Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs® Area by IHG — Hotel in Lake Buena Vista

We are just about to depart and even though the weather got a bit chilly we had the best time. It was just myself (mom) and my youngest and while I was a little nervous doing it on my own we found this a great choice. We have typically stayed onsite at Disney other visits so weren’t completely sure but had a great experience and this was certainly more cost effective. We only did Disney Parks this visit. ||When we arrived our first room was good but it felt like we walked into a sauna. We stayed the night hoping the temperature would go down and it did not by much so in the morning we requested and were given a new room. It was such a difference and overall we appreciated them being so accommodating. ||We got the room that included breakfast but that includes 2 vouchers (under 11 is free). Jaime took care of us every morning and was so kind. Every server we got were wonderful. There was a good selection of food and it’s an omelette station and of course mickey waffles. ||The housekeeping was great. They made our beds every day - even tucking the stuffies left on the bed in a cute way and my boy loved it. You get two water bottles every day so we just took those and refilled them in the parks. ||There is a small arcade for the kid. And putting in $10 allowed for a reasonable amount of turns, although the one game was a bit glitchy and took away the turn to complete. But we totally understood this is out of their control as it is a separate company. ||The pool and hot tub were great and a few outdoor activities (ping pong, corn hole and connect 4). ||The hotel food is good and with each entree purchase a free kids meal. It was a nice backup on the days we finished the parks early and were tired. Sarah made probably the very best Margarita I have ever had. We did find the value a bit better eating at the parks and if had been all four of us we would have ordered some food from the grocery store for in the room to reduce the food costs. ||Any transportation questions Paul was incredibly helpful and greeting us with a smile even on those early park days. We did not rent a car and had no trouble without one. ||The hotel uses Fabulous busses to transport you to and from the parks. You do have to book the times but will get a code to cover the cost. It leaves hourly from the hotel starting at 7am so you can take advantage of the early park hours. And pick up to return is at 30 or 40 mins past the hour depending on the park. Overall the drivers were great and it was easy to navigate. Try to have some cash to tip. ||Transportation to and from the hotel we had to take a taxi from the airport. I chose not to book with Mears as I did not have a great experience trying to book with them. We had intended to take an uber but the airport has the app blocked (some dispute with the taxis). Lyft is still an option from the airport, I just didn’t know that till later in our stay. We were able to book an uber to get back to the airport and it is less than half the cost of the taxi we took (however we did arrive at a busy time so the cost may have been similar). ||The hotel location is very close and a very easy walk to Disney Springs so food, entertainment and shopping if you want. We went back and forth a number of times. ||There is a Disney store there and the Lego store which were the priorities for my guy. But there is a second Disney toy store that does have the assemble your own light sabre (same as in Hollywood Studios). This came in handy as one side wasn’t lighting up and they kindly exchanged the parts. ||Hopefully this review helps others plan their trip. But overall this hotel was an...

I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs with my family (husband and 2 kids) and wanted to share my experience. The hotel has some positive aspects, such as friendly and helpful staff, a convenient location, a delightful breakfast featuring an omelet station and Mickey waffles (pricey but balances out with kids eat free), a fun games room, and a nice pool and hot tub with colorful painted walls. I was particularly impressed when I called the front desk to ask if they could do anything about an alarm that was non-stop beeping in a neighboring room and they sent security to turn it off. I had expected that we would all just have to deal with earplugs while we waited for the occupants to return. I also appreciated the laundry access, which was $3 for a wash and $3 to dry.

However, I must mention some drawbacks. The room I stayed in was noticeably tired and rundown, with concerning issues like mold on the ceiling and around the bathtub caulking, dust caked onto the AC vents, and stained/sticky carpets in the room. Additionally, there were several pieces of trash in the room upon check-in, including a Bic razor cover, a piece of rock in the cupboard (I assume someone else’s kid likes to pick up random chunks of rocks!), a used Boba straw near the bedframe (stained and covered in hair) and several random pieces of trash (a straw cover and candy wrappers). The bathroom also had hair in the tub and several pieces on the wall (including one high above the doorframe?!?). There were several areas where the paint was chipping away and almost every drawer looked stained/had crumbs. I had to wipe each down before putting clothes away. The fridge was helpful but also on an old and chipped frame. It just all looked super grungy (see a selection of photos I took!).

