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Orlando Airport Marriott: A Review
by Jennifer Marx, Co-Author of the PassPorter Walt Disney World Resort guidebook

A convenient, classy place to stay the night before you embark on your Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line adventure.

One of the best tips we give readers of our guidebooks is this: find an inexpensive place to stay on your first night of your vacation so you can make the most of your first full day. Those going on a cruise have an additional incentive -- arriving a day before your ship departs means far less worries about missing the ship and more time to play onboard. With this in mind, we sought a convenience yet inexpensive hotel near the Orlando Airport. Our answer? The Orlando Airport Marriott
Basic Hotel Information:
Orlando Airport Marriott
Address: 7499 Augusta Drive, Orlando, Florida 32822
Phone: 407-851-9000 or 800-228-9290 (Fax: 407-857-6211)
Check-in time: 3:00 pm / Check-out time: 12:00 pm
http://www.marriott.com/MCOAP

Why the Orlando Airport Marriott?
Three reasons: convenience, class, and cost. While it isn't the closest airport hotel (the on-property and pricey Hyatt gets that recognition), the Orlando Airport Marriott is VERY close to the Orlando Airport. Once we arrived in Orlando and made it to baggage claim, we simply picked up the courtesy phone in a nearby kiosk and requested a shuttle. The shuttle arrived in 15 minutes and whisked us off to the hotel. Ostensibly it's 5 minutes away, but it hardly seemed that far to us. The free shuttle was quick and easy. In addition to convenience, the Orlando Airport Marriot is very classy -- it's a business hotel, after all. It has all the amenities and services you may need, including on-site restaurants, room service, and an indoor/outdoor pool. Lastly, we got a phenomenal rate at this hotel -- read on for the details.

How much does the Orlando Airport Marriott cost?
As of May 2003, rack rates are in line with other business hotels -- about $175-200/night. And a sign on the back of the hotel room door listed the maximum room rate at $225/night. But before you get discouraged, much lower rates are available online for this hotel. For example, Expedia.com was listing this hotel at $66/night at the time of writing. What did we pay? Just $37.00. We used Priceline.com, which is a bidding site (see our article on Priceline at http://www.passporter.com/articles/priceline.htm ). While there's no guarantee whatsoever you'll get the same hotel or rate if you bid on Priceline, it may be worth a try if you're on a budget.

Ambience at the Orlando Airport Marriott
Upon your approach to the hotel, you'll observe that it overlooks a pleasant pond and some expansive grassy areas. This is remarkable when you consider its proximity to the aiport. Inside the hotel a bright, airy lobby greets you. The check-in counter and elevators are to your right, the restaurant is straight ahead, and the shops are on the left. The two-story lobby is elegant but simple. It is reminscent of many other business-class hotels we've visited in the Orlando area, including the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort. The hotel was built in 1983 and renovated in 1998.


The Orlando Airport Marriott Lobby

 


The Orlando Airport Marriott Front Desk

Checking In at the Orlando Airport Marriott
Check-in went very smoothly and quickly. In fact, we were very impressed by the friendliness and efficiency of the check-in desk staff. They made us feel very welcome! There were no hidden costs (at least that we could tell) or extra fees. Check-in took less than a few minutes. Despite our 6:00 pm arrival, there was no line and very few people around. When we were finished, we took our luggage up to our sixth floor room. We could have requested assistance with our luggage, but we felt it was faster to wheel it ourselves.

 

Guest Rooms at the Orlando Airport Marriott
There are 484 guest rooms spread over the 10-story hotel. We had room 636, which had two double beds. Rooms with one king-size bed are also available, and all rooms accommodate up to 5 guests. Room 636 was a standard, non-smoking room with a work desk, two-line phone, a comfy chair, an armoire with TV (no mini bar), clock radio, coffeemaker with complimentary coffee and tea, a closet with a hanging rod, an iron and ironing board, and a free newspaper on weekdays. A large picture window overlooked a roof below -- there are no balconies at this hotel. The small, boring bathroom had a hair dryer and basic toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, lotion, and a bar of soap). The entire room was clean and pleasant. Of note, there did not appear to be an in-room safe -- if you needed to store valuables, you'd need to take them to the safe desposit box at the check-in desk.


Co-Author Dave Marx sits on one of the two double beds in our guest room

 


The indoor portion of the pool.

Amenities at the Orlando Airport Marriott
While this isn't a resort hotel, it doesn't skimp on amenities either. There's an indoor/outdoor heated pool (indoor pools are rare in Orlando), a hot tub, health center, sauna/steam rooms, tennis courts, and basketball courts. While the kids may enjoy the pool, it should be noted that there is no wading pool for young ones nor is there a game arcade. As this is a business hotel, a full-service business center is available along with meeting rooms and secretarial services. A basic but large gift shop is near the lobby. It should also be noted that parking is complimentary.

 

Dining at the Orlando Airport Marriott
A full-service restaurant, Murphy's Chop House, is open daily for dinner. For more casual meals, Paradise Cafe has American foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A pool bar, The Landing, serves drinks and sandwiches seasonally. Kick's Lounge offer appetizers and drinks in the evening. And room service is available as well.

And The Verdict Is...
The Orlando Airport Marriott worked like a charm for us. Easy-in upon our arrival, easy-out in the next morning. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone needing a room in the Orlando Airport area for a night or two. Please note, however, that we would not recommed this hotel as your "base of operations" if you intend to visit Walt Disney World often during your trip -- it's a half an hour away and there are plenty of closer hotels that offer good rates.

Jennifer.jpg (6685 bytes)
Co-author Jennifer smiles for the camera in the lobby.

Basic Hotel Information:
Orlando Airport Marriott
Address: 7499 Augusta Drive, Orlando, Florida 32822
Phone: 407-851-9000 or 800-228-9290 (Fax: 407-857-6211)
Check-in time: 3:00 pm / Check-out time: 12:00 pm
http://www.marriott.com/MCOAP

Have you stayed at the Orlando Airport Marriott? Send us comments on your experience so we may share them with other PassPorter travelers! E-mail: feedback@passporter.com

Return to PassPorter.com | Discuss lodging on the PassPorter Message Boards

Updated 12/29/06   



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