Marriott's Grande Vista

Please read this!!!! If you are looking for a cheap way to stay in Orlando I strongly urge you to take Grande Vista up on there 199.00 for four days deal. Plus if you talk to the people that check you in they will allow you to stay for additional nights for only $99.00.

Now, lets talk ownership. Do not purchase this vacation ownership scam at this resort. First off this property is not worth $22,000 plus 800.00 a year in condo fees. They admitadly only upgrade there rooms every five years. These places are used and abused 365 days a year. People do not respect things like they do at there own house, so after several years of use things in a timeshare have a tendency to began looking worn. Plus everything they do purchase is cheap. The mattresses are hard and have no pillow top, the ceiling fans rattle at high speeds, and you have to stand on the bed to adjust the speed(no wall control). The porch furniture is made out of plastic, like the ones they sell at walmart. I could go on and on.

The point is that they want you to purchase a condo at top price then maintain it like a second class motel. Like I said they want $22,000 plus $800.00 a year condos fees for one week a year. If you were purchasing a cheaper unit these problems would be acceptable but not at these prices. Think about $22,000 x 52= $1,144,000.00 per unit for Marriott plus $800.00x52=$41,600 a year in condo fees per unit. That kind of money deserves first class quality.

On a side note. Due to them sending invitations to anybody and everybody and renting out units to none owners most guest are not owners. This means that the caliber of neighbors is not always the greatest. People allowing there kids to use the lap pool as a kiddie pool, and the sauna as a play fort. Every time we have been there the pool is more like your local city swimming pool than a 4 1/2 star resort. Away from the pool we have had neighbors that party all hours of the night and the staff does nothing hoping to sell a timeshare.

Please, before saying yes to the purchase shop around for better priced resorts. Grande Vista is not worth the money.

We recently spent a week here at the end of May with our 19 and 21 yr old-the villa was perfect for us-plenty of space. We had requested a newly renovated room close to the pool area. We were in Bldg 95 which was a great location. The unit was completely renovated with granite countertops- 3 flat screen TV's-2 king beds and 2 queen pull outsand a spacious living room/dining area. Having 2 full baths and 3 sink areas made getting ready so much easier than having a basic hotel room. We stopped on the way and picked up groceries for breakfast and snacks at the nearby Publix.

The 2 pool areas were both very nice and well maintained- one was more geared toward younger children. We spent alot of time at the Disney parks so we were not at the resort that much but there was alot to do there if you wanted to just relax and stay there.

Our only complaint was the check in-our room was not ready when we arrived at 2:00 and when we returned at 4:00 there was a huge line and some rooms were still not available. We were able to check in by 4:30, but by then 1/2 the day was gone and check out is at 10:00 which is early. If we had thought ahead of time you can request late checkout but by the time we did this they couldn't let anyone else check out late.

I was concerned after reading several negative reviews but we had a great experience and I would definitely recommend staying here!!

My husband and I have just returned from our one week vacation in Orlando, Fl at the Marriott Grand Vista Resort. We vacationed there with his brother and wife in a two bedroom, lock-off king bed suite in Bldg 93 on the 5th floor facing the golf course. We are owners at Horizons, Orlando (currently renamed Harbour Pt), but traded in to stay at the Grande Vista this year. Horizons is really best for families with children. We have previously stayed at Marriott Cypress Harbour, but could not get in this year. I thought that I would be disappointed with the Grand Vista since it is a much larger resort and didn't seem to have the homey atmosphere and lake views of the former. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised and enjoyed my stay at the Grande Vista even more than at Cypress. We requested and received a renovated room and it was just beautiful, quiet, comfortable, with a beautiful view of the golf course and a water view as well! There is granite everywhere in the kitchen and baths and of course the whirlpool tub in the master was great.

There are three flat screen TVs in the unit. One in each bedroom and a 40 ft screen in the living room. There is a large screen-in dining area off of the master bedroom and living room areas and a private porch also off of the second bedroom. The second bedroom had it's own sitting area, dining table, bath and bar/fridge area and could be locked off from the main dining area for more privacy. I would recommend this arrangement for couples. As always, all of the cooking utensils, plenty of bath and pool towels, as well as an in-suite stacked washer and dryer are provided. The free in-room WIFI worked well for my purposes.

We usually just vacation for relaxation and quality time together and don't visit the parks. We do always go to Olde Towne in Kissammee (about a 15 minute drive with traffic), which I do recommend for either couples or families with children. I believe that it only opens on weekends. There are lots of shops, rides, games, live music, an astounding bungee-jumping ride thats even fun to watch. They also feature a huge antique car show, as well. It's a cross between a carnival and a state fair and there is no charge for admission or parking. We also drove to Tampa to visit family and they also have a fairly large casino, The Hard Rock Cafe Casino, there as well. Otherwise, we just shop, eat-out at the area restaurants, play golf (at the Resort) or miniature golf in the area, or just cook in our rooms and view Netflix DVD's, which we bring along. Also, the Grande Vista has recently opened a spa on site. I highly recommend the Grand Vista Spa Pedicure, the best that I've ever had (I typically get mine done in Richmond every one-two months). I believe that my therapist's name was Bernadette, with whom I also received a very gentle and relaxing waxing service.

The resort also has a nicely appointed fitness area with the typical cardiovascular machinge (elliptical, treadmill, bikes...all with flat screen TV's), weight machines and free barbell weights. They also have an aerobic exercise room, a child play and child care area, all sorts of games (ping pong, billiards, tennis, boating, fishing), three separate pool areas throughout the resort with spas, gas and charcoal grills spread throughout, beautifally landscaped and perfect for walks. The facility has a 24-jpir manned security gate into the living area, a nice formal restaurant on site, and other smaller eating areas, including a free cotton candy station, and a candy shop. The Market Place is expensive. We recommend that you either go to the Publix grocery store which is a couple of miles away or the Wal-Mart which is probably about 5 miles away. We always bring a car and recommend one since there is so much to do in the area. We also recommend the Bonefish restaurant for fresh reasonably priced seafood- the coconut shrimp were superb!

We found everthing at the resort to be clean and in excellent repair and the services from check-in to check-out were great. Although we are Marriot owners, we also do the timeshare presentation. They are opening a new facility that now offers waterfront townhomes over by the Ritz-Carlton (which is also owned by Marriott). Owners there also get to use some of the Ritz facilities. We find their timeshare presentations to be very low-key and informative compared to others. They pick you up from the door of yourvilla and return you there and were very good about keeping to the 90 minute presentation, unless you wanted to see more. We opted not to and took the $75 Marriott card (per couple) good at any Marriott facility. We used it to pay towardsr our overnight stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Florence, SC on our way back to Richmond.

Negatives? Our flatscreen blinked out during about day 5. However, they sent up a repairman within about 30 minutes to troubleshoot and ended up bringing in another new TV. However, I really couldn't really register this as a complaint, since one never knows when the flatscreens will die. I had a similar problem with my own one at home after two years....and the important thing is that the Grande Vista staff addressed the issue quickly and with many apologies....so I couldn't complain. All and all a great stay and I highly recommend it.

