Several weeks ago I had a chance to stay in Waldorf Astoria Orlando hotel for one night. I was able to utilize my renewal certificate from Amex Hilton Ascend card, otherwise the property would cost me 80,000 Hilton points. The hotel normally goes for $300-$400 per night once you factor in resort fees. Did it live up to the hype synonymous with Waldorf Astoria brand? Read my post to find out.
No upgrade or extra perks for this fake Diamond
I was curious if having Diamond status would enhance our stay in any way, which is why I went ahead and requested a status match using my husband’s IHG Platinum status. I saw some reports of people scoring Diamond Hilton trial status (good for 90 days) and sure enough, that’s what happened to us. My husband was previously Gold thanks to Hilton Ascend credit card.
A week before our stay my husband got an email from concierge asking us if we wanted to secure a paid suite upgrade for only $120 per night. Umm, no. I like free stuff and besides, it would only be two of us sharing the room.
When we pulled up to the property, it didn’t look like the picture on the website. After we unsuccessfully tried to check in, it became clear why. We accidentally went to Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria’s sister property next door. The lady almost had a heart attack after not finding us in the system. No big deal, we simply walked via covered corridor to the correct hotel. We’ve already left our car with the valet, but were told it wouldn’t be a problem since the properties share the same parking garage.
Things got fancier as we got closer to Waldorf Astoria wing, culminating in this magnificent chandelier and a signature clock in the middle of the lobby.
The guy who checked us in was not very friendly, almost to the point of being curt. This surprised me because Waldorf Astoria brand prides itself on top-notch service. The Diamond status was never acknowledged in any way. I asked if any free suite upgrades were available, and was told that there were not.
I also had to ask him about complimentary continental breakfast, one of the perks of having either Gold or Diamond status. I’m not complaining, it’s just that I expected a bit more finesse. To me, elite hotel status is nice to have (for free), but I would never go out of my way to acquire it. If you think you will be treated as a special guest each and every time, think again. As a fake elite, my results have been mixed so far.
Since we were utilizing the certificate, the $40/per day resort fee was waived. The same rule applies to using points.
The room
We got a deluxe room with king bed, exactly what we reserved. Both me and my husband were impressed by how classy it was. I was also happy to find a Nespresso machine, a nice treat.
A quick note on the mattress: definitely past its prime. Both sides had dips in them when we laid on the bed. It wasn’t terrible, but it does need to be replaced. Another minor complaint: The mattress pad was too small, and we could feel the edges.
Everything in the room was clean and well-appointed, though. I’ve noticed some reviews on TripAdvisor saying that the furniture is shabby, but it was not our experience. The bathroom was quite spacious, and had a shower+ small soaking tub.
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p style=”text-align: center;”>If you have an infant, this is a very good set-up
There are rooms with two queen beds, so this hotel is a pretty good fit for a family of four. Speaking of, I was surprised by how many families with young kids were staying here. I realize it’s a Disney area, but still. If you are looking for a quiet, refined atmosphere, you may be unpleasantly surprised.
Review of our “free” breakfast
We were told to go to Oscar’s restaurant in the morning in order to take advantage of our free continental buffet. It was insanely crowded with lots of kids running around, and we were actually told to wait 10 minutes before we could enter. It basically reminded me of a cafeteria in Disney. My husband looked at me and said: “I don’t like this place.” He has a hard time with crowds, a typical IT nerd. I told him the breakfast is free, so we are staying. Begrudgingly, he agreed, but it wasn’t a good way to start our day.
After few minutes we were seated. Basically, they have two sections. One has all the good stuff, which you can have for an extra $15 per person if you happen to be Gold or Diamond. If you don’t want to pay extra, expect a breakfast similar to what you would get at a Hyatt Place. Maybe slightly worse.
You get pastries, basic cereals and fruit:
There is also oatmeal and yogurt, and few other items. You get no meat of any kind. Overall, it was definitely a decent breakfast, but I wouldn’t describe it as a special treat, if that makes sense.
If you go out of your way to stay in Hilton properties just so you can have this pitiful selection, you should get your head examined. Again, I’m not complaining because it was free and we got exactly what was promised to us. No more, no less. But color me unimpressed.
