A Breathtaking Hotel (Gaylord Palms Resort Hotel & Convention Centre (Kissimmee, Florida))

Member Name: madgoose10

Product:	Gaylord Palms Resort Hotel & Convention Centre (Kissimmee, Florida)
Date:	30/09/08 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: grandeur, rooms, nightly entertainment, amentities, unique

Disadvantages: can be a little pricey

The Gaylord Palms is a 4 star hotel located about ½ mile from Walt Disney World. A 4 star hotel definitely comes with a 4 star price, on Expedia.co.uk prices range anywhere from £125 - £150 a night, but let me say this it is well worth it for a special occasion.

I had always wanted to stay at the Gaylord Palms to fully appreciate all the grandeur and explore all the little nuisances the hotel has to offer. Last year my boyfriend surprised me by booking a room for the night. He definitely pulled out all the stops by booking the best room they had to offer, the Emerald Bay Suite complete with our own balcony.

The hotel is absolutely breathtaking. There is a huge glass ceiling covering the whole atrium that creates the perfect window for stargazing. The whole first floor of the hotel is split into 3 separate areas, or cities if you like: Key West Atrium, St. Augustine Atrium, and Everglades Atrium. There is a series of walkways and bridges that connect the 3 areas and is perfect to stroll through at any time of day. As you walk through each area you are transported to another place and surrounded by the features that make each city stand out. Each atrium has it's own themed restaurant and they range anywhere from fine dining to casual.

Fine Dining Restaurants
* Old Hickory Steakhouse
Casual Dining Restaurants
* Sora
* Sunset Sam's Fish Camp
* Villa de Flora
Bars and Lounges
* H2O Sports Bar & Grille
* Auggie's Jammin' Piano Bar

There is also a coffee and Haggen Dazs shop as well as several gift shops located within the first floor.

The hotel becomes even more amazing at night. As the sun is setting and the sky starts to become darker, the whole first floor is lit up by fairy lights. These millions of little lights create the perfect romantic, relaxing atmosphere. There is always live entertainment offered at the Key West Area.

There are two separate pools one for families and children, and one reserved for adults 18 and older who don't want to cope with hearing "Marco? Polo!" every two seconds. There is also a fitness center and spa offering over 25 different treatments, so you have to try pretty hard not to feel relaxed here.

For sports lovers there is a golf putting course, volleyball area, and lawn area especially for croquet.

The rooms are all virtually similar just the décor is altered slightly depending on which themed city you are staying in. Rooms follow the atrium themes, Key West, St. Augustine, Everglades, and the neutral Emerald Bay that overlooks all areas. Each room comes complete with a mini bar, cable TV with premium channels, CD player, pay on demand movies and video games, 2 complimentary bottles of Dansai water, phone, free Internet and computer to use, refrigerator, luxury mattress, ceiling fan, and central air conditioning. Rooms are absolutely immaculate and you feel as though you could fall asleep as soon as you sit on the bed. The bathroom is as lovely as the room, top to bottom marble tiling with a full shower. There are even luxury terrycloth robes for you to enjoy after a shower.

The Gaylord Palms also offers room service. That night we stayed my boyfriend and I ordered a pizza and hamburger from room service, which was reasonably priced for a 4 star hotel and enjoyable. As you can tell we enjoy fine dining. The food was brought on a table complete with roses and white linen tablecloth; the service was quick and friendly. In fact everyone we encountered at the hotel was extremely friendly.

There are always a variety of different events happening at this hotel. One of their more popular events takes place from November until January called "Ice." It is a stunning array of ice sculptures made by artists from around the world. The sculptures are divided into different rooms with different themes featuring everything from Santa and his reindeer to the Nativity.

Check the website for up to date event listings: http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-palms/special -events/index.html

Getting back to the beginning of my story, the night that my boyfriend and I stayed at the hotel he proposed to me. He waited until all the fairy lights came on and the place was gently lit, and as we sat on the balcony he got on one knee and proposed. I must say I couldn't think of any better place for such a romantic gesture. The Gaylord Palms was the perfect setting for a proposal and made it even more unforgettable.

Summary: worth a stay even for just one night