My partner and I just completed a 4 night stay at this property. We only recently took up the game of golf and wanted to try "resort golf" to see how we'd like it. It was the best long weekend we've ever taken together. We never left the property. No theme parks, no restaurants, no nightclubs--we simply couldn't pull ourselves from this gorgeous, secluded, quiet, sophisticated and romantic property. We fell in love with each other all over again. We golfed at Nick Faldo's golf institute--a gorgeously manicured and challenging 9-hole course. We swam at night under the stars at the lush and tropical palm tree-lined lagoon pool, we walked the sandy beach at night and gazed at the moon, we lounged in our room and sat on our private balcony overlooking the golf course and watched hawks and other wildlife in the woods surrounding the property. The staff was most accomodating, although room cleanup was sometimes very late in the afternoon. Our only complaint was the elevator in our building was very, very slow--and even was out of order for one day during our stay and we were on the 6th floor. However, it gave us an excuse to take the stairs and walk off the delicious meals served each night in Nick's Grill--a full service restaurant overlooking the golf course. You will not be disappointed in this property, especially if you are seasoned travelers looking for a private setting away from the noisy theme parks and ordinary Orlando fare. If you golf, you must go. You'll want to come back again and again. We've already booked again for later in the year--this time for a full week!

Not being familiar with the Orlando area, I was very nervous about selecting a hotel. I could not have been more pleased with the Marriott Grande Vista. It was a great family location since there were daily activities for my 4 year old. I loved the privacy of the resort and the staff made us feel right at home.

I have told everyone about my experience with the maintence engineer. To fully enjoy the pool, we bought a new pool toy on our trip. We did not notice that the pool toy needed a screwdriver to put in the batteries. We called the front desk and they sent the maintanence engineer to help out. He arrived within 5 minutes to help us. He quickly found out that we had purchased the wrong battery size. He went to the shop and brought us back 2 batteries in the right size. Other hotels might have just told us "tought luck" but not at the Marriott.

I will never stay anywhere else in Orlando.

We have stayed at this resort and Cypress Harbour once before. I love the Cypress Harbour as well but nothing compares to the Grande Vista. The grounds are beautiful. The entrance into the resort is GRANDE. Before arriving to this resort, I called the front desk a week before to request a certain building(s). I asked for building 77 or 78 because when we stayed here back in 2006, I remember they were just building those two buildings and they were located in a perfect spot for me. And of course they were "newer". I am not a Marriott owner (at least not yet), so my request wasn't guaranteed. But of course, we received just what I asked for, which was either of those buildings in a corner unit on an "upper" level (nothing under 2). The view was beautiful. We arrived just when the weather was getting almost perfect again, between the dates of 05-29 thru 06-05. The first four days we had NO RAIN at all. Sunshine, warm and breezy!!! The last few days there was a bit of rain in the afternood for no more than an hour at most, then it went right back to being beautiful out again. The service was great. We stayed in a 3bedroom villa and whenever I enter for the first time, I have to do "my inspection". The only problems we had was in the second bedroom the cable wasn't working and the lightbulb on one of the lamps in the master bedroom was out. I called the front desk and within 10 minutes a maintenance man had the problems fixed. This man was so friendly. He gave us tips on where "the best" of everything was located. About an hour or so later, the front desk called to make sure our problems had been fixed. Great service. The only complaint that we had was on the last evening there, our neighbors just above us were really having a good time at around 1-2 a.m. in the morning. How annoying when you have to catch a 9am flight. We tried very hard to let it go, but after it seemed it was getting louder, I called the front desk and I guess it was taken care of, because the next thing I remember was the alarm clock going off. I immediately went into a major depression because I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE!!! I have read several negative reviews about this resort, but I do believe that where your villa is located and the newness or at least it being recently upgraded is a major key in having a better stay. From what I understand, all of the villas are undergoing upgrades and renovations, so I think this resort is only getting better. Keep in mind, this is a HUGE resort with a whole lot of buildings, so do your research before coming and ask for a recently renovated building. They have the flat screens and other little bells and whistles some of the olders ones don't just yet. We will definitely be back.

Room:

We stayed at the Marriott Grande Vista on International Drive from May 21 to May 28th. We exchanged our timeshare through Interval World for a stay at this resort in a three bedroom.

We had three families consisting of 9 people, so each family had their own bedroom. The 3 bedroom was HUGE!! We had plenty of room, and the place was clean and had all the regular items found in a timeshare.

The master bedroom consisted of a king bed, two sinks, whirlpool tub, seperate shower, big screen TV, DVD, and a chaise lounge. Very large room and bathroom. An adult and a small child shared this room.

The second bedroom consisted of two queen beds, big screen TV, DVD, one sink and tub/shower combo. This room was a little small for four folks, but bigger than your average hotel room.

The kitchen and living area consisted of a table for six, large couch, and two chairs. It had a big screen TV with DVD also. The kitchen had a full size refrigerator and dishwasher, and had dishes/glasses for eight. We were supplied tissue paper, paper towels, dish liquid, dishwashing powder, and trash bags. It also had a coffee pot and toaster. Plenty of cabinet space for your groceries. We just had to move a few dishes around. There were also wine glasses, but no cork screw. The washer/dryer was the stackable kind, so very small loads only!! We kept it going the entire time!! This area also had a very nice screened porch with a table and chairs.

The third bedroom was a studio unit with a separate entrance door, but was attached to the second bedroom by a set of connecting doors and a foyer area. This bedroom had a king bed, sofa sleeper and a table and chairs for two, two ottomans, and a balcony with table and chairs. It also had a small refrigerator about half the size of a regular sized one. It was not your typical mini- frig, it was larger than that. It had a coffee pot and toaster. The bathroom was one sink and a tub/shower combo.

The bedrooms had plenty of drawer space for clothes and closet space was good too! The closets did not have many hangers.Each closet had a small safe for your valuables. You are provided towels, but they only change them out once during the week, so we had to wash them to have enough for a week.

Building:

Our unit was located on the third floor of building #80, the Main Building where you check-in. It was a great location. There was a huge pool area, kiddie pool and splash area, plenty of lounges and umbrellas. This area also had a Market Place to get a few groceries, wine, beer, souvenirs and snacks. They also had Krispie Creme donuts and Starbucks coffee. There is also a Pizza Hut and a small Deli type eatery in the buliding and a full service bar. The fitness center, playground and boat rentals were also in the building.

Location:

It took us about 20 minutes to get to Disney and about 5 minutes to get to SeaWorld. Outstanding location!!!

Negatives:

Pizza Hut Delivery was terrible! We finally had to go down and get it and they didn't have it ready! We got FREE Pizza for that one!

Hot Water: At night, we rarely had much hot water, it was only lukewarm.

Overall, it was a great experience and a great place to stay!

I stayed here 4 years ago but we were a bit 'out on a limb' last time, well a bit far from the main pools & receptions, market place etc.

