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Sheraton Vistana Villages, International Drive
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12401 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 238-5000
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 238-5000
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7 reviews for Sheraton Vistana Villages, International Drive
Just got back from four nights at the Sheraton Vistana Villages. Overall, it's a great alternative to traditional hotels. It's a timeshare resort, but I was able to book online at the Starwood website for an exceptional price that beat most 4 or 5 star hotels.
Conveniently located on International Drive, only 2 or 3 miles from Sea World. Grocery store and several restaurants are only minutes away. WDW about 5 miles away.
We stayed in a 1 bedroom unit in the newer section (building 26). According to a real estate agent friend who used to sell timeshares there, there are a lot of the older units that are in need of updating. However, ours was well appointed with a beautiful fully equipped eat in kitchen and all new appliances. At first we were missing a spatula and dishwashing detergent, but a quick call to the front desk had them delivered immediately.
The bathroom had a jacuzzi tub/shower combo, and large mirrors. My only problem was the lighting was too dim. It made shaving and doing make up a challenge.
The bedroom had a very comfy king size bed and a flat screen TV.
The unit also had a small screened in patio and living room with another flat screen TV, DVD and stereo/CD player.
It tended to be quiet most of the time, since we were in a part of the resort with several buildings still under construction. Immediately behind our unit was a new pool area and playground that wasn't open yet. There was a amusement park size waterslide, pirate ship, and a bar area. We had a corner unit that was next to a stairwell, so once in a while we could hear the stair door slam or heavy footsteps, but generally not disturbing.
We had full daily housekeeping, which included doing the dishes.
The main pool area has an enormous waterfall and a hot tub. There's also an adjacent "quiet pool" where you can enjoy a poolside massage in one of the private cabanas.
The Flagler restaurant is very basic with the usual Caesar salad, pizza, chicken fingers kind of menu. Nothing exceptional, but good for a quick bite when you don't feel like leaving the resort or cooking.
There is also a small convenience store located on the property for all your basic needs, but it was a little pricey. I recommend going to the Publix down the street for most of your supplies.
Twice we got an annoying 830 AM phone call to remind us to pick up our "welcome gift" which is clearly a ploy to talk you into the timeshare presentation. On the third night I just left the phone off the hook.
Overall, the Sheraton Vistana Villages offers multiple resort amenities and spacious accomodations at very reasonable prices. I will definitely return.
Villa: I stayed on a top (5th) floor unit in the #6 building for a few days. The building was just a short stroll away from the most important feature of my Orlando vacation, the pool. The villa had two-bedrooms (1 with a king, other w/ 2 doubles) and a balcony, with open layout of a kitchen, dining room and living room. Comfortably decorated in modern lines and colors. There's one day with minimal housekeeping (replace towels & toiletries, empty trash)- Tuesday. We made great use of the kitchen for breakfast and dinner- great to use when sick of dining out in restaurants- as well as the laundry- great feature so you don't have to pack as much.
Resort: I didn't get a chance to check out much except the pools- there was a large main pool that featured a waterfall and a volleyball net, as well as a "quiet" pool that prohibited pool toys and loud people (I guess). Great location on the southern end of International Drive (past Sea World), and very close to Disney World. Liked the free wifi for the entire resort. Lobby was spacious and had nice cushy seating that I utilized while taking an A/C break from the pool.
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Loved it! The moment we stepped into our 1 bedroom villa, I was pleasantly surprised. It was like an apartment. Decor is modern and stylish. It suited our stay very well for our 1 week Disneyworld Vacation.
Our villa had all the amenities to make our stay comfortable: washer & dryer, sleeper sofa, king size bed, marble top bath and kitchen tops, full size fridge, microwave, all kitchen utensils, dishes, pans, safe, hair dryer, iron w/ ironing board.
The kitchenette is adequate to make family meals and snacks.
Our villa was on the 5th Floor of a brand new building. Every building has an elevator. We had a balcony, but rarely used it as we were always on the go. The best part is there is a Publix grocery store across the street, and a pizza shop and a Chinese restaurant as well. Oh, did I mention that right across the street is one of many of Orlando's outlet malls?
Check in took about 20 minutes and check out was about the same. I did attend the timeshare breakfast, but only to receive the cash.
This is a very nice Sheraton property with beautifully kept grounds. There is a security guard at the entrance 24/7 and you must always have your guest permit on your dashboard to enter. There are pools scattered around too. There is also a small store that sells everything that you might have forgotten at home as well as.
The entire staff is very professional, courteous and friendly.
The first time we stayed here, it was part of an Expedia package. We are returning again in October to do Disneyworld and a cruise, but we've booked directly with Sheraton at a lower rate!
It's approximately 10 minutes to the front gates of Disneyworld. You can either take the Sheraton's shuttle or do as we did and drive your own rental car.