I saw my husband looking longingly at the “good” section, so I finally told him we will pay the extra $15. He is obviously a big boy and doesn’t really need my permission, but he wouldn’t do it unless I was on board. He never went back to the “peasant” section again.
I did take a small bite of the crepe, feeling naughty while doing it
He got an omelet, smoked salmon, sausage and crepes, and said they were all delicious. In fact, he told me it was the best breakfast buffet he ever had in his life. If you ever watched “Parks and Recreation” comedy, my husband is like Ron Swanson character. He sure loves his meats and eggs. See this YouTube video if you have no clue what I’m talking about. That’s my husband’s hero!
Whether it’s worth an extra $15/per person surcharge is up for a debate. For two people, we are talking $30+tip. For that price we can eat like kings at an IHOP. A reminder: Hilton Gold or Diamond status will only cover two people per room, so I recommend you buy basic breakfast items for kids at a store beforehand. The room has a small fridge, so you can leave it there.
Pools
If you have kids, this is a critical piece of a puzzle, am I right? I’m happy to say that the pool area is very nice, and there is even a zero-entry pool for little ones. There is also a hot tub in the middle.
Hilton Bonnet Creek property next door has a lazy river, and you are allowed to use the facilities. It is a bit of a walk, but nothing terrible.
Waldorf Astoria also has a fancy golf course, so if you are into that, staying here will probably be very appealing.
Overall, I like the peaceful surroundings near the hotel, a nice refuge from the craziness of Disney. Speaking of, Waldorf Astoria offers a free shuttle to the parks, though I didn’t check the times. If you are flying to Orlando and only plan to visit Disney, I recommend skipping the rental car and utilizing Uber and shuttle whenever possible. An extra perk: you will save $37+tip per day on parking costs for hotel.
Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Did Waldorf Astoria Orlando blow my socks off? I wouldn’t say that. Was it a nice place to use the renewal certificate? You bet. I was planning to book a hotel anyway, so the cert definitely came in handy. I even earned 3,000 bonus Hilton points from some promo I don’t remember registering for. The stay also gave us an excuse to go to Kobe Japanese steakhouse, located just a few minutes away.
But I don’t feel the urge to ever go back to Waldorf Astoria Orlando. Veni Vidi Vici. That said, if you have one or two weekend renewal certificates from Ascend or Aspire card, I think it’s a nice place to use them.
On the other hand, paying 80,000 points is a bit rich, at least in my opinion. I would stick to Hilton Bonnet Creek next door, which usually goes for 40,000-50,000 points per night. I’m sure the rooms aren’t as nice, but if you are planning to be in Disney parks all day, does it really matter?
If you are thinking about using points on Bonnet Creek property and weekend certificates on Waldorf Astoria, I believe it’s a very good compromise. As I’ve said earlier, there is a covered air-conditioned walkway connecting two properties, so switching baby junk from one room to another shouldn’t be too difficult.
As long as you don’t have to check out more than once, I’d say you should try Waldorf Astoria and see if it wows you. It might. Several of our readers absolutely loved staying here, so maybe I’m in the minority. Just take the “meats” surcharge into consideration if you have a “Ron Swanson”-esque husband.
If you want to stay in Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Hilton Bonnet Creek or combination of both, your best bet is to sign up for for Hilton Honors Aspire Amex card. It comes with Diamond status, free weekend certificate, 150k Hilton points, $250 Hilton resort credit and a host of other perks. The annual fee of $450 is not waived, but the benefits should make up for it, at least during the first year.
Leana’s personal referral link
Nancy’s personal referral link
Of course, if you happen to have another Amex card, you can generate a self-referral link.
P.S. If you are in the process of researching Disney area lodging options, make sure to read Nancy’s post on this very topic
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Question on the $250 resort credit from the credit card, were you able to use it at the Waldorf?
@Steve I don’t currently have Aspire, though plan to apply in a few months or so. The weekend certificate was from Ascend signup offer. Sorry for the confusion!
