Homewood Suites Orlando-International Drive Convention Center

This branch of the mid-range Homewood Suites chain occupies a six-story beige-hued complex with an imposing colonnade-supported entryway and vaguely colonial-style architecture. By comparison, the lobby is considerably more modest with a ticket desk near the entrance and a hallway leading to elevators on the other side. There's also a small seating area with a few plush sofas set on a circular gray rug. More seating is available in the breakfast area, a bright space with a long row of booths lining two of the walls and a few tables, plus a bar-style seating area with high-backed chairs. The hotel is aimed at longer-term visitors who want self-catering facilities in their rooms, and its proximity to the Orange County Convention Center attracts a lot of business travelers. However, it does get its fair share of families in town for theme parks (particularly the nearby Universal parks) and other area attractions. 

This Homewood Suites is located just off busy International Drive. It's a 10-minute walk south of the giant Orlando Eye Ferris wheel, and a 20-minute walk (or five-minute drive) north of the Orange County Convention Center. The area has tons of chain restaurants, B-grade attractions, and kitschy gift shops. The hotel is set in the back of a parking lot that it shares with a handful of chain restaurants, right behind a Hooters, a Denny's, a Señor Frog's, and a TGI Fridays. Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, the giant pirate ship-themed mini-golf center, is about a five-minute walk north of the hotel. It's around a 12-minute drive to the parking lot for Universal Island's of Adventure and Universal Studios, as well as the Universal City Walk, where there are tons of restaurants and nightlife options. SeaWorld is a 12-minute drive away. Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom takes around 25 minutes to reach by car, depending on traffic. Epcot is around 20 or so minutes away by car, as is the Orlando Airport. It takes about 25 minutes to reach downtown Orlando without traffic. Factor in about an hour to get to Cape Canaveral or the Kennedy Space Center by car.

This hotel offers suite-style lodging in Studio and One- and Two-Bedroom configurations, and all are designed for guests looking for self-catering facilities. Amenities found across categories include flat-screen TVs, irons and ironing boards, and free Wi-Fi. Kitchens come standard with burners, small dishwashers, microwaves, and full-sized fridges along with a great selection of crockery, cookware, and small appliances (namely coffeemakers and toasters). Bedrooms have off-white walls paired with gray accent walls, light-wood desks, beds, and tables, and pops of color in the form of olive-green bedskirts and modern geometric art prints on the walls. Living areas follow a similar decor scheme, with gray sofas and chairs paired with lighter cushions and colorful photographic prints on the walls. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combos, lighted mirrors, hairdryers, and Neutrogena-brand toiletries. Note that while rooms generally get good feedback, some past guests have complained of housekeeping and maintenance issues, including leaky taps and stained furniture. 

Amenities at this hotel are pretty standard for mid-range properties in the area. At the center of the property is a large rectangular outdoor pool with a few lounge chairs, plus a smallish whirlpool hot tub set off to one side. There's also an outdoor barbecue grill on a patio with tables and chairs. The gym here features Precor treadmills, an elliptical, and free weights -- plus yoga mats and exercise balls. The hotel also offers a free hot breakfast buffet with a waffle station -- though past guests have complained it's nothing special. Note that this hotel doesn't have facilities for other meals other than a mini-mart selling toiletries, snacks, and a few frozen meals for guests to heat up in their rooms. For laundry needs, there's a decently sized laundry rooms with three washers and three dryers. Business guests can use a small business center with free printing. Wi-Fi is free throughout. There are also two meeting rooms -- both of which can be split in half -- for up to 46 people. Outdoor parking is free for all guests. There's a free twice-daily shuttle that runs from the hotel to nearby theme parks.