This year we were in Block 79 'Madrid' right next to the Copa loca bar & grill and West Village Pool, so after reading the reviews I couldnt have been more happy with my given location. There was slight noise during the day when they had karaoke etc but we were out most days and as long as there was no noise at night we were happy !!

After a 9 1/4 hr flight I couldnt be mithered where I was situated location wise so I just asked for a quiet room not to far from one of the main pools and our villa location was perfect.

We reserved a 3 bed villa and got a 2 bedroom lock off next to a 1 bedroom suite which was perfectly ok, it smelled a little of paint the first night but was too tired to care.

The beds are just the best, I'm a light sleeper and usually have restlessness getting used to beds but not here they are soooooo comfy. The suite was clean and nicely furnished and maid service was fine.

The pool areas were fairly busy but large enough for everyone and we had no problems getting sun beds.

Only had dealings with the Reception staff on check in/out and also the Copa bar staff both were friendly.

My only 'But' is that this place is a bit TOO Huge, luckily the West Village is nearest to the exit otherwise i think it would have driven me mad if we were situated at the furthest side (Block 90) like we were on our previous visit.

Mariott Grande Vista is an excellent property sprawling with a large golf course and excellent ameneties. It is worth staying in this property with a two bed room villa and suitalble for all ages. conveniently located and with good deals you can get the room at an affordable rates

This was our second stay at Grande Vista. We have tried time shares at multiple places in the US and Canada and have never found any place better. We have a relatively large family, so ample space, cleanliness, variety of amenities available and value are critical to us. This place is fantastic! It has everything -- golf, tennis, swimming, boats, volleyball, arts and crafts, fitness, good dining, easy access to Sea World and Disney, etc., etc. -- and fantastic service. It is relaxing and restful without being boring ... our mix of boys and girls from elementary school through college age all love it. That rarely happens. I couldn't recommend it more, especially to families

My husband and I came to the resort to "get away from it all" and we sure did, the grounds are outstanding, absolutely beautiful landscaping gorgeous golf course, the resort offers all types of activities during the day from pool activities to Kareoke at their restaurant/bar, and a complimentary photograph by the resorts photographer. The rooms have jacuzzi's near the master bed and a separate bathroom and shower, perfect for two.

It's a beautiful place and one you won't be disappointed in.

Fantastic resort with uber amenities. Marriott does it again!

We just got back from a week vacation at the Grande Vista and couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. The resort was well maintained, clean and very kid friendly. Our room was near the back of the resort and it was a little walk to the kiddie pools but there was a regular pool and spa close by. There were also clean and available gas grills by the pool. The resort staff were friendly and willing to help with anything. Once we got to our room they brought us a pack n play and highchair that were pretty clean. Our room was quiet and huge for a 1 bedroom with a screened in porch overlooking the 9th hole and the local alligator. The bed was so comfortable! The only negative thing that I have to say about the resort is that my husband killed a cockroach that was hanging on the window blinds.

Second time staying here, room was very nice, loved the whirpool tub. We stayed in a 1 bedroom villa in building 93 which was a close walk to the main pool and shop, food court, poolbar. Our room was beautifully furnished, very clean with a TV and DVD player in the living room and bedroom. Kitchen was great and had all the basics, washer and dryer which was very handy. The bed was nice and comfy. This place is huge so if you are in a building away from the main pool and lobby, it can be a little hike, especially if you are going to hang out at the hotel and do stuff instead of doing theme parks. Very nice place, daily activities for kids was a plus!

The Grande Vista is just off the busy and fun filled International Drive in Orlando.

The newly renovated accomodations are great. We had a 1 bedroom studio with balcony. It was in Building 91 on the fourth floor. It was clean and the A/C worked great. Bathroom was adequate. There are 4 pools we did not use due to time, although they looked nice. They also have various paddle boats for rent to use on the lake.

Did not eat anywhere on the resort although everything looked nice. Check in was smooth as well as check out. It did not seem to be over run with kids either.

No issues.

My husband and I took our 3 small children here in the summer of 2007. It was absolutely beautiful! The place was so clean and the staff was there to help out with any information that I needed . They were very accomidating with the room choice as well. There was so much for the kids to do here.. pool, indor play area and activities planned almost every evening. I would highly recommend this resort to everyone!

My family stayed in the 1-Bedroom Villa. It was perfect for my husband and I and my 15 year old son. The room was gorgeous ! Granite kitchen, all the kitchen tools you need to make a great meal, washer and dryer with Tide. And a huge spa tub with Jets, I am 5'8 and this is the first time I have ever been in a hotel spa tub that I could actually strecth my legs completley out and it is built for two so my husband and I both could fit with complete ease and room. They have so many ammenties at the hotel that your family will never be bored. fishing, 4 Pools, volleyball, Wii Game tournaments, paddle boats, campfire smores and the list goes on and on. Beautiful grounds, Great staff, wonderful time.

Just returned from the Marriott Grande Vista and was thoroughly impressed! Staff was friendly and helpful. Our room was ready about 30 minutes before check-in and we requested a newly renovated, view room which we received. We were on the 4th floor of Building 95 which overlooked the golf course. We had a 2 bedroom with lock off. We had two king sized beds and two pullout sofas. The pullouts weren't too comfortable, but the beds were very nice. Beautiful, spacious, updated room with large dining room table and screened in patio that overlooked the golfcourse as well. This was great because the weather was perfect and we were able to sleep with the sliding glass doors open for the night breezes. No morning construction noise, just the sprinklers one morning.

The grounds are meticulously maintained! I can't say more about their beauty. There were at least four pools, two main ones, and two smaller ones. The resort is very large, but there seemed to be a pool within walking distance of each building. Daily activities (for both kids and adults) were offered the whole time we were there. The restaurants, ice cream shoppe, and small market made it almost not necessary to have to eat or shop off site. But there was a grocery store and many restaurants nearby if you did venture out. We went grocery shopping at the beginning of our stay for breakfast items, since we ate at the parks most days, but if you did plan to make a large meal, there was more than enough pots, pans, etc. to get it done. Plus a fullsized coffee maker, toaster, etc.

Location was perfect and easy to find. Almost adjacent to the entrance to Sea World and Aquatica. Disney World was a little further, about 15 minutes. Wet and Wild and Universal Studios were about 15 minutes as well.

I can't say enough about this resort. We would go back again and again!!!

We really enjoyed our stay at the Grande Vista. There were a few problems, but they would not stop us from visiting again.

Pros -

Many beautiful pools, something for everyone

A beach! A great surprise. There's a fence along the water of the beach, so we could let our daughter play in the sand w/out worrying she'd go into the water.

Nice entertainment

HUGE rooms and comfy beds.

Great views from our room.

Cons-

-Front desk needed more staff, there was constantly a line

-Our buildings (89 and 92) were too far from main pool, a long walk for very young (3) or older crowd (70+)...not too bad for the healthy, though.

-First building (89) did not have night lock. I slept with one eye opened, worried our 3 year old would walk out at night! Without the night lock, the door was very easy to open. Staff kindly moved us for the rest of our stay.

