Floridays Resort Orlando

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

YOU MUST READ THIS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HOTEL/RESORT IN THE ORLANDO AREA, AND, ARE CONSIDERING THE FLORIDAYS RESORT EXPECTING “A LUXURIOUS, SPACIOUS, ALL SUITES RESORT.”

I am going to recount for you my recent stay at this resort, the issues that I experienced and the attitude of the staff in handling the issue we experienced. This will be a lengthy review.

On Friday April 24th I and my family along with invited guests headed to Orlando from Daytona Beach to spend the weekend at this “Resort.” This was to be my wife’s 30th Birthday celebration, a big deal for her, and so we had an eventful weekend planned which included a stay at The Floridays Resort. We arrived at the front desk around 7:30pm. I checked in and received the keys to our 3 bedroom suite. That experience went good. That was the last and only experience that went good, things rapidly plummeted downhill from there.

The resort is huge and we were assigned a “suite” as far away from the main area of the hotel as possible, in fact to get even to the small pool would have been a hike. To locate the building which housed our suite, building “F” (my overall rating for this resort) we were given a map which required a magnifying glass to read, and, in addition there were ZERO marking’s anywhere on the property to indicate where we should go to find building F. No street signs, no letters on the buildings, nothing you would expect to help an out of town tourist find their way through the “Resort.”

When we did finally find the building in the extreme back end of the property behind the trash dump and maintenance building for the resort, again no indication that we were at the right building, the lighting was so dark that my wife asked me if we were going to robbed getting to our room. A statement I would later recount to a front desk representative who basically laughed at me. I will recount that story shortly.

So after navigating my way to the room with a flashlight I had in the car I opened the door to find what I expected for the price. A decent but poorly appointed suite that had very few windows and a balcony that over looked the trash dump and/or some kind of field that was an entry and exit area for the delivery vehicles. The rooms was totally unacceptable to me as it was not what I expected after reviewing the photos on the website.

I was so angry at what I received that I headed immediately back down to the front desk and at the same time started searching for options in the area. Unfortunately for us not only was this resort sold out but all options in the area were fully booked as well do to a national cheerleading competition. Our building housed many of these high school cheerleaders without chaperones and on the first night they were running around like kids would do destroying items on the property. No security so why not. Anyway back to my story…

I arrived back at the front desk and explained, exclaimed actually, that the room was totally unacceptable and I wanted a full refund. I quickly stopped myself in that request until I could find an option which did not exist so the front desk representative assigned me another suite. This room was a little better location but there were issues with the room, broken items, not important to the story.

As we had spent the day on the road after picking our 7 year old daughter up from school, and, patience running low do to not having had dinner we conceded to spend the night the night in the room giving the resort a chance to impress us moving forward, clearly that did not happen, and headed out to dinner.

I went back to the front desk, stated to the representative “I have 2 simple questions. 1) now be honest, how long should we expect before our car is broken into, or the room is broken into, or one of us is robbed?” She laughed at me and replied “sir things like that don’t happen here.” Like I expected her to tell me if they did, right? “My 2nd question; what restaurant options are in the area?” “There is a Benihana’s right outside within walking distance.” Was her reply. Walking distance? Perhaps. But not with a tired 7 year old in tow and absolutely not from our room, it was actually just shy of ½ a mile from the room, but perhaps walking distance from the front desk (a couple hundred yards).

We ended up driving to another restaurant.

After returning to the room I figured out that the marketing department for the resort should be commended on their ability to sell this resort via their website. In fact they should get some sort of an award as what you see on the site is NOT what you will get. Read on…

Saturday morning.

I woke up to find one on those Krups style coffee makers, you now the type they make one cup, well half a cup really, of coffee at time. This in a three bedroom suite with 4 adults. So I called down to the front desk. “Do you offer normal coffee makers that will brew more than just one cup of coffee at a time?” “Yes sir, we can have a standard coffee maker delivered to your room for you (a bit of hope) but we do not supply the filters you have to purchase them off property.” (Little bit of hope gone) Now if you are not a coffee drinker these paper filters cost about $3.00 for something like 500. “You’re kidding me right?! I made the one cup of coffee and accepted that it was par for the course with regards to this resort.

We had planned on spending the day at Aquatica with the kids. As we are Sea World Pass holder we get a discount for guest’s so I sipped my coffee and called the concierge.

“I need to purchase and print some passes to Aquatica. Can you handle that for me?”

“No sir you have to do that yourself at the business office.” AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGH!

Resort, Concierge, NO, these things just do not equate!

“I am not surprised, thank you.” Click.

After my half a cup of coffee I drove, too far to walk remember, to the reception area to get to the business office and print the tickets for my guest’s.

I arrive at the front desk.

“Good morning, which way to the business office please?”

“Right around the corner sir.”

Okay so I head around the corner only to get stopped on my way into the business office.

“Can I help you sir?” Asked the young man. “Yes I would like to get online and print up some tickets.” As I said this I looked at the computers and noticed that they all had charge card processing devices attached to them. The young man started to say something but I interrupted him and exclaimed “I have to pay to use the resorts business office!?” “Are you kidding?!” “Well yes sir but the business office computers are not operational at this time, their down.” OMG!!!!!!!!!

