WOW!!! Just WOW. Not really sure how to start this off other than WOW!!! The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld is a fantastic Hotel. This is a 4-Star hotel and it shows. Overall great service, great food, great pool. If you are planning on staying off Disney Property or planning on just going to SeaWorld this is the hotel for you.
Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld is within walking distance to SeaWorld. Just head out the front of the hotel and cross the street and you are in SeaWorld’s parking lot. Great if you didn’t drive or rent a car. Plus if you did drive, you can save on parking fees from SeaWorld, although you will not escape them from the hotel.
This hotel may just be in the best location in Orlando if you are planning on visiting Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld on your next Florida vacation.
This post may contain affiliate links. It is at no extra cost to you for clicking a link, but helps me out. For more info click here.
It is 11 miles to Magic Kingdom and about 7 miles to Universal Citywalk. Google maps says it is a 7 minute walk (yes walk) to SeaWorld and only a mile to Discovery Cove. Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld is also less than 5 miles from the Orlando Premium Outlets on Vineland and about 2 miles from the Orange County Convention Center.
If planning on staying offsite, you should really be looking at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. While the rooms are usually more expensive than the value resorts they are priced usually around the moderate resorts. You can find a room here for a little as $110 a night to upwards of $300 a night plus the resort fee. Be sure to use Hotels.com (that’s who I book through), when you stay 10 nights at different hotels you get one night free.
ROOM
The rooms at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld are simply amazing. They are very roomy and have some of the comforts of your own home. They have a mini fridge (which is pretty mini but does the job). If you are doing a little work on your vacation (like me) they have a nice little desk for your laptop.
They have a few different room choices to choose from. You can choose from a 1 king room or a 2 queen room. Than you can have either a standard view (nothing special), SeaWorld or Pool view, or a Balcony room. Both of these rooms are your standard rooms that sleep 4. If you need more room the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld also offers Junior, Executive and 1 bedroom suites. They also have parlor suites and 2 bedroom presidential suites.
On my last stay here I had a King bed with a sleeper sofa with a fantastic view of SeaWorld. I was treated on Friday night with the firework show going on at SeaWorld and it was wonderful. I can honestly say this was one of the best rooms I have ever stayed at, at any hotel. Like ever.
Military Members save 10% off with verified Troop ID
The bathroom is pretty big with plenty of room to move around and get ready in the mornings. The shower has great water pressure and water temperature is easy to control. My only complaint has to be with the flushing power of the toilet. It was really lacking but that could be because I was on the eighth floor.
Now as for the king bed. It was perfect for me. It was the kind I prefer nice and firm. The pillows however, were a little of the soft side and my head seemed to go right through them. On each side of the bed was an outlet that had your standard grounded plugs along with two USB ports for charging all of your electronics.
HOTEL
Once you walk into this hotel, it will take your breath away. Just walk in and look up. This 10 story high atrium is something else. Take a trip to the top floor on the elevator to get a really unique view. It really is something. On this stay I was on the eighth floor and just loved looking down and everything from that height.
Just a few things to keep in mind. If you drive there is a parking fee. It is $28 daily for self parking or $38 daily fee for valet parking. They do have 5 complimentary electric car charging stations. Pets are also NOT allowed at this hotel.
You will also have to pay a resort fee on top of your room rate. The resort fee is over $30 a night. So keep in mind if you drive you will have to pay an additional $58 plus a night. However, you do get some things with your resort fee.
While some places will charge you a resort fee and not offer much. This hotel offers you a lot with your resort fee. While I was here kids under 12 eat free for breakfast with a paying adult. The breakfast buffet at the Tradewinds Restaurant was worth it. I also received 2 free bottles of beer or glasses of wine. I think I should have received 3 since I stayed 3 nights but for some reason they had me having a split stay (I think that is because the Miami Hurricanes College football teams was staying Friday night).
Another big benefit of the resort fee is the complimentary transportation to the theme parks. That’s right you can sign up near the front desk for a bus to either Universal Studios, Disney Parks, or SeaWorld. It is at NO additional cost to you.
I ended up using the bus service to Universal Studios, They had 3 drop off times in the morning (around 730, 830 and 10am) and 3 pick up times in the evening (around 5, 7 and 9pm). Taking the complimentary transportation can save you a good deal of money if you have your own car. Parking at Universal was $26 for the day and Disney World parking will cost you $25 a day for standard parking. Preferred parking will cost you more and both locations.
Also with this hotel being an Official partner hotel of SeaWorld their are some other benefits you can use. You can get complimentary Quick Queue passes (front of the line) for select SeaWorld rides. You are also able to make a reservation for the SeaWorld Rescue Tour which is a behind the scenes type tour that shows you how members of SeaWorld go out and help rescue local wildlife. Another great benefit of staying here or any SeaWorld partner hotel would have to be the 10% off dining and merchandise at SeaWorld.