-Thin doors. With everything else being "top end", why the flimsy doors? You could hear everything through them.

-We did not notice construction, but there was a lot of noise due to landscaping (refreshing mulch, pruning, etc). Can't really complain about this, it needs to be done....right?

We've also stayed at Horizons in Orlando. For young families, we'd probably first opt for Horizons (although, Grande Vista is nice). For folks wanting something a little less kid-oriented, this would fit the bill.

Enjoy!

Went there on timeshare deal (4 nights for cheap with 90-minute timeshare pitch). Great villas, great location, golf course, gym, etc. for low price. The sales pitch is no problem if you know what you want and need, especially, if you plan on it. This time the sales staff were all [--]. The salesman told us that he is only on commission and tried to shame us for coming there to take advantage of this deal (poor hungry working-class guy who commands compassion :-). He dared to rob it in for 30 minutes and then still hoped to sell us anything. I would fire an a/s in a heartbeat. The next one who did a survey didn't give a darn about us and the last one was a jerk too. Luckily, we survived, because we had no high expectations about sales pitch and enjoyed the place very much. Hey, a fair trade off. Recommend the place.

Just got back today. Resort is currently under some construction but is still highly functional for the the most part. Arrived and we asked for a newly renovated room and were given one. Staff was always nice and efficient with everything. Stay in a room close to the main building or across the lake if you want easy access to the main pools. Pools are great for the kids with various levels and areas. I am familar with this property, Horizons and Cypress Harbor. My family by far enjoyed this the most.

This is one of the largest Marriott resorts I have stayed at. We own in Williamsburg and traded a week for this one. We were not disappointed. Our room overlooked the golf course, which is maintained wonderfully. I was disappointed that we were not closer to a pool..there were 4-5 pools and we were the furthest away from them all...seems I can never secure a room near a pool...even though I travel with young children. Who do you have to know????

Nick's restaurant was very nice. The bar near the pools were great. Children's activities were enjoyed by my granddaughter.

We even had an armadillo visit our parking lot which was a lot of fun to watch!!

The place is maintained very well. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating.

We have never been disappointed in any of the Marriott properties at which we've stayed, and this was no exception. We requested a newer building near (but not adjoining) a pool, and were pleased to have a 1st floor unit just down the hall from a beautiful pool area.

Our unit was 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, and since it was a lock-off unit, the rooms were huge. The decor is very nice and the room was spotless. The hotel grounds are very well maintained, and during our stay they were completing construction on a new fitness facility and another bar area.

There are so many activities for the kids to do right at the resort, we ended up only doing the Disney thing for three days and hanging out the rest, for a truly restful vacation.

We have stayed at many timeshare "resorts" over the years, and these Marriotts are by far the best and most consistent in quality.

This resort is big with beautiful grounds, several pool areas, lake, tennis courts, golf, restaurants and bars. We had a studio apartment on the ground floor overlooking the pool and Copa Loca bar area which wasn't a problem as the bars close at 10pm, so no noise after that. The apartment was well presented and maintained, fabulous comfortable bed! Staff all over the resort are friendly and only to happy to help, if you need anything they will oblige wherever possible.

Even though the resort is huge it doesn't feel too big as there are so many little areas to relax or walk by the lake and all were clean and well kept.

Its a great base from which to explore Orlando, I would definately go back!

We made an exchange through INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL and didn't realize that we exchaged for a very small efficiency, not a villa/condo. It has one vent for ac for the unit, no vents in the bathroom, making it hot and stuffy at times. Our bathroom has some paint peeling around the top edge of the tile, which we also reported, but didn't repair, however, it's probably hard to do that with us in the room. Interval really wouldn't make any changes for us, but Mariott did change out the bar-size refrigerator when we reported it wasn't working properly. We made a complaint to the front desk, but they made the comment, that Interval was responsible for allowing this exchange to be made. I feel we've been cheated, and didn't realize that you could make an exchange for such a tiny room. It also has a 13 year old tv, with not even a possibility of connecting a dvd player, which we considered buying. We were told that had we gotten a villa, they are all equipped with dvd players. We intended to have a quiet week of hanging out, watching movies, eating out some(no cooking facility) and that was all messed up due to the small room. The resort itself is very nice, and had we been able to get a villa, would probably been very happy. All the staff we've met have been very nice. They claim the whole resort is sold out until the end of July.

We would defiantley come back again !! Well,avoid holidays when you plan on staying here.Also,the weather not so great in May rain pouring 3 days straight at one time.and raining everyday on/off during our stay from 5/15-5/29.Thank God...we didn't pre-purchase theme parks tickets.Check out the pictures i've took over the 2 weeks stay.A great resorts centrally located in middle of all the attractions on International Dr.Shopping......south of International Dr. Orlando Premium Outlet Mall Just 5 mins away.Another great shopping spot Prime Outlet Mall north of the International Dr. less than 15 mins.Food....a great family american buffet restaurant Golden Corral breakfast,lunch and dinner ($6.99- $13.99) southon I-Drive 7 mins drive.Make sure you pick up all the coupon books on the way out the restaurant.Also we had some lobster & seafood buffet at Boston Lobster Feast north on I-Drive 10 mins away.All you can eat lobster,crab legs,muscles,halfshell raw oyster,pasta,salad and desert only $34.99 per person.Kids under 3 is free and over is $14.99 per kid or just order a pasta dinner about $6.99 for the kids then they can share your food as well.OMG....i had 4 lobsters and i am stuffed its not the best but well worth of money.i dont find any restaurant like it here at home that you can eat and have as many lobster you want.There are too many attractions to go see and do around this resorts.so make sure you have do reserch map out where you want to go and see.if you only have few days stay the resorts have plan of things for you to enjoy!!

We stayed @ Marriott Grande Vista (Resort) 6/22-29, used this timeshare through Interval. We stayed n a studio, Villa. The studio was big n enough space 4 us, the mini kitchen was stocked w basic supplies 4 the wk, n could ask 4 more if needed. Superwalmart was just down street so could stock up on quicks eats. Recived pool n shower towels daily. The bed was so comfortable, that must b the Marriott part, LOL. Our studio, Villa was on the 2nd fl of building 79, which overlooked the pool, hottub n golf course. Beautiful Property n nice facilities. they have a nice bar n grill area called the "Copa Loca" where they have music lights n a ping pong table set up where people hang out. Ok tennis courts(clay) which i used daily. Fun activities, thats why i call it an resort. Most activities were complimentary(free). the best night was Tuesday, which they have the Polynesian Revue Show-Hawaiian Entertainment..Hula girls n an Torte man. Very nice property.. would recommend n stay again, also close 2 eveything.

We traded our Marriott timeshare for this family vacation in Orlando. When we booked our trip we knew that we would have maximum Spring Break crowds and expected long lines and average service but we were pleasantly surprised. Only the day at Disney's Magic Kingdom was over-crowded and had outrageous lines. Most restaurants, shops and parks had fast moving lines.

