Stay next door to Mickey & Minnie (Omni Orlando Resort (Championsgate, USA))

Member Name: Tamarind

Product:	Omni Orlando Resort (Championsgate, USA)
Date:	02/09/09 (71 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Close to Disney with great facilities

Disadvantages: Can be expensive

Location

For those of you who love Walt Disney World or golf then this could be the ideal hotel for you. The Omni Hotel, Champions Gate is approximately 25 minutes from Orlando International Airport and is an easy 30 minute drive down Interstate 4 (American equivalent of our motorway) to Exit 58 at Champions Gate. The hotel is close to Walt Disney World and the journey should take you about 15 minutes by car. However, if you don't wish to drive, the hotel provides a shuttle bus to the four Disney parks namely Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you wish to visit Universal Studios then this would take you about 20 minutes by car.

If you don't like big hotels then this is not the place for you. There are 720 rooms/suites available which means a lot of people if the hotel is full. However, the place is so vast that it never feels crowded. I have been there when there has been a convention of several hundred people and it still felt empty!

When you first arrive at the hotel you have a choice of valet parking or self-parking. I always choose self-parking as, firstly it's free and secondly it is very near the front door so you don't have far to walk. The entrance to the hotel is very grand as is the foyer; however it doesn't have the stuffiness that hotels of this standard would normally have. The staff are really friendly and you can wander in wearing shorts if you like. The same goes for the dress code in the restaurants of which there are a few.

The Lobby Bar is to the left as you enter the hotel but is not a separate room which means you can buy a drink, sit on the big comfortable sofas in the foyer and people-watch. There is even a grand piano with a pianist who plays background music in the evening. The bar is open from noon to midnight.

Restaurants

The first one I'll review is called the Zen. This is a Pan Asian restaurant whose speciality is the Zen Experience. This is basically a fixed price of $46 (approx. £29) and you can order everything on the menu if you want! However, be warned, whatever you order, everyone else in your party, who is paying for the Zen Experience, is brought that food too. I should add this is in addition to what they have ordered as well! If you finish something that you really enjoyed, just ask for more and they'll bring it - for everyone! It is not uncommon for people to leave with doggie bags that would feed a small army for several days.

If the Zen experience is not for you, just choose normally from the menu. This is what I usually do as I'm a bit of a fussy eater. The waiting staff are very accommodating if, for instance, you would prefer a particular dish with chicken instead of pork you just need to ask.

The only other one of the Omni's restaurants that I have eaten in is the Italian restaurant called Trevi. You can eat indoors or outside. I phoned and booked a table as we thought it may be very busy. How wrong we were, as we were the only people in the place besides the 8 waiters! I like attentive waiting staff but I felt intimidated as their eyes were constantly on us. If I so much as took a sip of water they were rushing over to top up my glass. The food was okay but nothing special and I certainly wouldn't rush to go again, We paid approximately £100 (ouch!) for 2 courses and a bottle of wine which was certainly more than we thought it would be and very overpriced in my opinion. They also serve lunch in this restaurant during the day.

The other eateries available, but which I haven't tried, are -

Croc's Pool Bar & Grill - this is located beside the pool and is open mid-morning to late afternoon serving things like burgers and sandwiches.

If you haven't much time to eat, Broadway Deli is a good option. It serves pastries, sandwiches, pizza and ice cream and is open from mid-morning to mid-evening.

David's Club, which is open for dinner only, serves steaks, salads and seafood. It has views of the golf course, plasma TVs and overstuffed armchairs. You can also shoot some pool, play darts or enjoy a game of foosball.

If you are only after a coffee and a cake then try Morsels coffee shop. It is open from early morning to mid-afternoon and the smell of freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked pastries as you walk by, is to die for!

Accommodation

Check in is after 3pm and check out is before 11am.
If you don't like heights then this is not the hotel for you. It is 16 storeys high with 720 rooms. The best way to describe the large bedrooms is "plush". The linens are spotless which is certainly a big plus in any hotel. Guests are supplied with designer toiletries and lovely soft bathrooms. Each room has two telephones, one of them cordless which is a great idea as far as I'm concerned. Cable TV and wireless internet is also provided. The rooms are air conditioned which is a must in the Florida heat and there are even black out blinds if you want to keep the heat out that way. Tea/coffee making facilities are in each room as is a mini bar and if so inclined, you can request a microwave and fridge. There is also a safe in which to keep your valuables.
Guests, who are keen on exercise but do not wish to use the fitness centre, can pay for a Get Fit Kit so they can exercise in their room. The kit includes a hand towel, dumbbells, floor mat and exercise band. Needless to say, I have not taken advantage of this offer but at least the option is there if you want it.
If you prefer more of a self-catering holiday and being able to make beans and toast if you feel like it, the hotel also has villas. These have modern kitchens, living and dining rooms, marble-tiled bathrooms, flat screen TVs and a patio area. However, if you don't want to cook for yourself but just want the space the villas provide, you can always eat in the hotel. I prefer these to the hotel rooms as they are more like a home from home.

Recreation Facilities

The hotel has 3 pools and my favourite is the 850 ft "lazy river" that meanders slowly round the grounds. It's great place to chill and just float along. If you prefer, there is a more formal pool where you can swim lengths and this is surrounded by private cabanas which you can rent. However, if you don't like being watched I wouldn't recommend swimming there as it is overlooked by the hotel's main foyer and the Lobby Bar. Lastly, there is a splash pool which has a waterslide and water playground and is great for kids.
Indoor and outdoor spa tubs are also available and the fitness center has lots of upscale equipment including resistance machines and weights.
Golfers are attracted of this hotel as it is adjacent to Champions Gate golf course. This is home to the world famous David Leadbetter Golf Academy where golfers go to improve their game and play on one of the excellent courses. The two 18 hole courses were designed by Greg Norman are enjoyed by those with a fair command of the game. However, for the less experienced golfer like myself, there is also the Champions 9 which is a 9-hole, par-3 golf course.
Prices to stay in this hotel are too many to mention as it all depends on the type of room and package you choose. It certainly isn't in the budget range of hotels but you do feel as if you are staying in the lap of luxury with plenty to keep you entertained on-site. With Walt Disney World just next door and many of the other major Orlando attractions close by, what more could you ask for.

Summary: Great hotel close to the magic