The Florida Hotel & Conference Center

The lobby is nice. The mall is nice. The pool area is drab, the rooms need updating, the hall ways are dark and carpet is dirty,. Went into the restaurant for breakfast at 7am, a few people there, the hostess walks me way in the back into a dark bar room that is empty. I asked can I sit up front with the other people is the nice well lit room. She tells me no, they may have a big party come in and may need the tables. What the hell am I ! The most important customer is the one in front of you. I walked out and went and spent my money at star bucks, I wont be back. I was in for business and the company that paid for the room also puts up a lot of us here. I am going to suggest they no longer use this hotel. I was well dressed and polite, also shower does not drain so your standing in dirty water while taking a shower, water pressure was good. Linens were clean and fresh. Towels are low quality. Overall their are better places for the money. Poor restaurant managment …

I was here this weekend for the annual CARD Conference. This is a really nice hotel and a perfect venue especially for this conference. There was a little mix-​up with the check-​in at first but it quickly got taken care of. The staff were all friendly and courteous. The rooms and everything about them including the beds, TV and bathroom were nice, especially my room. And being at The Florida Mall makes it even more convenient for all your shopping needs or for stores not in your area’s malls. Overall it was a great experience.

convenient way to do some Christmas shopping at the mall from our of town without all the rush and aggravation…
nice clean room… flatscreen… it’s not cheapest option around by a long shot but hey you only live once.

So happy we ended up finding this place. Our hotel ended up being disgusting so we came across this place. First of all, the hotel itself is beautiful. Very well taken care of on the inside and outside. The staff makes you feel extremely welcome & are warm and kind. There is a mall attached as well as two Starbucks & a great restaurant which is a plus. Our room was clean and the beds were super comfy.

WOW! Not what I expected at all. I was at a conference held at this hotel. While the listed street address may have your GPS take you to an Outback like mine did, the hotel is not that hard to find once you realize that it’s 15 stories taller than anything else in the neighborhood. The best way to get there is to take Sunlife Path from Orange Blossom Trail (Highway 441) and follow it around past Sears.
Anyway, the hotel has nice rooms, quiet and efficient A/​C, free parking, and is attached to a very nice indoor mall. Word to the wise, don’t buy anything except a cup’o’joe at the Hotel’s Starbucks outlet, since the one 2 minutes away in the mall is much less expensive for the same goodies.

I hate to have to write this here but its more of a warning/​tip for any Unilocalers: IF YOU HAVE TO MODIFY YOUR RESERVATION Florida Hotel & Conference Center will still charge you the one night room/​tax. Meaning: if you planned to come in on a Monday for 2 nights and you have to change (due to flight cancellation, being ill, etc) to a Tuesday night for 2 nights you will be charged for the original night no matter what. This is NOT on their website or their email confirmation. I understand cancellation policies, but this was disturbing.
As brief background — I called and spoke with a woman named Rabi to let her know of the issue, and to see if they could move the reservation to the following 2 nights (I was happy they had availability) then was told by Rabi she would still be charging me for the initial night (8÷21÷15 along with the next 2) She firmly held that it was the hotel’s «policy». It took me until today (9÷25÷15) to get my American Express involved and to reverse the charge.
In all fairness, if you do have to stay here I agree with the other Unilocalers on the quality, location, and room amenities. Its with a sad heart I put this on Unilocal,but just need everyone to be aware. I spoke to Disney Reservations today (where I worked for 5 years) and previously to Gaylord Palms, Marriott and the Swan/​Dolphin over the past few weeks to specifically ask about modifying a reservation and NONE have this penalty or «policy» as Rabi outlined to me.
Safe travels all! Muaaahhhhh!!!

This was a great hotel to stay at with family and children. Connected to the mall on the bottom floor makes this an amazing shopping experience. The price for one night was one of the best we have found, and the driving distance to disney is short and amazing.

The hotel is part of a mall!!! How awesome can this be??? Omelette for breakfast at restaurant in lobby. More in a bit…

We enjoyed our stay. No issues. Everyone was very friendly & helpful. Free sectioned off parking for guests-​only was nice. Conveniently located to major attractions. Many great restaurants nearby.

room was comfortable and the bed was great. you activate the do not disturb by a button on the wall. having the hotel attached to the mall was convenient for grabbing coffee or food etc. note to those using pre-​paid vouchers: you may still have to pay an $ 18 «amenities fee» per day which is basically for free bottled water in the room and access to the pool, business center, etc. I was surprised by this but later checked the voucher and indeed it said something about this. the concierge and other staff were very friendly. restaurant was ok but not great. we had the breakfast buffet which was slightly overpriced and had no fresh vegetables. parking is free. the hotel is only 20 – 25 minutes from Magic Kingdom and Epcot. we would definitely stay here again.

One of the best hotels and conference centers in the area. Staff is friendly and personable. Service is phenomenal. Hotel rooms are outstanding. They are beyond beautiful and have every service needed. Wi-​Fi is free and included in your stay.
If coming here for a conference, as I’ve done for many years on end, you will be served like a king or queen and half great rooms for workshops.
All in all, I love to come and stay here at this hotel as well as common take workshops and/​or attend the conference. It is an all-​around wonderful establishment.