The pools were great at the Grande Vista so we even skipped our planned time at the water parks (which were closed by 11:00 am daily due to crowds anyway). The lack of chairs was only an issue on one day.

Our room overlooked the Faldo driving range and was clean plus nice and quiet. The older model TVs didn't bother us as we didn't go to Florida to watch TV. We only used our kitchen for breakfast and snacks. We knew about the washer/dryer and that allowed us to carry less clothing on our trip.

The location was great. Right outside the gates from Sea World, 15-20 minutes west to the Disney parks and 15 minutes east to Universal Studios. Along the International Drive there were dozens of places to eat and dinner shows.

My 17 year old son can't wait to return. I guess he likes the concept of spring break in the sun.

Wonderful staff, very attentive to the needs of their guests. Any complaints are dealt with immediately. Went to the Copa Loca bar and grill which is located right by one of their pools. Beautiful view of the lake and lighthouse. They had Karaoke there on Friday night with a husband and wife team. Never seen that before. They put on a killer show. Started with an idol singing contest and then had regular karaoke until after 9. The dj even sang a special anniversary song for my husband and I. Lots of props, and great song selection. Both the husband and wife team sing. Lots of interactivity with the singers.

They played the funniest birthday song I have ever heard for one of the guests. The karaoke monitor was cool, it had videos playing in the background behind the lyrics.

While we were there, we met a Canadian couple that has stayed at the Grande Vista for 8 weeks and they said they have gone to the karaoke show every week that they were there. The dj even gave out raffle prizes to the singers. The dj said that the pictures that the wife takes, sometimes end up on their website. I checked it out, but I didn't find mine. I guess they just put some of them on their website. Check it out at www.stage3stars.com they have the web address on their song slips that you sign up with. Truly the best show we've ever seen. Get there early if you want a seat.

This is a beautiful property. We stayed here as part of a promo to try to get us to buy a timeshare (we didn't). The accomodations are great with beautiful grounds and facilities. Be ready for a fairly high pressure routine from the timeshare department (pleasant enough sales guy, just didn't want to take no for an answer). We did the whole Disney bit and rented a vehicle to travel back and forth to park (about a 15 min. drive). We had previously stayed at Disney properties and preferred that over this for the overall Disney experience.

I went to the grand vista with my parents and my 20 month old daughter for 5 days.

There is something for all age groups at this resort. They have really thought of everything to make guests feel comfortable and the staff is very wecloming.

We used the kids "Activity Zone" twice during our stay. My daughter really enjoyed the arts and crafts, the staff was very kind to her and walked her through both activities. Bonus, they will lend you beach/pool toys! I noticed they had tons of activities for school-aged children and teenagers including rock climbing wall, fishing, Wii gaming, etc. The kiddie pool was great - good size with lots of chairs for the parents.

We had a two bedroom suite and the room was clean, comfortable and sapcious.

The location is great - very close to Sea World and about 20 minutes to Disney. Also, there are restuarants, grocery stores, etc nearby.

The casual dining on-site was decent, mostly poolside fare.

For something more formal or substantial, I highly recommend Nick's Grill which is a restaurant on the grounds by the golf course. We got carry out and every dish was excellent and good value. Plus we didn't have to leave the resort after a long day at Disney!

My only complaint is they do not have a playground. I've stayed at other Marriott resorts and they have excellent playgrounds.

Overall, I would stay here again and again. Well done Marriott!

I exchanged into the Grande Vista with Interval - all went well. Got to the property four hours early and was allowed to check in far earlier than the 4pm advertised time, which was fantastic as I'm with 11 month old twins. I asked for a renovated room (2 BR - with lockoff) and was sent to Building 96. Not sure I got a renovated room, as the bathroom looked somewhat dated and different from some of the pics I saw here, but since I got in 4 hours early I wasn't going to raise the issue. Service at the front desk was excellent and the 2 pack-n-plays and 2 high chairs I requested were provided at once and free of charge - very nice and kudos to the staff for being prompt.

Room is fine (I'm writing this on "rest" day while here), though the kitchen appliances are old and worn (microwave dated 1998). Seems a bit out of place since the living room area is obviously re-done. But the appliances are functional so not a big deal. As I said earlier, both bathrooms are in need of some updating. Plumbing a bit iffy, hot water was on demand - no waiting. Hot tub works great. Can't hear a sound in our "main" bedroom, though foot traffic in the corridor is heard pretty easily in the lock-off room. Doesn't wake up the twins, though. Patio is screened and we have had breakfast out on it every morning, which again is nice.

Wireless internet free but very spotty. I have to check in to work every day, unfortunately, and the internet is hit or miss at best. If you need reliable access, forget about it. I had issues for one whole day and the staff basically blew me off - Wayport fixed the issue by calling the desk on my behalf. But it is free, so - again - not that big a deal. Wished the service in regard to the net was better (from the staff).

Grounds very nice. I like how the property is about a mile off I-Drive via a nicely landscaped road, which makes it seem more secluded. Have a pool next to our building (the clerk called it the "country" since not many people are there - and he was right) and we have visited the other main pools. The main pool near reception was great for young kids - the "outer" main pool with the water cannons was better for older kids. Haven't had to fight for a pool chair which was better than I expected. Pool had a bar area which was a bit overpriced, but good. Food at the fast food place (clerk compared it to Boston Market - I guess I can see it) was fine if you want something quick and aren't concerned about price.

The location can't be beat, really. Only minutes to Disney and Sea World. Haven't made it to Universal. But great proximity to lots of things to do and have had no problems getting around. Publix for groceries and the Premium Outlet Mall is about 5 minutes away at most. You won't have to travel far to do things or get something to eat at a nice place.

The thing with the Grande Vista is this - if you plan on staying at the resort with your family and having lots of stuff to do here and rarely leave the site - look elsewhere. Sure, the pools are nice but they aren't big at all, and that's really about it. There is a wall climbing thing, paddle boats, a golf course, and some grills - but there aren't any other activities. All this is perfectly fine with me, though. To compare - I have traveled with a family member to Orange Lake (apparently called Holiday Inn Orange Lake Resort now) and that place has a ton of pools, a tubing river, mini golf, several restaurants, arcade, and more. They never leave the property. However, that place is wall-to-wall people, which makes the Grande Vista nice - it hasn't seemed overcrowded. As we like to get around and see things and enjoy the resort, but not live at it, the Grande Vista made a nice destination.

Can't give the place 5 stars since they are some nagging issues, as outlined above (and the tiled kitchen floor was terribly dirty - no excuse for that, really). To compare, the Marriott Surf Watch in Hilton Head blows the place away in terms of room quality - if that's your thing. However, if you like a nice place to stay and will get around, has some nice amenities on site, a great location and service, and can tolerate some minor issues (what place is perfect, anyway?) then the Grande Vista is worthwhile. I'd come back.

