The exhaust fan also had lots of dust/mold.

7. There WERE ROACHES, and no, not the big palmetto bugs common outside in FL. These were German cockroaches, the kind that like to hitchhike back home in your belongings and are HARD to eliminate.

8. The walls are thin. I could clearly make out the neighbor watching The Outer Limits, and opera music playing somewhere from another building. Oh, and there’s a helicopter tours launchpad about 400 yards away from your front door.

9. Other issues: the pool is not close and not welcoming, like it was placed as an afterthought. No all-day coffee. The bus to the parks must be reserved and runs at hours that will have you missing HOURS at the parks (it’s like 845am and 745pm, leaving you in the park from like 10am to 630p before you have to make your way to the shuttle). Oh, and the shuttle only goes to two parks. The AC from the rooms drips water onto the badly-painted stairs, so BRACE YOURSELF!). Pubes in bathroom on first use. Towel delivery and room turndown only every two days.

10. Pros: AC was cold (but LOUD, and cycled on and off a lot). Blinds worked well.

Let’s not reward this hotel any further for their deceptive practices! Write to another hotel and get a commitment, in writing, that there will be no additional fees, and go with that hotel. This one is NOT WORTH THE COST EVEN BEFORE THE FEES. End amenity fees in Orlando and beyond so that consumers can compare apples to apples when booking hotels! As for me, I gave this hotel a chance to make things right, and they dropped the ball at every opportunity. I will be disputing charges and reporting to BBB (and perhaps State of FL Attorney General Dept. of Consumer Protection), but wish I’d picked a more-expensive hotel where I didn’t have to now spend time...

What a nightmare! I booked this hotel for me and my daughter for her bday weekend. I went solely based on the high reviews and the fact that it was in a convenient area, close to the parks and other amenities we wanted to see. Boy, were the reviews misleading! We checked in around 2am because our flight got delayed. We were not greeted friendly by the hotel front desk person. He just gave us our keys and paper with check in, he didn’t let us know which way our room was or about the complimentary breakfast or the perimeter of the hotel, like ice machines, etc. I asked where our room was and he kinda just pointed to the outside. He also seemed annoyed when I asked about the breakfast and just pointed out it was to the right of him by the main lobby. We get into the room, very clean room very comfortable beds. No complaints there. 1st night I turn on the TV no issue. The next day I turn on the TV it’s NOT working, I finally call the lobby tells me that the tvs are down and maintenance will be there the next day to fix it. We checked in on Friday, it is now Monday and TV is still completely down, so we’ve been our whole trip with no tv in the room. Everyday that we came back to the room, they key wasn’t working. I called the first time, being exhausted from walking a lot and Nicolas at the front desk said I had to come to the front to retrieve the key. I explained to him I didn’t want to leave my 13 year old daughter by herself to go to the front but he said I had to go to the front to get the key. After an exhausting walk, because our room is very far from the lobby, I dragged myself and my exhausted daughter, because I wasn’t going to leave her outside by herself (it was already very late at night). He gave me a new key wasn’t apologetic didn’t even speak with me and sent me on my way. The following day same thing, go out with my daughter to get a birthday cake come back key isn’t working AGAIN! Call the front desk, the front desk guy this time was nice enough to meet me halfway and give me a new key. We checked in Friday, as per the hotel housekeeping comes every 2 days. So we’re out all day Sunday because it’s my daughters bday. Excited to come to a refreshed room, we walk in at 6:30PM and the room is the same, with the garbages overflowing as I thought housekeeping would come. Front desk apologized to me and said housekeeping comes every 2 days. I said right, I checked in Friday and it’s Sunday we been out all day and no one ever came. He apologized for their mistake and offered me fresh towels. He was nice enough to walk them to my room shortly after. Today we come back to the room, once again the key isn’t working. I call the front once again and have to go back to the front to retrieve a key. VERY VERY disappointed in this hotel. I know the price is cheaper, and like I said I wasn’t expecting a 5 star hotel. I was just hoping for the basic amenities that any hotel should offer; which would be a WORKING key, somewhat friendly staff and a WORKING TV. But I guess that was too much to ask for. When traveling, would not chose to stay here again. It’s very sad because the hotel itself is nice and clean, and convenient to get to everything. But the service and esthetic are not up to par AT ALL. Save your money and book...

The first time my wife and I stayed here we had a good experience up on the 3rd floor. Clean room, the beds were extremely comfortable and the room was pretty clean. You couldn’t beat the price for the location and overall was worth a second try.

Our second visit was not good at all. Room 106 was given to us which is nearest to the office so at first I thought, great! I was very wrong. Upon entering the room it was evident the entire room was extremely humid, moldy, dirty and overall neglected. The window curtains had visible mold on them, as well as the bathroom walls and other various areas throughout the room. Multiple outlets in that room do not work either. I can’t see how any employee felt okay to give that room out to someone at all without at least trying to do something about that mold. The location of this particular room was also not good whatsoever. Everybody seems to congregate outside of this particular area by the stairway to have loud conversations of all hours of the night. The cherry on top for the bad experience was on our first night our neighbors were being very loud with their voices and the volume of their TV. Eventually one of the people in that room began to cry and wail profusely until eventually the cops showed up and handled whatever situation had occurred there. Unfortunately the next night we still had similar issues with them but luckily no cops showed up.

So unfortunately we will not be staying here again, which is bummer because I do really think those beds are some of the most comfortable ones I’ve ever slept in, and the location to Disney is fantastic as well. I gave 2 stars because that first visit was for sure a 4/5, but this second experience heavily outweighed the first positive experience. I will say though that the front office is friendly and professional front facing, just do better on checking your rooms.

Please fix the mold issue in Room 106 for future guests. That was just plain...