Staybridge Suites International Drive Hotel

“ just back from 2 weeks at staybridge suites we had a 2 bedroom suite which was very spacious & had excellent kitchen facilities our suite was cleaned every day with fresh towels supplied the staybridge suites is in an excellent location on I drive each morning breakfast is available to set u up for a long day at disney or universal studios to which there is free transportation from the hotel each week from tuesday through to thursday from 5.30 pm till 7.30pm there is a guest reception with free beer.wine . soft drinks & snacks for all guests the hotel is very close to the Brick Tavern TGI's & Miller Ale House for drinks & food We would stay here again no problem

“ Top Tip: Brick Tavern Ming Court chinese restuarant TGI's Miller Ale House Olive Garden all very good

“ Staybridge Suites was disappointing at first. When we first entered the suite it seemed a bit smaller than in the photos, but I guess that's down to the wide angle lens on the camera.
Our toaster did not work on arrival but was replaced within twenty minutes with a new one however it was not just the toaster but the mains socket had not power. This took another two days to get sorted but this was a minor inconvenience. There is a coffee machine, microwave and oven/hob but these were not used.
Maid service was every day, beds were made and on the middle weekend the linen was changed. Towels were changed daily if required but they have a policy to only change them if they are left on the floor, this saves water and energy.
The shuttle service comes at 9am for Universal but return pickup is at 8pm and the parks close at 10pm. For Disney it was 8.15am but return pickup was at 6pm, 8pm and 9pm, this meant that you could not stay behind and watch the fireworks at either resort and we used the hire car to get there, 15 dollars car parking at either resort daily. Stay bridge is excellently placed for all the attractions and is almost opposite the Orlando tourist centre. Go here to get discounts on tickets. They are the cheapest although the discounts wherever you go are not that great. Avoid the 'parks for $50' outlets, these are time share so be prepared to spend at least half a day there if you do.
Overall the Staybridge Suites was better than satisfactory especially as we needed two rooms. The breakfast was ok, it was alternated daily between bacon strips and scrambled egg one day to sausage and omelet the next. Cereals, toast, pancakes, muffins, yogurt and fruit are available everyday. This comes with a range of juices, water, tea, coffee, milk and hot chocolate. (the coffee is available all day long)

“ Top Tip: At Universal everyone is at Harry Potter and the ride is always 60 mins wait but this means the other rides are no waiting so do them first, the Potter ride is best left till after 7pm when wait times drop off.
Don't drive down I.Drive if you need to get to the parks or anywhere not on IDrive. It is simply too slow as it is always full, especially going northwards. Better to nip across to Universal Boulevard where you will find the road is usually empty, it's a much more pleasant driving experience than sitting in the traffic of IDrive.
Tony Romas is two minutes walk from the hotel and is excellent value and the food is just great. (go for the steak and ribs combo).
A top hint for those of you who have not driven before is to stay in the middle lane as you will inevitable end up on the off ramp unintentionally thinking to yourself how that happened - it happens to everybody.
Get a gps (not from the car hire people). Walmart prices start at $120, if you're driving you'll be glad you did!

“ In need of refurbishment. Heated pool was unheated most of the time and the cleaning of the rooms was very inefficient. Some days not done till 5 pm and some days not at all.

Only thing going for the hotel is its location on International Drive

“ Top Tip: Houlihans, Charleys and Chinese Buffet all good restaurants.

“ Good standard rooms within easy walking distance of the restaurants and bars on the 'better side' of International Drive.