Just returned from a stay at the Grande Vista and we had a great time. We were using my dad's timeshare and since we stayed a whole week for pennies, that made it great too. We thought the resort was pretty and had nice amenities. We did other stuff during the day so it was really just a place to sleep but we did enjoy the pools and I liked not having to pay for the W/D usage. We were in a studio suite which was a little small for two adults and two tweens but the money we saved using the timeshare made up for that. It may not be the grandest of hotels but it beats a Comfort Suites. Maybe if I l owned the timeshare myself I'd be a little more picky but all I need was a clean place to sleep, close to things I wanted to do, and a nice pool to relax by and I got all of that and a little more.

First off, the place was great. My family and I have stayed at 4 of the MVC properties in Florida. This was our second trip to Grande Vista.

The Pluses

Very clean and kid friendly. The Pools were very nice, and there always seemed to be plenty of chairs. Pond was GREAT for fishing and Tennis Courts were clay. The room had granite counter tops, and you can request the second bedroom to have 2 queen size beds. Pools were always busy. I got the sense that Grande Vista was the destination for people rather than the theme parks. But maybe that was just the economy.

The negatives.

Nothing major. Make sure you request a building close to one of the two pools. There were units that are at least a 10-15 minute walk from the pools. For how many units they have, they really need to put in a third major pool area. Maid service is 'lite' at best. Beds get made, and dishes washed, and thats it. They didn't even replace towels every day, and I didn't see them carrying vaccums. The advertise basketball and rock climbing. The rock climbing wall was open for 1 hour the entire week we were there. There is a half court basketball, but it's way off by itself. Lots of kids wanting to play. Seems like a pretty cheap addition would be duplicating the two full sport courts they have at Cypress Harbour.

Compare between Cypress Harbour and Grande Vista

Grande Vista rooms are nicer, but quite a bit smaller. The queen size beds in second bedroom is big advantage for Grande Vista. Overall I'd prefer the Grande Vista rooms.

Pools- While both are nice, my kids greatly prefer Cypress Harbour. They seemed larger and better layed out.

Grounds- Cypress Harbour hands down. They have the sportscourts, more spacious pools, minigolf, and overall just seemed nicer. You can't go wrong with either, but my kids really liked Cypress better

Both are nice properties, and much less hectic than staying at Disney. If you have 5 or more in your family, MVC is definitely the way to go.

First off... This is a timeshare resort with condos. We normally stay at Disney Vacation Club but we ran out of DVC points and 2 we wanted to see what else Orlando had to offer and by staying onsite at Disney we don't venture offsite often. Also, coming from California we stayed our 1st night at All Star: Movies because our flight did not arrive until 11 pm. Spent the morning exploring All Stars: Movies which my kids loved. Great place for kids. Then, we drove over to Marriott Grande Vista around 1 pm to check-in. To our surprise our room was ready. That was AWESOME but we realized afterwards that resort is HUGE. We were assigned unit 6625 in building 86 overlooking the golf course. We got a 2 bedroom non-lock off unit so, the guest bedroom had 2 queens in it. The unit was very spacious. It came with tons of dining seating. The kitchen even had a walk-in pantry. This one of the largest Marriott units we have ever stayed in. I loved the space. Everything was clean. There was internet available. The washer and dryer combo was VERY small. It took me 2 loads to do one days worth of clothes. We used the washer/dryer alot as it was colder than we expected and we didn't have enough warm clothes. The hair dryer in the master bedroom did not work. Actually, the entire outlet did not work. There was no screened in porch on the guest bedroom side. Awesome unit!

Activities onsite included several pools. We had to walk to our pool but not too far. There had these little pedal boats in shapes of ducks, swans, dragons, etc that you could rent. It was like $10/2 seater per half hour or $15/4 seater per half hour. They had a rock climbing wall that was free. It was not up a couple of days because of wind. There was also other boating things you could rent. They had a motorized mini-jet things you could rent. Looked like a lot of fun. There was a sand volleyball area. There were several pools. The main check-in area had the Marketplace & the Maze and the gym. The Maze was closed for remodeling. I saw one bar area restaurant. I believe there were more but the place is so huge I think, I needed to drive to it. They had a BBQs onsite but they were charcoal only. I never saw anyone ever using them. Personally, I would not buy charcoal while on vacation. I think, gas would be better. The Marketplace was HUGE and had a huge assortment of stuff that you could easily skip the grocery store but the prices are high.

Our trip consisted mainly of visiting Disney parks, Space Kennedy Center & a gulf side beach. We did not make it to the beach as the weather wasn't the best so, for our next trip we will. We did not like our location from the front gate. You had a maze of parking lots to drive through. We even took the short cut and it still was annoying. The location is great for Seaworld and Discovery Cove. As for Magic Kingdom the location wasn't the best but any offsite location would not be. To get to MK you had to drive about 20 minutes, then, pay for parking, then, you drove into your parking spot, Then, you waited for the tram to take you to the transportation center. Once there you either took the ferry or monorail to the gate entrance. This whole process could take you anywhere for 60 minutes to 90 minutes to do. We liked staying onsite at Disney as the buses take you right to the gate. We also liked that if staying onsite you can split up as a group. I needed to do some Christmas shopping but that was impossible to do with the kids around. I had no way of requesting packages to be sent back to my room nor could I go ahead and go back to the room to hide the packages. I didn't realize how much that would bother me.

We really didn't eat in the area. I found the area had a lot of chain restaurants that we have at home. So, we really didn't want to do that. We ate mostly at Disney. I wish I had made reservations at some of the fancier restuarants in the Orlando area. I don't think, I researched this enough but our main goal was Walt Disney World so, it didn't really make sense to leave the parks to eat.

I'd say this a great location for visiting Orlando but probably not if your focus is DisneyWorld. This would be a great area for toddlers, teenagers, adults only. It was very quiet. We never heard our neighbors nor did we see them. It had more of condo feel than a resort feel. There was always parking when we returned late at night.

Very nice! Would stay again. Everyone was very nice! Anything you needed was taken care of.

I was nervous after reading some of the reviews posted here and other places so I called ahead to tell them we would be arriving late and to request a refurbished unit. We arrived close to midnight (the resort is about 15 minutes from the airport) and the front desk attendant (Rod)could not have been nicer! He worked very hard to put us in a nice new room (bldg 95 which others have warned about had just been completely re-done). After a snafu with room keys not working we got settled in. The suite was gorgeous--looked just like the pictures on the internet! The resort is huge but our building was close to the main building and the main pool. We were there during the coldest spell Florida has had in 16 years and the suite was very warm and toasty. We have stayed in other Marriott vacation club resorts and this one was on par with the others. We loved having a full kitchen to make breakfast, a washer/dryer, a screened porch, and 3 big screen tv's! We did not get the maid service, and we did do the timeshare presentation because they offered us one hundered Disney dollars! My only complaint would be the sound--we could hear everything our neighbors said and did and the family above us let their child run the entire villa from 6 a.m. til they left for the day--it sounded like a herd of elephants on our heads. One family that checked in half-way through our trip blared the television all night forcing me to sleep on the couch. Overall nice place and great trip!

The place was beautiful the grounds the pools the room were all great.There was some renovations going on but it was not a bother. The front desk and gate people were very professional. The location is very good. I stayed in a newly remodeled room and they did a great job.

