If part of your tour in Florida includes a stop to have fun in the parks of Orlando, you will undoubtedly have to take the problem of looking for a place to rest after the crazy days spent in the various theme parks. In this article I want to give you some tips on the best places to stay in Orlando, a city that gives a strange image of itself: on the one hand it appears to be a place of support for the parks, on the other hand it tries hard to show its own, original cultural and urban identity, especially in the central districts and Downtown.
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Places to Stay in Orlando near Theme Parks
Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando: these are the city’s best-known amusement parks, and you’ll hardly leave town without setting foot in one of them. But what if I told you there are many more?
Where to Stay on International Drive, Orlando
To get an idea of how many parks there are in Orlando, just drive the 10 miles of International Drive (also known as I-Drive), a very famous road that winds south of Downtown Orlando, on the sides of which the strangest and most bizarre theme parks, nightclubs, restaurants, malls, miniature golf courses and more sprout like mushrooms. Here are some of the parks you’ll find along the way:
- Magical Midway
- Titanic: The Experience
- Zombie Outbreak
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
- Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf
- WonderWorks (see adjacent photo)
- SeaWorld
- Aquatica
- Wet ‘n’ Wild
Along the busy International Drive and in the immediate surroundings there is a very high concentration of hotels, (more than a hundred) and solutions are for all budgets. I recommend you consider the following structures:
- staySky Suites I-Drive Orlando: 3-star budget hotel very close to the parks, to which it is connected by a free shuttle. The standard of services is not luxurious but it has everything you need to enjoy a few days of fun. Noteworthy: the breakfast included in the price.
- Reinassance Orlando: If you want to make the most of your Orlando vacation and won’t settle for a mediocre hotel, you may want to consider the Reinassance Orlando, one of the most popular Orlando resorts on I-Drive, especially for families. It’s a stone’s throw from SeaWorld, and needless to say, the kids can start familiarizing themselves with the water slides in the resort’s large outdoor pool.
- Castle Hotel Autograph Collection: hotel or enchanted castle? Generally, sobriety isn’t the norm in Orlando, but the Castle Hotel goes too far: you’ll find elegantly appointed common areas and comfortable rooms, embellished with a decorative style worthy of a fairy-tale palace. The princely services and attention to the customer transform the stay into a fairytale experience…
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Where to Stay Near Universal Studios Orlando
Universal Studios Orlando, Florida‘s very own Hollywood branch, also includes the Harry Potter park and is located on the northwestern part of International Drive. Given the park’s justifiable fame and the large number of people who decide to visit it, there are a number of themed resorts that perfectly reflect the “movie set” atmosphere and ambiance. Are you curious to know which ones they are? Read our in-depth analysis on where to stay at Universal Studios Orlando!
Obviously, given the short distance from International Drive, the options outlined above are still valid, but let me add an additional tip:
- Best Western Orlando Gateway Hotel: If reading Best Western already makes you feel at home, I don’t have to explain how reliable this hotel chain is. If you don’t want to move your car from your parking space, you can take advantage of the free shuttle to the parks made available to guests. In addition to this, you will find the inevitable swimming pool, whirlpools, but also a tennis court and a basketball court (if you feel like doing sports!)
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Where to Stay Near Disney World Orlando
Perhaps not everyone knows it, but Disney World Orlando is not just a Disney park, but a sort of fun city that includes as many as 6 different theme parks. Each of them offers visitors a good number of exceptional Disney-style resorts, that are usually quite expensive: one example is the famous Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, but we have also described others in our in-depth analysis on where to Stay in DisneyWorld Orlando.
The Disney resorts that are a little less expensive are near Animal Kingdom, while in Disney Springs there is the majority of accommodations, mainly distributed along Hotel Plaza Boulevard.
The large area of Orlando colonized by the Disney parks is called Lake Buena Vista: if your finances don’t allow you to spend a couple of dream nights in the Disney resorts, you can look for a slightly cheaper solution to the north, in Palm Parkway, in the southern section of I-Drive, on World Center Drive or even on Apokpa Vineland Drive. Bear in mind, however, that there is nothing below the 3-star category! Here are a couple of recommendations:
- Holiday Inn Resort Orlando: given its proximity to the Disneyland parks, it’s a very good budget alternative to the expensive Disney Springs hotels and theme resorts. You will find a cinema and some restaurants and eateries in the structure, the rooms are large and comfortable, the pool is suitable for adults and children who, in addition to having dedicated play areas, do not pay breakfast until 13 years. In addition to the shuttle service to the parks, there are stores and restaurants nearby.
- Grande Villas Resort By Diamond Resorts: If you are going to explore the Disney parks with friends or family, you can consider this excellent solution. The villas of the resort are for those who are not satisfied with a just a room to rest in, but who want all the comforts of a home: kitchen, living room, heated pool, garden, free parking, market for small expenses … The resort is very close to Magic Kingdom, the price is fair for what is offered.
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Where to Stay in Orlando if not Going to Parks
As I said before, Orlando is not only about parks: although the real tourist interest is in the suburbs, the Downtown district, tries to attract a part of the large flow of visitors to its attractions. If you decide to move away a bit from the parks area to visit the lively downtown (maybe following our advice on what to do in Orlando Downtown), you’ll find a varied but collected cityscape made of skyscrapers with modern architecture, parks, lakes and elegant historic residential neighborhoods. The cultural atmosphere and, above all, the nightlife of Orlando are undoubtedly the best alternative to the tourist areas where you usually stay to visit the parks. Obviously, the choice of a hotel in Downtown Orlando is also very good in terms of strategy for visiting the parks, which are at most twelve miles away.
- Eo Inn: practically overlooking Lake Eola, a stone’s throw from Downtown, you will find this hotel a bit ‘dated, but has the great merit of not adhering too much to the sterile tourist standards of the area. You’ll find this hotel among the recommendations in many Orlando guides, because there are some features that make the difference: the rooms with lake views, the jacuzzi on the terrace and the proximity to Downtown and, in particular, to the restaurants of the refined Thornton Park district.
- Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando: an impeccable 4-star facility that will not disappoint the expectations of those who love the comforts of a luxury stay. Not only the excellent range of services available, but also the attention to every single detail in the preparation of the splendid rooms make this hotel one of the most exclusive structures in the center of Orlando.
