Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista (formerly Holiday Inn Sunspree) has undergone a massive renovation over the past two years. The three guest room towers were completely gutted and rebuilt, making this moderately priced and well-located property virtually equivalent to a newly built hotel. I am super impressed with the amenities, new rooms, attractive lobby and family-friendly atmosphere. Holiday Inn Resort is now run by a top management team that I've known for a long time (many of them came from another hotel that was previously a MouseSavers Preferred Hotel), and it shows. If you’re looking for exceptional value for a family, this is your place.

Located off Disney property, but only one mile from the east entrance of Walt Disney World Resort (about 2 miles driving distance from Downtown Disney), Holiday Inn Resort features 503 oversized standard rooms and 59 KidSuites. The hotel offers an attractive courtyard-style pool area, an on-site Applebee’s full-service restaurant with a Kids Eat FREE program and FREE scheduled transportation to the Disney theme parks as well as to Universal Studios, SeaWorld and more. The hotel also offers a Pets Welcome program with pet-friendly accommodations.

All guest rooms at Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista are equipped with a 27” flat-screen TV, microwave, mini-refrigerator, single-cup coffee and tea maker, ironing board and iron, hair dryer and in-room safe. The upscale plush bedding is in warm and cheerful colors, and beds offer pillow choices of soft or firm -- a feature not found in most hotels. The contemporary-designed rooms all feature granite and marble bathrooms. Pool view rooms include furnished balconies. All rooms have wireless high-speed Internet access (no extra cost - included in the daily service fee), and phones with private voicemail.

The extra-spacious standard rooms have two Queen beds or one King bed. Queen rooms sleep up to 4 people in two Queen beds (5 people with an added roll-away bed, available for $15/night). King rooms have a pull-out sofa and sleep up to 4. There are also KidSuites: special, kid-friendly mini-suites designed to give adults and children a little privacy. For those on a tight budget, KidSuites offer a separate area for the kids for about the price of a moderately-priced standard room elsewhere. KidSuites have all the amenities of a standard room, with a King-size bed and a partitioned-off area that includes its own television and one or two sets of bunk beds. Some KidSuites have two bunk beds that will sleep up to 4 pre-teen children (up to 6 people total per room) and some KidSuites have one bunk bed sleeping up to 2 pre-teen children, for a maximum of 4 people per room.

An Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill is attached to the hotel lobby and offers full breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also an Applebee’s Tiki Bar (open seasonally) at the pool, serving the full Applebee’s menu. Room service is available from the Applebee's menu. Up to four kids age 12 and under eat breakfast and dinner FREE from the Kids Menu at the hotel Applebee’s, when accompanied by one paying adult family member dining from the regular menu. There is a limit of 4 kids free per dining family.

Pinky's Market Place and Gift Shop in the hotel lobby offers fresh-brewed Seattle’s Best Coffee, tea and espresso drinks, breakfast pastries, bagels, cereals and fruit, as well as gifts and small sundries. Many inexpensive dining options and a convenience store are located within easy walking distance of the hotel property.

One of the best features of this Holiday Inn Resort is its emphasis on family-friendly fun. The resort offers the largest heated pool in Lake Buena Vista, as well as a kiddie pool and two outdoor whirlpool spas. (Plans are underway to replace the pool decking, renovate the kiddie pool into a zero entry kiddie splash area, and to reconstruct the whirlpool spa area in early 2012. I will keep this page updated on the status of this work.) There are pool tables and ping-pong in the pool area.

Depending on season, the resort offers organized poolside games and activities for kids and adults, such as bingo and Dive-Inn Movies. There is also a half basketball court and playground on resort property, as well as a fitness center. For fun indoors, the hotel offers an arcade and game room with air hockey and video games, and a kids' movie theater with Disney movies showing throughout the day and evening.

Pets are welcome at Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista, and most rooms will accommodate small pets for a flat rate of $40 (or larger pets for $60) for any number of days up to 3 (so $80 for 6 days, etc.). Pets are allowed on property, but are not allowed anywhere in the pool area. Pets must stay in rooms when not accompanied by their owners. Make sure to check with the hotel on any other restrictions.

An ATM is available in the lobby. Coin-operated laundry facilities are available on-site, and dry cleaning services are available through the front desk.

Conveniently located self-parking at the hotel is included in the daily service fee. Valet parking is available at an extra charge of $12 per night. Scheduled shuttle service (also included in the daily service fee) is available to Walt Disney World theme parks, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Orlando Premium Outlets, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and Orange County Convention Center. The number of destinations served is unusual, and can save you a lot on transportation. If you need a lot of flexibility (for example, if your kids are small and may need to return to the hotel mid-afternoon for a nap), I recommend renting a car. Otherwise the free transportation provided is adequate.

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