The only downside was something that I read in a review from this forum and have to confirm and that was the cleaning service. On the day of check out they start knocking at 9 ish to see when you will be out then 15-20 minutes later they come back and see if you are gone yet. The second time we were just gathering up our bags so I told her to go ahead but I was not impressed with the hounding. Since we were leaving anyway I did not say anything to the staff at the desk. I would still love to stay again.

We only used the hotel for sleeping at night, but it was perfect. Very comfortable beds, loved the huuuuge tub! It came complete with a full kitchenette, washer/dryer, dining room, living room, and bedroom. The bathroom was clean and quite nice. Overall, a great experience!

I stayed via vacation club/time share offer. the 2 hour spiel was low pressure and painless. It is well -located near theme parks and the grounds are very nice. The Faldo golf clinic and grille were a nice surprise. Rooms were spacious, if slightly dated in decor. With the rate charged with the time share presentation, it is an enormous bargain.

Having just spent 5 weeks in the States 3 of those we managed to exchange into all Marriot Resorts. There was my Husband and myself and we stayed in a studio unit which was ample size for the 2 of us. This Resort in particular was lovely! Staff friendly, Pools and settings very nice! Location was excellent...for us that didnt want to drive in all the hustle and bustle of I Drive..we just rang the bell desk and they would send somebody to pick us up and drop us at the main gate where there was the I Trolley Bus Stop. We puchased a weekly pass ( I think it was $8 each ) and away we went ...we could get on or off I Drive which would take us to most places along the main location.

Well worth a visit!

I made the mistake of thinking this property was suitable for business travelers. I got a very small studio room, reminded me of those tiny rooms you often find in NY City. Not even a desk for my laptop. You have to walk 10 minutes to the main building for coffee, papers, etc. There was a Tiki Bar right next to my building, 10 bucks for a large draft beer (craft beer, not Bud). Yes, 10 bucks.

I did notice a Nick Faldo Golf School on the property, nice for the golfers... Front Desk personnel, I hate to say it, were a tad snooty, not like your typical Marriott folks. So, nice place, very clean, but the studio rooms are uncomfortably small and more suited to the non-business traveler.

I took my wife to surprise her and the concierge and front desk messed it up. They put me in the wrong room etc. Additionally, the AC did not work in the "wrong room" I was supposed to have a car reserved from the concierge but it was not. Good thing I had a backup plan with Avis. This club had several nice golf resorts nearby and sported the usual "Mariott Vacation Club" poor cleanliness and room odor complete with hairs and dust. The dishwasher did not work in our kitchen. The television was a 25" CRT old school tv. Astonishing that there was no flat screen at a resort. Mariott needs to focus on service and cleanliness in their vacation clubs. I love their hotels but the clubs need a serious overhaul.

This was our first time staying at a time share resort. After our stay here, we realized, it's not our thing. We like having our roomed cleaned everyday (the room is never cleaned here). The rooms are spacious and comfortable, but this is for people who like cooking in their room and hanging out in the room. There isn't a bar to get drinks (except for a snack bar that closes at 10pm) and the only room service is pizza for pickup. The pools were crowded and to be honest, we were bored. We wish we had stayed on-site for one of the parks to be closer to activity and places to see and do.

The high speed internet is free, which is great; however, it was not very reliable.

I loved the resort. However, a few complaints.

On check in day. I was told my room would be ready at the check in time - when I arrived to my room - housekeeping was still in the room cleaning the oven. She stressed that a housekeeper had cleaned the room earlier in the day but that she did not clean the oven well enough and left the room dirty - so she was cleaning after the original housekeeper. She then told me that I could come back in a hour and she could finish cleaning or she suggested we call the front desk. I called the front desk to complain and they were rather oblivious about the situation (this was at 630pm at night) and after a long day I was furious that the front desk was not more helpful. In the meantime, the housekeeper disappeared - never to be seen again. I called the front desk again and they said, they would get on it ASAP. The 2nd day, I went to front desk to remind them about my oven needing to be cleaned (it was filthy) - they said they would personally go to the room after a housekeeper went there to make sure it was up to "Marriott Standards". However, when I got back to the room that night, the oven was not touched. It was ridiculous.

My other complaint is that the whirlpool tub in the room did not work really well - after several calls to the front desk, they sent a maintenance person who got it working but several minutes after he left, it stopped working again.

A minor beware- there are ants in the room. I found a whole bunch of them by the balcony area before we left and did not realize they were there.

The grounds are beautifully maintained. The main pool area is stunning as is the lake and other pools. Construction shut down a lot of the amenity areas but those were not missed.

Oh yea, one more complaint: Every morning between 6am and 10am (automated calls came in from Marriott Vacation Club about going on a tour. Im not talking one call, im talking several calls all morning long and to top it off, all day long with additional calls from the MAZE about their activities for the day. It got very irritating.

The MAZE activities were great and the nightly entertainment at the bar was nice.

On check out day, beware that housekeeping will begin knocking on your door between 6am and 7am. My 1st knock was at 630am and continous knocks lated until 8am when I opened the door and the housekeeping lady told me that it was check out day and I had to be out soon. VERY RUDE. From up to the second we left the room for good, she kept pacing back and forth in front of the room waiting for us to leave.

I loved the resort but I had a very disappointing personal stay at the resort.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa with a view of the putting greens in the back. Each bedroom had a patio which was a nice place to relax or even have breakfast. As most other reviewers have mentioned, the rooms are moderate and I would compare it to a Courtyard Marriott level. Like most Marriott rooms, wireless internet for free. The 2 bedroom villa would comfortably sleep 6-8 people. Each bedroom had a king size bed and pull out sofa bed. There is a television in each bedroom and the living room. There was a jacuzzi in the master bedroom.

The kitchen was a money saver as we were able to stock up for a week's worth of groceries and cook our meals. Do not expect to cook any gourmet meals as the kitchen appliances could use some updating. The downside of being an exchange guest is that you have to pay for clean up service. You can purchase a daily tidy service for $23 or sign up for a full clean up service for $43. These prices are for 2 bedroom villas and you must call housekeeping the day before you want your service done. Those paying for a daily rate has the daily tidy service included in the price.

The resort is HUGE and lots of activities to do. We received voicemail messages regarding deals at their spa and activities that may be happening that evening like their Polynesian show and dinner. Be mindful that if you are staying during off season that their restaurants may close earlier than usual. We went during the week that Orlando saw their first freezing temperatures in 8 years so we were disappointed not to use the pool. We attended the Marriott timeshare presentations which saved us a lot of money on Disneyworld tickets. The presentation was below average but not pushy at all.

The resort is close to the theme parks and shopping outlet. It is less than 5 minutes away from Seaworld and Aquatica and 15-20 minutes to the Disneyworld resorts. The Publix supermarket is a mile away in case you have any last minute needs or you want to stock up on groceries.