If you are thinking about visiting SeaWorld, you should really think about staying here. Just for the fact it is so close to the park and you get so many benefits from the hotel. Plus SeaWorld is more than just an aquarium. It has some of the best roller coasters in Orlando.
With all that talk of SeaWorld we now have to talk about the pool. The pool area is another amazing aspect at this hotel. Not only do they have a large outdoor pool. They also have a small water park (R Aqua Zone). You could spend the day lounging around the pool area while the kids play in the water park.
Makes for a perfect rest day for you and your kids. Or just the perfect place to relax after a long day in the Orlando theme parks.
There are plenty of chairs around both the pool and water park area. Also located within the pool area is the Palms Pool Bar and Grill. A great place to grab a burger or sandwich and a tasty drink. Just remember that the hours at the pool bar are not as long towards the end of summer. They closed at 6pm when I was here back in late August.
The Renaissance Orlando also has two ping pong tables and a pool table located near the pool. You will also find a game room with a few arcade machines.
There is also a very nice fitness center. It has everything you could want to use while on vacation. The fitness center has treadmills, free weights and machines.
The finesse center is a nice size. You could easily have a dozen people working out in here and still have room for more. Towels are provided and there are a few TVs keeping you up to date on the latest news and sunny Florida afternoon thunderstorms.
A spa is also located within the resort. There is also a few ballrooms and on site laundry if you need to do any wash.
RESTAURANTS
During my most recent stay here I ended up eating at two of the restaurants this time. There are 4 different restaurants, a Starbucks and an Ice Cream shop. The four restaurants are Tradewinds Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Mist Sushi and Sprites (dinner), Palms Pool Bar & Grill (lunch), and Boardwalk (dinner). The only place I haven’t checked out is Mist Sushi and Sprites. The others I have and they are all very good. This trip this year we ate at Tradewinds and Boardwalk.
We had the breakfast buffet at Tradewinds Restaurant on this trip. While the price is a little high ($28), the food here was fabulous. They had a chef that made to order omelets, pancakes and waffles (no Mickey waffles here). A fresh orange juice and vegetable juicer. Four different types of cereal and many different milk choices.
Who could forget they also had plenty of bacon and sausage. Along with breakfast potatoes and biscuits with gravy. Our server was great. Took our plates in a timely manner and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. If you do find yourself staying here, definitely check out the breakfast at Tradewinds. It is a great way to fill up before your long park days.
The other place we ate on this trip was Boardwalk. We went around 9 pm one night and we were just looking for a quick bite. We ordered our drinks and food and didn’t have to wait long for the food to come out. My daughter ordered the chicken fingers and fries.
As you would expect they were your typical chicken fingers and fries. They were cooked perfectly and the fries were very good.
I ordered the grilled white clam flatbread. I never ordered anything like that before. But I can tell you the next time I come here I will be ordering it again. It was amazing. Great flavor and the flatbread was nice and crispy but not so crispy that it breaks apart.
The food at the Renaissance Orlando is great and there is really no need to leave the resort once you return from your day at the parks.
Overall this is one of the best hotels that I have ever been to. My daughter and I absolutely love this resort and plan on staying here every year we come to Orlando. From a fabulous pool to amazing dining this resort has it all. But wait, who could forget the firework view rooms. It is just simply stunning.
If you find yourself visiting Orlando and are looking for a place that is located near all the theme parks. Check out the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. If you are looking for an offsite hotel that offers transport to Walt Disney World this place has got you covered. Don’t forget they also offer bus service to Universal Studios and you are within walking distance of SeaWorld.
I highly recommend a visit of at least one day here. I am a simple guy who doesn’t care about many fancy things. This hotel is fancy to me. Plus my daughter loves it, so I will be staying here at least one day every year I head down to Orlando.
If you are looking at staying offsite than a visit to the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld is a must. Have you ever stayed here before? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below if you have ever stayed here or have any other questions. Remember to like and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest at KozmoPhotos. It will help you stay up to date with all the latest posts and photos.
- Is it worth staying at a Disney ResortAn important question to ask yourself while planning a Disney Vacation is do you stay at a Disney Resort or another place close to Walt Disney World? The difference […]
- Resorts Casino Atlantic City ReviewResorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ was the first legal casino outside of Nevada. Resorts first opened its doors to gamblers on May 26, 1978. While that was […]
- Disney’s All Star Resorts or Universal’s Endless Summer ResortsAre you planning a vacation to Orlando Florida and planning on visiting the theme parks? Are you doing it on a tight budget and looking to save wherever possible? […]
- Disney’s All Star Music Resort ReviewPlanning a Disney vacation and looking for a fun and affordable resort? Be sure to check out Disney’s All Star Music Resort. This resort is great for a family […]
- Universal Aventura Resort ReviewPlanning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort and looking for a budget friendly hotel located close to the parks? Universal Aventura Hotel might be just what you are looking […]
Kozmo Photos 