Stay here and you will not be disappointed!
"I'll start by saying that the rooms are big, and the full kitchen was nice. That's all the positive ... now the truth.
Upon CHECKING IN to our room, the toilet in the hallway bathroom (not the master bedroom) overflowed and feces left by the tenant previous to us floated to the top as water flooded the bathroom (this means the room was never cleaned prior to our arrival or housekeeping would have noticed the clogged toilet). It was so bad that the carpet in the adjacent bedroom was soaked. My partner had to wade through the feces water to turn off the water at the source. The maintenance people did an excellent job of replacing the carpet and drying out the room, but we had to tolerate loud fans and strangers in our room from 8am to 7pm. When the maintenance people left, they did not bother to make the bed they moved, nor did they alert housekeeping to the fact that they had to move the bed, so my daughter slept with no linens that night. The next day, we returned to the room at 5:15 and it had not yet been made up. The day before, all they did was leave a stack of towels on the table and this day they did NOTHING. I called down to the front desk and was told that they would immediately have someone over to clean the room (my daughter still had no linens on her bed). After 1.5 hours, we called the front desk again and we were told, "sorry, but there will not be anyone there to clean your room tonight." They offered me $25 to compensate me for the feces, the non-cleaning and the inconvenience .... but they charge you a $40 daily cleaning fee! Needless to say ... I would not recommend this resort. They messed up on every level and their customer service is unacceptable.
One last thing .... I wanted to buy two 2-day hopper passes to Disney. They tried to talk me into sitting through their 1.5 hours sales pitch (like I would ever return to a floating feces room!) and then they gave me a "deal" on a two day pass, but not a hopper. When I picked up the tickets the next morning, I learned that the hopper pass I originally asked for was the same price as the 2-day ticket. All the guy wanted to do was sell me a time-share and did not do ANYTHING for me but waste my time (he even called my room that night to try to talk me into the sales pitch again!).
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Although I live here, I had the pleasure of staying a few days at this local resort that caters to only to Vacation Club members.
During our stay, they were building and expanding the property thus there were quite a few dirt laden areas, but overall, the grounds were lovely. A paved path winds you around the various building and is nice for nighttime strolling. Fountains also flank the path and a hammock too.
The pool area is very enjoyable and quite large. A massive waterfall is very enticing and kid-friendly. Plus during the week, they offer poolside movies. You can float or lounge while they show a movie. During my stay, they were showing the recent family film, "Alvin and the Chipmunks." It was a big hit and seemed like a great time.
They also offer a gym, tennis courts, snack bars, and a basic store for all the little items you may have forgotten or didn't realize you would need. Prices are high but that's to be expected. You can conveniently charge any of these purchases to your room if you like.
As for the rooms, I was happy with their setup, cleanliness, and comfort. I noticed another yelper mentioned no maid service but we were under the impression that maids did not come while you are visiting. This is due to the fact that the rooms are more homey and apartment-like. They provide you with a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, and basic cooking utensils which all provided for a more relaxed stay.
Thankfully, we had no problems checking in or checking out and were treated very well throughout the entirety of our time there.
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Our stay here was fantastic. The jacuzzi tub was something I used every night, leaving me feeling refreshed the next morning. The king sized bed took some getting used to, but it was nice to have so much space. We didn't stay in the hotel that often, but it was cozy when we did. The list of events they had to do seemed neat, I was interested in going swimming in the heated pool, but never ended up going.
My parents liked it so much that they bought they're own bi-annual timeshare there, so I will certainly be back and look forward to my return someday.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/21/2008
My family and I are here on a timeshare and so far the place looks to be very nice, I have my own… Read more »
Paper thin walls. The "lockout" door to the next unit added to the noise factor. No housekeeping during my stay, not even trash pick up. Construction noise started way too early. Restaurant is basic, expensive and blah. I'm a guest among vacation owners. If I were a buyer, I'd really press the sales staff on the viability of a resort where the accommodations are so-so, the staff is detached and "Florida nice." I'll say something nice: the pool is very nice.
Final update. Somewhere in America, a trailer park stands empty, because they checked into the room next to mine on my last night. OMG! It was like Cletus and Brandine checked in with the whole family: Brandine, Gummy Sue, Tiffany, Andie, Gordon, Lizzie, Jackson, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumer, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Rubella Scabies, Kendall, Caitlin, Noah, Sasha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-Bert, Condoleezza Marie, Phil, Birthday, Crystal Meth, Dubya, Incest, International Harvester, Jitney, Witney along with Cousins: Merl, DiaBetty and Brandine.
My check out was at 4:15, I was in no mood to deal with them. At check out time, I was told "You cannot checkout, sir. We are running night audit." A hotel you cannot check out of? Isn't that supposed to be in California?
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