Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee

My wife and I stayed at the Gaylord Palms between Christmas and New years. The Ice show is something that she has always wanted to see. We checked in on the 25th after waiting at least 30 minutes to valet park. We chose to have our luggage delivered to our room. Then we waited another 30 minutes to check in. Three hours later and several phone calls to customer service we recieved our luggage. The staff was very helpful and polite though. The Ice show was nice too. We ate at the Steak house which was very good but was a little pricey at $190.00 including the tip. All in all we left a day early becouse of the crowd. If I come see the Ice show again I will stay at the Peabody and not the "4 star" Gaylord.

All rooms are non smoking. However there was a guest in the next room who was chain smoking. I complained at least 10 times and NOTHING was ever done about it. They kept telling me that they were going to ask them to leave which never happened. I would say that they give very good lip service but that is it. I have nothing nice to report about the hotel either. Very dirty and expensive.

I booked my stay on Priceline, with my criteria being a 4 star property. When my bid was accepted by Gaylord I thought I knew what to expect, having stayed in a similar property in Tennessee about 10 years ago. When I arrived the entry smelled of cigarette smoke, it was strong. Inside the air which comprises their atrium was odd (at various times throughout my one day there they seemed to add something to make it smell fresh, but the underlying air was damp and musty). I elected to self park, which I later learned meant I had the privilege of paying $13.91 for parking in a uncovered parking lot, in the baking sun, a long walk from anywhere. Who knows what the valet cost is, and you can't park for free. The room (8122) looked 4 star, but small, the beds were tightly made but the linens not special, pillows small. There was dust all over the TV and middle stand, a hair ball hanging on the hinge and the furniture was dinged up. The windows were dirty looking out to my power transmission line and road view (yes there were some trees... whew...). In the hallway there were people camping outside their rooms, making a racket, kids running up and down the halls screaming. From when I arrived until when I left there was what looked like a box of something odd and a tray of room service food in the hallway in which I had to walk about 1200 feet from the elevator to my room. It was NEVER picked up! I woke up early and got my bill. Of course I had prepaid on Priceline. My bill included my self parking charge of $13.91, and a $16.95 resort fee. I called to question the fee. They said they charged it on all rooms. I asked them to take it off as I had prepaid for a fixed price for the room. They refused. The manager was inept who I spoke to. Later, my sister indicated that the fee was for two bottles of water and internet. I tried on my iPad and my laptop to connect to the internet (wifi) unsuccessfully. Oh yes, Domestic beer, about 6 bucks, well drink, $10., didn't bother to ask for what a call drink would cost, it was too absurd. This place is out in the boondocks so the idea of your waking to alternate venues for food or beverage are out. And remember, the environment inside often is musty, no doubt a great place to transfer germs and viruses. Other cleanliness issues: mold in my bathroom tile and soap dispenser, lousy package coffee in the room and no alternative for tea, the telephone, which is a wireless, didn't work, the TV never got local channels nor the hotel billing folio information. The carpet was loose so you could see concrete etc at the window. I was thinking about a massage at their spa, but they charge more than the casino I go to in Vegas, and I really doubt they come close to the level of service that consistently exists in Vegas, so who would really bother? I'd avoid this place at all costs, and wouldn't go back if it were free, and I do like a good deal.

I was not impressed with this hotel. I stayed at the Gaylord in Nashville; my stay there was so wonderful, I can't help but compare. There really is no comparison. The check-in process was not smooth; although I faxed a credit card authorization in advance, the information was not on file. Also, there was an apparent issue with my reservation that the hotel was aware of prior to my arrival, but they did not try and contact me in advance to rectify the matter. The facility is beautiful, but that's about it. The food is not good and extremely expensive. Even the dinner at the Old Hickory Steakhouse left much to be desired. The selection of restaurants/eateries is lacking. The available shopping was also scanty. The staff, for the most part, were pleasant. The one very cool thing was the complimentary feminine products in the Convention restrooms.

Ants were in the bathroom on the 5th floor. The internet service didnt work. Needed to find a maid cart to have more than two wash cloths placed in the room (staying with our child). Bed Pillows were flat. Pool staff were basically hostile. "Adult" pool was closed for four hours during peak hours on a Saturday due to a "duck landing in the pool!" All food service $$$$.

I recently stayed at the Gaylord Palms and quite honestly was worried after reading some of the reviews. Not sure what some people are looking for in a hotel but this is a great establishment. It is close to the Disney parks, easy access to major highways, easy to get to from the Orlando International Airport and many restaurants. It does have a resort fee each day but that is clearly marked on everything I have read and it did include water and transportation to the Disney Parks each day. Yes, you have to pay for self parking but most hotels in cities or near attractions have you do the same thing. The grounds are very well kept both inside and outside. The room was very clean and was very relaxing each night when we returned. As with all Gaylord properties, the Atriums are the main attraction and are part of the experience. I cannot say anything negative about this hotel. If you are going, it isn't as bad as some of the other reviews would make it out to be. I've stayed in a lot of hotels and for the price, I think it is a good value and definitely an experience.

The over all expeience was lovely. The hotel grounds are amazing, where else can you walk all the way through Florida and even have a drink on a boat. The pool and water slid area is great. When we arrived we were compliemenatarly upgraded to a balcony room. The room seem outdated and simply put cheap. The bed was very uncomfortable and the showerhead was dirty and sprayed a very weak flow. Also the resort fee and self parking charge was exteremly high. $30 a day.

Our experience was not fun since majority of the time was spent handling the hotel mistake and over booking issues. These hotel is full of it.....if your trying to book a group good luck they take for ever to call you back and sometimes they do not even call you back unless you are spending over $150K+, they say they cater to everyone but that is simply not true.....Since the new General Manager has taken his place the quality of the group sales division has weaken.....A suggestion treat all you customers the same and with respect.

Very Great Scenery and entertainment. Ice skating rinks and sculptures around the holidays, and shopping outlets. Wanna go there again.

My boyfriend and I stayed at one of the suites here for a weekend at ICE! & I just have to say that is was simply amazing. It was peaceful walking around and was beautifully decorated. The room service is great but nothing can even compare to the food at Old Hickory. It is a MUST when staying here, or even if you are just visiting. I will definitely be staying here again.