Overall, we had a great stay. It was pretty relaxing with minimal noise in the resort area. If you are expecting JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton caliber, look somewhere else. But the resort is a great value for those who want close proximity to attractions and moderate accomodations.

The rooms were average. They looked more like motel rooms than the rooms at the 4 or 5 star resort. Neutral colored walls and old furniture did not make the room too esthetically pleasing. It was a bit tacky and would suit a motel at the shore. The property itself is not bad at all. Lots of greenery and overall it is very clean and well maintained. We did not use the pool or the golf course but both looked pretty decent.

If you are looking for a resort close to Disney, this is not a bad place to stay and little kitchens are definetely a plus if you don't want to venture outside for breakfast.

If you only want to visit Orlando to go to the parks NEVER stay in this hotel. Besides they rush you to check out before 10am and the keepers open your door and call fearsely to your phone.

I chose this property based upon my preference for Marriott properties and the larger rooms. Being a Marriott frequent traveler I have become accustomed to upgrades. When checking in a requested an upgrade (as the hotel was not busy) and the front manager said that is only at Marriott hotels. Onn multiple previous stays I had been upgraded so I was a bit set off by that response. Other interaction with the front desk staff was met with the type of response that led me to believe I was bothering them. This is something I am unaccustomed to at a Marriott property.

The hotel itself is motel style and has larger than average rooms meant for extended stays. It is averagely appointed but probably not as much as a Courtyard, which I think are better than this. It is probably more on the lines of a Fairfield Inn. The amenities are difficult to use unless you are driving back and forth to the front area. This property is spread out and large.

There is a 9 hole course and Nick Faldo Institute on the premises. Both were nice and well run. I had breakfast and dinner at the golf course in Nick's Grill. Both were rather average and overpriced. The servers however were both friendly and attentive.

I would agree with other reviewers that this is certainly not for the business traveler.

This was our FIRST family vacation EVER. We had waited months and months to enjoy our time in Orlando. We were there celebrating our daughter's 4th birthday which turned into a nightmare. Here is what happened from start to finish:

I received a call from Marriott to take a 5 day 4 night promo visit at a low rate. When they first called, they only offered west coast stays, so I declined because it would not be possible for us to easily get there. After a few MONTHS of calls from them, they finally told us that we could stay in Orlando for the rate of around $200 for the entire time (not bad I thought) as long as we attended the sales presentation. I agreed and bought the time. When I eventually went to reserve the room at MGV, they told me that I purchased time in Hawaii and could not stay in Orlando (I NEVER AGREED TO THIS), so the sales thief must have gotten some commission on booking us in Hawaii. Nonetheless, I argued it and after spending over an HOUR on the phone, being transferred many times, I finally got them to agree to 'letting' us stay in Orlando. I should have known we were being scammed at this point, but silly me.....

When I booked the room, they told me that I could no longer get the studio (THAT was what I agreed to when I bought - again.... lied to), and that I had to pay MORE for the 1 bedroom. So far, really not a good experience. We stupidly agreed because we figured we could save the difference in money by having the kitchen and cooking food there rather than eating out.

I called ahead to request no down in the room because of severe allergies (both my husband and I can't breathe with down bedding) and also requested to stay closer to the central pool area since we were so far away the last time we were there and our little one has a tough time walking that far. We were told no problem on both, but when we arrived, we not only had down in the room (and were not offered any alternates), but also were in the SAME building that was so far away as the last time we stayed. We were told it was because it was a refurbished/updated room with the latest amenities and that it was in tip top shape. If you call missing dinnerware, a broken garbage disposal, huge holes in the screens, hornet nests, non-working lights, missing towels, and ant infestation refurbished/updated, then I guess that was what we got. We spent hours waiting for maintenance to come and fix all of the issues. Unreal. Come to find out, the sales person at the presentation told us that refurbished rooms have plasma tv's and ARE in tip top shape. She also told us that Marriott sometimes tells guests that the rooms are updated to make them feel more excited about their stay... NOT impressed.

Did I mention that the concierge was VERY RUDE? That was the least of our problems.

So, are you ready for the icing on the cake? We left for the Magic Kingdom at 10 am on 4/23. Before we left, my husband put his Dolce and Gabbana eyeglasses into his Ray Ban sunglasses case, which he then set in the drawer under his shorts in the nightstand next to the bed. He wore his prescription Ray Ban sunglasses to the park that day because he didn't want to risk losing his eyeglasses. I don't drive, and we drove all the way from New York to Florida for this trip (HE did the driving, bless his heart). We returned from celebrating our daughter's 4th birthday at the Magic Kingdom at about 11 at night, put our sleeping birthday girl to bed, and my husband went to put his sunglasses away and put his eyeglasses on. GONE! The housekeeper who came in to 'clean' our room took them. I am certain of it. They didn't clean, they barely made the bed and didn't replace towels, but they ruffled through our property and STOLE FROM US. I saw him put them in the drawer that morning, we discussed whether or not to bring them, and made the choice to leave them tucked away! UGH! Nonetheless, we literally turned the room upside down as well as our car to look for them. NOTHING. We called Loss Prevention and were dealing with them until 2:30 am. We were told someone would contact us - lie - we had to call and call and call. Of course, we were supposed to check out that next day and were hanging in limbo because we were told to wait for a call (which never came). I could go into further detail about what happened next, and what is STILL happening, but why bother. You get the point. They have been terribly rude to us, never even offered an apology, AND have told us that they refuse to submit the claim to their insurance! We even have family that owns with Marriott, and told them that - they could care less. They RUINED our first vacation ever. Is THIS what VACATION is like? If so, I don't want to vacation! I can certainly tell you that I will NEVER stay with Marriott again. By the way, did you know that they have some kind of agreement where they can't accuse their housekeepers of theft, even though they know that it happens every day? BEWARE!

By the way, upon returning home, we also realized that we are missing other small items that would typically go unnoticed. They did this in a sneaky way - the last night there when they knew we would have to check out and travel home, and took something that many people commonly misplace.

When you arrive at Marriott Grande Vista as you drive up to the main building it looks nice BUT looks are deceiving….

The first thing you notice when you walk up the stairs to your room is how dirty the corridors are. In the room there were dirty hand prints on the walls and doors. Stains on the sofa cushions, tried flipping them over and the other side was worse. The noise was unbelievable, you could hear everything that was going on around you, and I mean everything! When the people in the next room set the table you could hear the silverware and dishes being placed on the table, you could hear them washing the dishes, their conversations, their plans for the day, and at night… Well I was just glad the guy didn’t have much stamina (sorry Joe, I heard his wife call his name through what I can only assume were cardboard walls) you could hear the people in the room above walking around their room and using the bathroom. The door to our room did not close properly, you had to slam it as hard as you could to get it closed all the way and lean on it to get the lock to click. Had to call and ask for fresh towels and washcloths, they would forget the washcloths every time. Way too many people for the little amenities that were offered. I heard this place was recently remodeled but I didn’t see that. The only positives, the bed was comfortable and we had a nice view of the golf course. In a word Dump. Consider upgrading to a Motel 8.