Stayed here because my bf was attending a conference in the hotel. The main draw for most people seems to be that they’re attached to the mall. I found the location pretty horrible. You’re surrounded by a sea of cars because of the mall parking lot, and on the perimeter of that chain type restaurants. For me though — the biggest disappointment was the pool area. Since I was tagging along to a conference I figured I’d enjoy myself laying out at the pool and sipping cocktails. The pool is surrounded by a cement wall, dozens of lounge chairs are placed around the pool, but there was no shade, 2 round tables, no umbrellas and no bar. They had 2 floaty mats, 2! for the whole pool. So whoever got the 2 mats — everyone else looked on enviously while they floated around. The ambiance couldn’t have been worse. If you wanted a drink you had to exit the pool area, go to the hotel restaurant across the lobby in your bathing suit — Crickets — and order a drink, ($ 10 for a slushy type drink), then bring it back to the pool area, while using your room key to open the pool door, transfer it to a plastic cup and take it back to your chairs — were there were no side tables to put it on. They really need to up their game there. The room was decent, but again — skimped on amenities, cheap shampoo & no conditioner, and although we booked a King room they ran out and gave us 2 queens. They ‘comped’ us with 2 Starbucks cards worth $ 5 each, which quickly got burned up at the overpriced Starbucks the next morning. No free coffee to be had which was shocking considering it is a conference type hotel. I guess they want you to buy Starbucks. Didn’t eat in the hotel — breakfast was too expensive for what middle price hotels give you for free as a perk. Also — we wanted to go to a local water park and asked the concierge if there where any ticket deals — she quoted us a price double what I had found online. So I’m not sure if she was incompetent or if they get a kickback. I bought the tickets online and printed them in the business center, which was one nice feature of the hotel.

Outstanding customer service clean and comfortable room great meeting rooms our HVAC EDUCATOR CONF was held at this great location
First time here but won’t be the last

If I will come to Orlando again, this is definitely the hotel that I am gonna choose again! It is located right beside the Florida mall. The view is beautiful and you can swim in the pool whenever you want. The water in the pool is warm no matter how late the night!

I visited the hotel for a baby Christening. The overall hotel which connects to the Florida mall was nice. The public bathroom on the first floor needed to be cleaned.

The best bang for your bucks. This beautiful, stylish, upscale hotel is located at the mall, no need to drive around and look for the mall. You can stay, relax, and shop at this mall. It has a starbucks, bar, and other great amenities. The Florida Hotel features custom cherry wood furniture, plush pillow top beds with down duvets, and flat screen TVs. The location is convenient to downtown Orlando. Parking is spacious and big. I enjoy my stay here!

Stayed here 02÷13−02÷15, Valentine’s Day weekend for a disney trip. From the very beginning I knew we have picked a wonderful place for a killer price. However I did wish the drive was a little shorter, still beyond happy. The location is great! You’re dead center in the mall! After walking the park all Friday till 1am, I got a hot stone/​massage pedicure at a spa that’s 4 stores down! Beyond convenient! Food court was a fair distance too if you don’t want room service. At the front desk, besides the beautiful decoration the staff was the best, the wonderful gentleman upgraded us to a higher floor because we wanted a view! He put us from floor 3 to 10! Beyond great staff, check out was so blissful, nice and easy with such a sweet staff! And now for all you’ve been waiting for… THE ROOM! beautiful and spotless! As soon as you walking you saw the spotless bed, and a beautiful full body mirror! The bathroom was gorgeous and sparklie clean! Couldn’t have asked for a better stay for the wonderful price we paid. The drive wasn’t the best but it’s do-​able if your time it right. Don’t get stuck in the 5 o’clock traffic ;)