Back to the front desk.

“I would like to speak to the Hotel General Manager please.”

“She is not in today, she doesn’t work on Saturday.” Reported the front desk representative who I later realized was actually a Supervisor. “I guess that’s because your Hotel’s busy time is Monday through Friday not the weekend, that makes sense.” Sarcasm. “I would like her business card please.”

The representive handed me a business card I now realize that was not the card for the GM.

On with my day.

I get back up to the room, let everyone know that we have to get moving as we now have the inconvenience of having to go through the lines at the park to get the extra tickets as the “ Resort” is useless. We get the kids gathered up and head to the well-advertised “Palm Café.”

This is anything but a café and should you chose to take your chances and stay at this resort you should know that the Palm Café is a very tiny “short order” type kitchen with 1 grill that services maybe 3000-**** rooms and who knows how many guest’s.

The line was out the door as the Palm Café grill was not able to keep up with the demand. While standing in line, and during several passes in elevators, hallways, pool area and such I quickly realized that I was not alone in my disappointment in this resort. We must have come across at least a dozen folks as angry as we were. In retrospect I wish I would have thought to get my phone out an interview those folks on camera. It would have made an excellent youtube video to support my claims of inadequacy. I hope those folks will also review/rate the Hotel/Resort.

After being told by another guest in line that the wait for breakfast would be about 40 minutes we headed to the car. Spent the day at Aquatica and returned to the “Resort.”

Upon our arrival back to the room our guest noticed a small envelope on the floor as she opened the door to the room.

Inside the small envelope was a small card with a short note inside from Lisa Jane Robbins, the Front Office Manager which read;

“I have tried reaching out to you several times in the suite today however unfortunately I’ve been unsuccessful. I understand you have some concerns about your suite and wanted to offer my assistance. Please do reach out to me at your earliest convenience so that I may assist you.”

Okay so I am on vacation and this person thinks I should stay hold up in my room, and, she never tried to “reach out to me” via my cell phone, information they have on file. I know this because although I did not have my cell phone on me, waterpark remember, I have an answering service that after answering the phone and taking a message sends me a text informing me of the call and message. In addition her only concern was that of the broken shutters in the room between the bedroom and bathroom and NOT the issues with the resort I had stated to Johanna at the front desk, also a front office supervisor. Too many chiefs…

I ignored the card and we headed to the pool briefly with the kids before heading out to dinner for my wife’s 30th birthday celebration. The pool is huge and the poolside bar is attached to the Palm Café so why not order some drinks. No waitresses at the “Resort” pool, again have to do it ourselves. Maybe they should market this place as a “self-service” resort then folks won’t be disappointed. Free advice, waitress at the Hotel pool increase the revenue of your resort bar. Trust me on that it’s my business, it’s what I do.

Sunday morning

We woke up to another note under the door.

“Alas your stay has come to an end with us here at Floridays Resort Orlando. Before you set out on your way home, here are some different check-out options to make your departure as convenient as possible.” It went on to list those options then to say; Again thank you for staying with us here at Floridays Resort Orlando. On behalf of the entire staff, we are thrilled to be part of your vacation memories and we look forward to seeing you soon.”

Now if like me you were expecting somewhere in that letter “We hope your stay was enjoyable…” it never happened and in fact as you will read it appears that it was never really a concern.

After packing and having a celebratory Mimosa, celebrating not the birthday but our final departure from this “Resort” I headed to the front desk to check out.

The Final Straw…

I waited in line at the front desk to check out. When I arrived at the front of the line I noticed another one of those angry guest’s at the front desk checking out, I didn’t recognize this one, he was new. Again regret not thinking about the video idea.

“Can I help you sir?”

“I’d like to check out please.”

“Your room number?” Processing the card. “Thank you sir your total will be…”

She never asked me “How was your stay here at the resort?” Nope just take that money. Get rid of them so we can turn over the room. Perhaps they had some sort of a red flag on the computer, “just get rid of this guy don’t ask any more questions.” That same nonchalant attitude was carried by the entire staff throughout our stay. No one really seemed to care it was almost as if they were so used to getting complaints that they have been well trained in combating them v. trained in exceptional customer service and avoiding the complaints. Another point to make with regards to the room. We believe that this was a new building and the opening of this building was rushed in order to keep up with demand. No thought was given to creating consistency throughout the resort. Hence the broken and haphazardly installed items in the room. Rushed.

In addition; with a resort of this size why wouldn’t you place some sort of a representative at each of the buildings to handle guest’s needs. Oh and the coffee filters. Every day including the last morning paper notes were placed under our door. How much is that costing? Less than a couple of coffee filters with the request of a coffee maker I guess. Again sarcasm.

First and last time for me at this resort and if you are looking at the “Resort’s” website thinking as I did “this place looks really cool” Think again. If you are reading the statement on the website that say’s “Voted # 1 family Hotel in US by Trip Adviser’s Travels’ choice awards.” Consider the possibility that someone handed those ballets to a bunch of monkeys with pens.

When we arrived home and walked through the front door my wife exclaimed, “Finally! Worst weekend ever.”

My thought’s exactly.