Allure Resort International Drive Orlando

At first glance, the 223-room Allure Resort International Drive Orlando makes a good impression. The front lawn is fairly well-manicured, and the Roman-style multi-tiered fountain adds a classic, if gaudy, touch. The lobby is a bright, airy, open plan space with high wood-paneled ceilings, tall windows, and a coral-and-tan color scheme. There’s even a cafe, car rental desk, and convenience shop all packed into the lobby, maximizing convenience for guests. The brown leather sofas look a bit worn, but overall the hotel’s public spaces have a pleasant, albeit sometimes dated, feel. Even so, the hotel has a number of ongoing issues and has a tendency to take a minimal approach to everything from features to staff assistance. The cafe, car rental desk, pool-side bar, and restaurant have erratic opening hours, with some facilities unexpectedly closed during a guest’s entire stay. There are also hidden fees, supplies shortages, broken amenities, and a general off-hands approach to customer service. All of this may make it worth rethinking those rock-bottom rates.

Allure Resort International Drive Hotel is well-situated for exploring area theme parks and other attractions. The hotel is on the International Drive corridor and is just across the street from I-Drive 360 and the Orlando Eye, where there are plenty of shops, restaurants, entertainment activities, and nightlife. Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is within a two-minute walk, as well as smaller Orlando attractions such as Madam Tussaud’s. The shops and restaurants at Pointe Orlando are a little farther, but still only a 15-minute walk. The area is great for pedestrians, with tree-lined sidewalks for strolling. Disney World is a 15-minute drive away, and Universal Orlando is about 10 minutes away. A hotel shuttle can take you to both, but it’s not free. Expect a 20-minute drive to Orlando International Airport. 

Rooms are spacious, especially higher category units, and have either a coral or neutral color scheme with light gray carpets. Despite the somewhat generic decor -- such as the stylized wall art normally found in timeshare properties -- rooms have an overall pleasant feel with light tones and wood accents. Those first glances may be the most pleasant things you'll get, though, as guests have plenty of complaints from cleanliness to upkeep. They’re equipped with Sleep Number beds, but the controls may not work, leaving an uncomfortable non-functioning mattress. Bathrooms have neutral tan walls, marble countertops, free toiletries, and white ceramic tubs. Some guests have complained about bathroom mold. All rooms come with flat-screen TVs, microwaves, and mini-fridges. Wi-Fi is only available in higher category rooms for a daily fee that also includes buffet breakfast, shuttles to theme parks, and access to the YMCA Aquatic Centre. It cannot be purchased on its own and only comes bundled with these services, which means guests are forced to pay a substantial daily service fee on top of the advertised room rate. There may also be a shortage of supplies such as towels, pillows, and soap. Various appliances, such as the safe and mini-fridge, may also be broken.

The hotel has a variety of on-site features, but consider yourself warned: These may be unexpectedly closed, or open only at erratic hours. During our visit, the restaurant was not open for dinner. The breakfast buffet gets poor marks from previous guests, and it's only included with a bundle of other services in higher-category rooms (see below). The outdoor pool and hot tub are surrounded by manicured grounds, but the stone decking need a bit of TLC. There are sun loungers, but no umbrellas. There’s also a tennis court and kids’ playground on-site.It may be better to go to the YMCA Aquatic Center next door instead -- which has two large indoor pools and a gym with extensive facilities -- but there’s a fee for access. That fee -- again -- comes bundled with other services, including Wi-Fi access, shuttles to Disney World and Universal Studios. This means each of these services is not available on its own and guests must pay the daily fee on top of the room rate. Additionally, there are concerns about the limited free parking, which doesn't exactly feel secure.