I haven’t stayed at this property but did stay at The Ritz and there were lots of children. I was surprised at first but I guess it makes sense that people use points to stay at offsite properties. The parking charges are outrageous, I rented a car to visit my husbands cousin for one day at the rental place next door.
@Boonie I was a bit surprised by how many kids we saw at Waldorf Astoria. But it is Orlando, after all!
Agree on parking charges. They are spreading like cancer to most Orlando resorts. Free isn’t free if I have to pony up an additional $35 per night. We are locals so unfortunately, don’t have an option other than to drive our own vehicle. For families flying to Orlando, Uber or Lyft are the best alternatives.
The lobby and room look nice, but parking fee and $15 extra for breakfast is a bit rich for me. I would probably pay for them, but I would be dreading it the whole time…I don’t like to be nickled and dimed to death. Glad you were able to stay at such a nice hotel…it’s always nice to have an adult retreat.
@Stephanie It is a beautiful property, for sure. Orlando can be a madhouse, and the setting around WA is just so relaxing. The fees can certainly add up, which is why I recommend readers skip the rental car. We only stayed here one night, so our bill wasn’t too bad, even when factoring in parking and full breakfast fees. Plus, as a travel blogger, I had an incentive to review it because I’m sure many of our readers are interested in this property. For the right price (or rate via points), I would come back. At 80,000 points, I’m going to pass.
We had an amazing experience but I booked through Amex Fine hotel and resorts. So we received an upgrade to theme park view and free breakfast including the meats..lol. We self parked at the Hilton so parking fee wasn’t too bad. We’d stay again.
@Natasha Sounds like you got a great deal! I was hoping for a room with a theme park view, but no dice. Overall, I liked the property, and my husband totally enjoyed the full buffet. I was a little jealous, but refused to pay the extra $15 on principle! 🙂 But I don’t regret our stay, and appreciate your recommendation.
I would stay again via cert, for sure, if we were planning to be in Orlando. But 80,000 points per night is a bit much, at least in my opinion. We may take kids to Hilton next door because I love the area.
I agree that 80k is too much. I think I paid around $220 all in for one night using Amex FHR.
I agree with much of this review, Leana. We stayed there for 5 nights two years ago when we took our daughter to Disney. I used points and free night certificates and we were actually treated incredibly well (and I was only a Gold at the time). They had treats waiting for us in the room and upgraded us to a corner Disney view Waldorf suite. I think part of why that happened was timing – we went the last week of January and it felt like a relatively dead period. We are actually going back at the end of January this coming year, but are staying at the Hilton Bonnet Creek instead. Again, we are using a mixture of points and free nights, but the cheaper rate will allow us to stay longer. Also, since we explored that hotel when we stayed at the Waldorf, we know that it is perfectly nice as well and that we can still use the facilities and restaurants at the Waldorf very easily if we want. Nice to have another trip (hotel, flights and park tickets) covered almost completely with points and miles 🙂
@Doug I can definitely see how having a suite would enhance your experience. Very nice! We were staying on a weekend right before Thanksgiving week, so the place was full. I thought WA was a classy property and would probably stay again via certificate if our plans aligned and we needed to be in Orlando anyway. I really like the whole Bonnet Creek area, a nice refuge and a resort-like setting. I have a reservation in Wyndham Resort right across the street from WA. I’m sure the kids will love it. I’ve also heard good things about Hilton Bonnet Creek. To me, it seems like a better fit for families. Not quite as fancy as WA property, but who cares!
Anything that has “and the Ron Swanson” in the title, I am going to read.
@Ian LOL Clickbait is my secret weapon, man! To quote Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman” movie, 60% of the time, it works every time. 🙂
We love using free night cirtificates for a night away in Orlando … but I can’t get over the parking prices at these places!! I cringe at paying $25 to park my own car.
@Emily I know it! It makes me cringe too. We only had to pay for one night, and I had a $15 Hilton gift card, which helped. Still, it was $35 for valet, plus tips. Insane! Waldorf Astoria can be a serious money pit for longer stays, for sure. Personally, I wouldn’t bother to rent a car in Orlando when going only to amusement parks. After Uber and Lyft entered the market, it simply makes no sense.