Housekeeping is light touch (which is noted in the elevator) but even if they weren’t dusting/vacuuming, it would have been good to have a wipe-down midway through our 8-night stay. On one occasion we came home to find a bag of forgotten trash sat in the middle of the room, once we had no towels left in the room and once no toilet paper replenished. I get that it’s a budget hotel but these things should be on a checklist as housekeeping leaves a room. Plus, perhaps give guests access to some cleaning supplies to touch up the room during the stay if the hotel isn’t going to do it for you (a handheld vacuum and dust rag in a closet on each floor?). I am not a germophobe but by the time we left there was dust all over the surface by the TV (probably from the AC vent blowing out dust and from 4 people having been in the room for 8 days).

The buses were not the most convenient transportation option due to specific scheduling constraints, and both the resort charge and parking fees were on the higher side.

Finally, the check-in experience was less than satisfactory. Despite arriving at 7 am and having paid for the prior night to ensure a room, I had to wait as the room wasn't ready. I was told that despite checking in via the app, they no longer had the room available since we had not arrived the night before (we had noted in the online check-in that we would be a late arrival). Eventually, we were reassigned to another room. This was particularly inconvenient after a night flight, especially considering the room had not been adequately cleaned, evident from the trash in the bathroom, closet, and bedroom.

As a Platinum Elite member, I did not receive an upgrade (either a higher floor or a Fireworks view). While I used IHG points for the stay, the overall experience was subpar, and I would not choose to...

I had a confirmed reservation at this Holiday Inn Orlando location from August 30-31, booked through Booking.com on July 28th with full payment processed online. Unfortunately, this turned into one of the most frustrating hotel experiences I've ever had.

Upon arrival at 4 PM after flying in from DC, the front desk staff informed me they couldn't locate my reservation in their system, despite having confirmation and payment records. They also claimed the hotel was completely sold out for the night, which suggests potential overbooking issues since I had a confirmed, paid reservation. What followed was a 2+ hour ordeal that left me without accommodation for the night.

The experience was awful. The initial front desk staff member was courteous and apologetic, even offering drink vouchers for the inconvenience. A second staff member was also helpful and understanding. However, when the supervisor became involved after a 20+ minute wait, the situation deteriorated significantly.

The supervisor was extremely unprofessional, dismissive, and frankly rude throughout the entire interaction. She repeatedly ignored my attempts to communicate and find a solution. When I politely asked if there was anything I could do from my end - offering to make another payment or explore any available options - she curtly dismissed me, stating it was "Booking.com's problem" and that I needed to "call them." Her attitude was condescending and showed zero interest in customer service or problem resolution.

The supervisor's behavior became even more unreasonable when I attempted to coordinate with Booking.com by phone - she asked me to leave the lobby area entirely. When my companion needed parking access to help with the situation, she refused even when I offered to pay for valet services. Most unprofessionally, when another staff member tried to provide a parking pass to help, the supervisor physically discarded it without explanation.

Booking.com confirmed my reservation existed and attempted to contact the hotel directly. Despite their efforts and email communications, the hotel remained unresponsive to resolving what appeared to be a system integration issue between their reservation system and third-party booking platforms. The supervisor showed no willingness to work with Booking.com or engage in any problem-solving efforts.

After hours of unsuccessful attempts to resolve the situation, I was forced to book alternative accommodation at the nearby Renaissance hotel, which provided excellent service and was only $20 more per night. Booking.com eventually processed a full refund after being unable to resolve the issue with the hotel.

As a Booking.com Genius Level 3 member who travels frequently and stays in hotels monthly, I've never encountered such poor problem-solving and customer service. The combination of what appears to be overbooking issues (claiming to be "sold out" when I had a confirmed reservation) and the supervisor's shockingly rude and unprofessional behavior made this an absolutely unacceptable experience. While system issues can occur, the complete lack of effort to find solutions and the hostile treatment of a paying guest was inexcusable.

I would strongly suggest considering alternative accommodations in the Orlando area. The Renaissance next door provided exceptional service and is highly recommended as an...