This weekend I decided to book a room at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center and get some much needed writing done. It also provided me some alone time which I take very seriously. As a wife and mother of five my alone time not only helps me but helps my loved ones as well.
Overall I enjoyed my stay and even though I wasn’t prepared for the many different fees I will still consider visiting again.
The hotel is connected to the Florida Mall which provides an abundance of shopping, dining, and entertainment. As a guest of the hotel you have access to the mall one hour before it opens and one hour after it closes directly from the hotel lobby. This provides guests the ability to stroll the mall, exercise, enjoy the peace and quiet, or do some window shopping without the hustle and bustle.
For all you Starbucks lovers you’ll be happy to know that not only does the Florida Mall have a Starbucks but so does the hotel. The one in the hotel is located in the lobby and is open from 6 am — 9 pm.
I stayed on the 9^th floor and the view was amazing! The pictures speak for themselves.
I spent most of my time in my room as to not be disturbed or distracted so that gave me an opportunity to make a fair assessment of my stay. The first thing I noticed was the inconsistent internet signal. It was very unstable. All weekend it kept going in and out on all of my devices. It was very frustrating to deal with.
I ordered room service and was charged $ 2.50 for delivery. Really? I didn’t know I had the option of taking the elevator down to the kitchen to pick up my food. Oh wait, I wasn’t given that option because, well, it’s not an option. If I want room service I will have to pay the additional delivery charge to compensate the individual who’s going to bring me my food. And then there’s the room service fee of $ 4.51 (this amount may vary) just for ordering room service. So an $ 18.00 meal for a blackened salmon Caesar salad and season fries came up to $ 28.63 after taxes, fees, and the additional $ 2.00 tip I added. On a good note, the food was delicious! It didn’t make up for that delivery charge but at least I did get to enjoy my meal.
Breakfast was okay, I could have saved my $ 20.92 and did my usual Starbucks breakfast but I wanted to try something new. It was average, nothing spectacular. The eggs tasted plain even with the mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and a sprinkle of cheese I ordered in my omelette. I had to shower it with black pepper to add some flavor but even then it still was just okay. The variety offered for the buffet was plenty. You won’t be disappointed with that and you get to choose from a continental breakfast for $ 10.00 which includes fruits, oatmeal, cereal, breads. They refer to that side as the «cold» food choices. To upgrade to the «hot» food choices which includes meats like, bacon and sausage, potatoes, and a personalized omelette, it will cost $ 15.95.
I did appreciate that I was contacted by the hotel guest services the next day to help them to understand why I rated breakfast «fair» on my survey card. I was happy to see them want to deal with this matter quickly.
Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant /​bar, Cricket Bar, was simply amazing! I’ll definitely visit again even if I’m not staying at the hotel. I had the Buffalo Fried Shrimp that was THE BEST fried shrimp I’ve had in a while. It was so good. The atmosphere was perfect — the light’s were dim, music just loud enough to be enjoyed, chitter chatter from the other tables, and a waiter who recommended the best white wine to go with our dinner. It felt like a scene from one of my favorite movies.
I wish I would have had more time to use the business center. It’s stocked with multiple work stations that all have MAC computers for use. I’m not familiar with MAC but I’m eager to learn. The pool was gorgeous and so tempting. Unfortunately, I have some new tattoo’s that need to heal before I submerge myself in water for long periods of time. I would have loved to sample the Jacuzzi as well.
If you have to make a long distance call know the fee’s and how much it will cost you. I picked up the phone to call my husband who still has an Atlanta area code, spoke with him for 3 minutes, and the next morning my credit card was charged over $ 11 for that call.
One last thing, because this hotel is considered a resort, be prepared to pay the $ 18 resort fee plus tax which is approximately $ 20.25. Know you fee’s, it will save you loads of unwanted surprises. Enjoy!

I came here for a short conference. The room was adequate, and I appreciated the free water. The soundproofing wasn’t very good, and we could hear almost everything from next door. I think the most annoying thing was the elevator setup, as you couldn’t go down without a key card. The staff however can provide you one. It was just wasn’t clear from the signs that you could request one. On a side note, be aware that the Starbucks in their lobby is super marked up. The rates for their business rooms are however fairly reasonable.

I stayed at The Florida Hotel recently as I was attending a conference there. First, finding the hotel within the mall parking lot maze was annoying but I put the blame solely on my GPS. The hotel is your standard resort — it just happens to be attached to a mall. My inner shopping goddess was very intrigued about this hotel.
Check in went very smoothly. The valet was very friendly and I didn’t walk through the lobby once without seeing some member of management standing there in a pressed suit, smiling and welcoming guests. The elevators are room key operated which I initially thought was weird until I realized it’s awesome security to keep unwanted mall gawkers from just wandering through the hotel.
The room was comfortably furnished and the bathroom looked new and clean. Complimentary toiletries are from Bath & Body Works. The daily room fee gets you free parking in a special section for hotel guests only, two bottles of water, and free wifi. I tried room service for dinner and it was delivered quick, the food was delicious (especially after traveling all day), and service was super friendly. The waiter brought me a bottle of water (even though I didn’t order once since I had my own drinks) and called my room about half an hour later to make sure everything was good.
The morning of my conference, I went to the hotel restaurant, Marcello’s, and partook of the daily breakfast buffet. It’s $ 15 and includes a waffle station, omelet station, various meats, breads, bagels with lox, fruit, coffee, tea, etc. Staff was friendly and efficient and the buffet was convenient and tasty.
I did partake in some shopping since the mall was literally just a few feet away. Being that close you’d think the lobby would be super loud but it really wasn’t. I also checked out the business center thanks to a last minute email with conference materials. The center is in the lobby in a glass encased room. It’s stocked with numerous Apple computers, comfy chairs, and printers. It says you get a 30 minute session for free — I don’t know what happens after 30 minutes since my printing didn’t take that long. All in all, this was a nice stay and I love the convenience being in the mall. I’ll probably be back when I make my next shopping pilgrimage since Jacksonville doesn’t seem to realize there are more department stores other than Dillards.
Of note — this hotel is apparently close to the airport and is the preferred stay for pilots and flight attendants. I met two nice pilots with fabulous Australian accents and saw many pretty ladies in their flight attendant suits. If you’re looking for romance in the sky, this hotel may be your ticket!