Baymont Inn & Suites Orlando

This value hotel is bright and cheery. The main building houses the lobby, gym, and breakfast room and rooms are spread out over a series of four buildings, each four floors high, with entrances via external corridors. All of the buildings have elevators and are surrounded by grassy grounds with lots of trees and a pool at the center. While the pool area is the main hub of activity at the hotel, the lobby -- a colorful space with green walls and a mix of purple and red plush chairs -- also gets busy. At the back of the lobby is an equally colorful breakfast room featuring wall motifs dominated by pink, purple, and turquoise circles. While business travelers occasionally stay here, this hotel is much more geared toward tourists on a budget, including groups and families. Note that the entire hotel is non-smoking. 

The Baymont is located just off West Sand Lake Road, across the street from an Italian restaurant and a 10-minute walk from a strip mall on International Drive, where there's a Starbuck's and a handful of chain and fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Perkins. The Coca-Cola Orlando Eye takes about 15 minutes to reach on foot. It's about a 15-minute drive to Universal Studios, while the various Disney theme parks take anywhere from 20 minutes to a half-hour to reach. Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport each take about 20 minutes to reach by car, depending on traffic.

Rooms at this hotel are simple, well maintained, and accessible via external corridors. All rooms have either one king bed or two queen beds, and some units add sofas beds, making them a good choice for larger families. Decor is consistent across categories and consists of brown patterned carpets, light-wood furniture, and colorful art prints on the walls; some rooms have plush armchairs. Standard amenities include coffeemakers, mini-fridges, flat-screen TVs with cable, and large electronic safes. Wi-Fi is free in rooms and throughout the hotel (technically covered by the resort fee). Bathroom vanities are located in the main part of rooms and have granite countertops and big, well-lit mirrors. Toiletries and hairdryers are provided. Toilets and shower/tub combos are located in small rooms. Note that during our late 2017 visit, the hotel was undergoing renovations and additional rooms were being added, with some planned but unconfirmed decor changes. 

This hotel offers good amenities for a budget property, but a daily resort fee technically covers all the freebies. There's a large outdoor pool surrounded by lounge chairs, plus a small splash pool for kids with a mushroom-shaped fountain feature. Breakfast is included in room rates, with all sorts of hot items including waffles, scrambled eggs, pastries, and turkey sausages. However, guests will have to venture out for other meals, as there isn't a proper restaurant. There is a big meeting room that seats about 50 guests, plus a computer station for guest use. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property. The lobby has its own small gift shop. There's also a 24-hour gym with a few cardio machines and free weights, but it's in a glassed-in room between the lobby and the pool area, giving it the feel of an aquarium. There's also a guest services desk selling tickets to various area theme parks and shuttle service to Disney and Universal is available every morning. Both services are covered in the resort fee, but require signing up ahead of time. Coin-operated laundry facilities are a useful addition. Outdoor parking is free and abundant.