Hawthorn Suites in Orlando near Disney World Review. We stayed at the Hawthorn Suites hotel in February for the children’s first trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
We had a one bedroom suite, which was great as we could put the kids to bed, and then relax ourselves in the next room without keeping them awake. Mind, we all went to bed fairly early, between the hectic days in the parks, and the time difference we were shattered by 8pm!
The rooms all come with a reasonable, small kitchen area, with fridge, sink, dishwasher, microwave etc. We didn’t do any cooking and either ate out or ordered takeaway to be delivered to our room (how easy is that when you are tired?!). There is a small dining table in the room too.
The hotel has free wifi which is great for entertainment or showing off on Facebook what a fab time you are having. We run our own business so always have to work while on holiday (boo!) so WiFi is really important to us.
The bedroom comes with two king size sized beds (five foot wide in case you are not from the UK!). It also has another TV, so good to save arguments about who gets to choose what to watch (my two never agree!).
The living area comprises of a sofa and chair and the main TV, as well as a coffee table to store all the random things the children pick up during the day.
Hotel Facilities
The hotel has a small pool with loungers around it. We visited in February so it was virtually deserted except for us crazy British. The hot tub is handy for a warm up afterwards though.
There is a small video games area and a tiny shop with supplies for things you may be missing in the reception area. Across from there is the lounge and tables for breakfast.
On one of the floors, there is a laundry room with massive American washers and dryers. They are payable but won’t break the bank, you can buy washing powder too in small boxes, so don’t worry if you didn’t think to take any.
Food at Hawthorn Suites, Orlando
The hotel does not have a restaurant but does serve a free breakfast buffet. Whilst it may not have a huge selection it is still very good and you can fill up before hitting the parks. The cost of the hotel was comparable with other hotels that didn’t have breakfast so this was a complete bonus.
In the evenings the hotel puts on a Manager’s Reception (reminds me if the Ferraro Roche advert, “You are really spoiling us!”). Anyway, we thought this was great, as they served free beer and wine for two hours almost every evening with an accompanying snack (think crisps, popcorn, that sort of thing). The official line is two free drinks each, but this did seem to be quite flexible, especially if you tipped!
Shuttle Bus to the Theme Parks
There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the hotel to Epcot. From there you can use Disney Transportation. Hawthorn Suites is one if the first hotels on the route so we never had any problems getting a seat. Later hotels might though! The bus goes out three times a days and comes back three times a day. Check with the hotel for the current times if you are interested. There is also a public bus that runs between the hotel and Disney Springs.
There are several restaurants in walking distance, including a Chili’s, a CiCi’s pizza and a?? There is even a Hooters! We didn’t visit Hooters but I rather wish we had for comedy value!
I would definitely recommend Hawthorn Suites. We had a great stay and the breakfast and evening drinks are a huge bonus. We didn’t have a car during our stay and although we managed I would recommend having a car for ease of getting about.