Hilton Orlando

The Hilton Orlando is an upscale mega hotel that's popular with tourists who want easy access to SeaWorld across the street and business travelers attending meetings at the hotel or at the adjacent Orange County Convention Center. It's housed in an L-shaped blocky concrete structure emblazoned with the brand's logo in bright red at the top. Inside, the lobby is elegant and bright, with a huge spiral staircase housed in an atrium-style section crowned by a golden glass chandelier composed of multiple buoy balls. A long passageway extends beyond the lobby toward the conference areas and a couple of the hotel's bars, with a direct bridge to the adjacent convention center. There are 19 stories in all here, but the hotel cleverly manages traffic by having two elevator banks, one of which serves up to the 11th floor, the other is dedicated to floors 12 through 19. Throughout the hotel, bright blue carpets with gigantic red hibiscus flowers add color. Note that the entire hotel is non-smoking.

The Hilton Orlando is located just off International Drive, a seven-minute drive from the Orlando Eye. It's directly connected to the North-South concourse of the Orange County Convention Center via a skybridge, a major selling point since a large portion of the hotel's clientele are business travelers. It's a seven-minute drive to SeaWorld, while Epcot and the other major Walt Disney theme parks are around 20 to 25 minutes away by car. It's about a 20-minute drive to both the Orlando International Airport to the east and to Universal Studios to the north. Factor in about a half-hour to reach downtown Orlando by car, depending on traffic.

This massive hotel offers 1,417 guest rooms ranging from 335-square-foot (31-square-meter) Standard Rooms up to gigantic 2010-square-foot (187-square-meter) Presidential Suites. The hotel's five Signature Suites offer dining tables, main bathrooms with dressing areas, and second bathrooms with double vanities, whirlpools, and huge walk-in showers. One-Bedroom Suites add separate living rooms with sofa beds, making them a good option for families. 

Decor is simple and slightly bland, with a mix of tan carpets and white beds, plus neutral furniture in hues of cream and brown and a few pops of color from bright watercolor prints on the walls. Many rooms have views out over SeaWorld or the swimming pool. All rooms come with flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, desks with workstations, safes, waffle-comb robes, slippers, and irons/ironing boards. Wi-Fi costs extra. Bathrooms are simple but pleasant, with shower/tub combos, beige walls, colorful wall art, and large granite countertops. Hairdryers and Peter Thomas Roth toiletries come standard. 

The Hilton also offers an Executive Level, and while rooms here are similar to those in the rest of the hotel, they include access to a lounge with free breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres. Accessible rooms are also available and the entire 17th floor features allergy-friendly rooms, complete with hypoallergenic pillows and air filters. 

This hotel offers great amenities for business travelers, but there's also plenty to draw in tourists. Recreation features include a huge main resort pool with a roll-in entry, a waterslide, and a splash area plus a serpentine lazy river flanked with foliage that wraps through the outdoor pool area. Along with tons of lounge chairs, the hotel offers 12 poolside cabanas for rent and two poolside fire pits. There's also an additional quiet pool with a whirlpool for adults and six additional cabanas. Other recreation features include a nine-hole putting green, tennis courts, basketball hoops, a bocce ball and volleyball court, and a quarter-mile-long jogging track. The hotel also offers daily recreational activities just for kids, including hula hoop contests and games. 

Inside, there's a huge fitness center with tons of Precor treadmills and elliptical machines plus a good variety of weight machines and free weights. It's open 24/7. There's also a lovely spa with massages, facials, and hair and nail treatments plus sauna and eucalyptus steam facilities (accessible for a fee, free with treatments and for Silver and Platinum HHonors members). 

For business travelers, the hotel offers a business center along with three ballrooms, nine boardrooms, and a total of 42 meeting rooms. Weddings can also be arranged. Wi-Fi is free in common areas and is included in some packages, but otherwise costs extra in rooms. Parking is available, but heavy surcharges are levied for both valet and self-parking. Other amenities include a small shop near the lobby selling everything from sunscreen to mermaid costumes and an on-site Hertz rental car desk. While the hotel doesn't have it's own shuttles, they do offer free I-Ride Trolley passes (one per person, per stay) to nearby SeaWorld -- check with I-Ride for schedules.

Dining options at this hotel are varied. Spencer's for Steaks & Chops is a fine-dining dinner option that also attracts local Orlando residents. The restaurant offers a couple of private dining rooms, namely a wine room for up to eight plus a second dining room that seats 14. Breakfast and lunch are served at The Bistro, with buffet and a la carte options for the morning meal and an outdoor terrace. Bar options include the Lobby Bar, with a pianist most evenings, and the daytime-only Tropics Pool Bar & Grill, serving food and drinks right by the pool. David's Club Bar & Grill serves a wide variety of draft beer and pub food in a sports bar environment, with two pool tables and a nine-screen TV that can be unified into one gigantic screen to play sports matches. A small outdoor patio with a fire pit  can be rented out for private events. There's also a 24-hour shop selling coffee, salads, and sandwiches. Room service is available from early until late.