Which Marriott in Orlando?

[HiltonHeadgolfer]

We vacation in Orlando a few times a year. We typically either trade our Hilton Head timeshare through Interval, purchase getaways or use a A/C certificate.


We have always stayed at Marriott Lakeshore Reserve and love it! We are considering trying another Marriott in Orlando.

If you had to rank the Marriott Properties based on (Most Upscale) what would you suggest?

Do any of them compare to Lakeshore? Rooms, Amenities, etc...

Distance to parks etc.. not important.....

 

[NboroGirl]

We own at Grande Vista. We traded once into Lakeshore Reserve just to see how nice it was. It WAS nice. I thought the 2BR villa we received (pool view) was smaller than GV though. We are golfers and look forward to our golf at Grande Vista and (no longer) Grande Pines. The Ritz Carlson course wasn't as nice, in our opinion, and we kept driving over to the Grande Vista courses. Our family preferred to Grande Vista because of the golf. The pool at Lakeshore Reserve is better than any of the pools at GV, and the villa did seem more upscale than at GV, but we actually prefer GV. I've only stayed at Sabal Palms once, and that 2BR unit was huge, but it didn't have the any of the amenities of a resort, unless you ventured to the nearby Marriott hotel. I've never stayed at Cypress Harbor, one that many TUGers seem to like, so I can't comment.

 

[kds4]

We stay at Lakeshore as well and consider it MVCI's top Orlando property. If you want to try an alternative, I would consider going to Grande Vista (the largest of the Orlando properties). I would place it a close 2nd to Lakeshore (and if your moniker is accurate you can enjoy the on-site golf course). If you prefer a somewhat smaller resort, then I would consider going to Cypress Harbour (the only property I am aware of that offers an actual water taxi). The ride across the lake is very enjoyable. Regardless, you can't go wrong with any MVCI property in Orlando.

 

[Panina]

Sabal Palms unit are very large and nice. Whereas they are set on there own with a small pool and small workout room they are within minutes in walking to the luxury amenities of the Marriot hotel..spa, gym, huge pool with slides, restaurants from lower to upscale, Starbucks, convenience stores. There is also a free shuttle service. Sabal is actually my favorite on conveniences and things to do on property. Lakeshore is the highest end but if your looking for a different experience Sabal Palms is worth trying.

 

[K2Quick]

We've stayed at Lakeshore, Grande Vista, Cypress Harbour, and Harbour Lakes. Our preference, by a wide margin, is Lakeshore. Ignoring location, it might be my favorite I've stayed at anywhere. I prefer Cypress Harbour to Grande Vista (units are larger and I like the landscaping and setting better). Harbour Lakes is at the bottom of the barrel for me - the units are a marked step below the others in size and quality and the pool areas feel crowded with lots of small children (and this is coming from someone who generally travels with a couple of kids in tow).

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Nothing really compares to Lakeshore but I have to second the Sabal Palms suggestion. It has grown on me and after our last stay in some ways I prefer it to Lakeshore. Having a quiet pool close by combined with the ability to take a quick walk over to the World Center for the restaurants and the large scale "resort" feel is pretty cool. They have some very nice slides and the draft beer and food selections at the market are great.

I like Grande Vista and the gold course is very convenient. The drawback for me with Grande Vista is you can get placed so far away from the main areas that if you want to use them you better be prepared to walk a bunch.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

Harbour Lakes is at the bottom of the barrel for me - the units are a marked step below the others in size and quality and the pool areas feel crowded with lots of small children (and this is coming from someone who generally travels with a couple of kids in tow).

The crowded pools at Harbour Lake is beyond ridiculous and incomparable to anything I have seen at any other Marriott. We like Harbour Lake because we have small kids and it is purposed for that age group but they desperately need to build another pool. They have no actual pool for swimming and that is what causes the problem. One pool is for the pirate ship and the other is for the slide and water park.