The cost to stay at the Marriott Harbour Lake was US$333/night for a 2-bedroom villa.
This worked out to about CA$1,800 for 4 nights. However, due to an ongoing promotion with American Express Canada Travel, I booked through them. I received a longer-stay rate of CA$1360 for the 4 nights, $150 off the rate due to a “Spend $500, get $150” Amex promotion, and another $200 off since I used my annual travel credit with The Platinum Card®. So in the end the total room cost came to CA$1,010. That was a very good deal for a 2-bedroom suite for 4 nights!
Vacation clubs don’t have many benefits for Marriott Elite members, so I didn’t lose much in the way of benefits by booking through a travel portal. Everyone gets free WiFi, free parking & no resort fees.
The general idea with Vacation Clubs is you may pay a bit more for your room per night, but you’re essentially getting all the benefits of an apartment and hotel together. You save a lot of money on restaurant bills since you have a full kitchen, and there is so much to do on site that you don’t need to leave to go to the big parks as often.
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The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for free stays at more than 7,000 hotels around the world is with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card (and/or the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card).
In addition to the great welcome bonus on both cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases and 5 points per dollar at Marriott locations. And each year, you’ll earn a certificate for one free hotel stay (35,000 point value) and 15 Elite nights toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.
The Marriott Harbour Lake is centrally located near Interstate 4 in southwest Orlando and near most of the family attractions. It’s a 5-minute drive to SeaWorld and a 15-minute drive to Walt Disney World. The airport is a 15-20 minute drive depending on traffic. The larger Marriott Cypress Harbour Vacation Club is right across the street.
The hotel is on a nice property next to Lake Willis. All the buildings are individual bright pastel colours with a private road running through the middle of the resort. The main reception area is called Key House.
The reception hall is a bright airy space with sofas, TVs, and there were some Christmas decorations up (Florida style) when we were there. Check-in was quick and efficient.
We had booked a 2 bedroom villa for our stay, and it was located in building 14. The room was large, comfortable, and well-appointed. There was a full and well stocked kitchen, a dining area, a living room with sofa bed and smart TV, and a washer/dryer.
One bedroom had a king bed while the other had two queens. They were all very comfortable as you can usually count on with a Marriott Vacation Club stay. Each room had a smart TV, alarm clock, telephones, and plenty of closet space.
Both bathrooms had a granite countertop and single sink. One had a shower while the other had a shower/tub combination. Everything worked perfectly and there was lots of drawers and cabinets for storage space.
The balcony was private, had a table and 4 chairs, a view of the lake, and was screened-in to keep the bugs out.
The pools at the resort were fabulous for kids. There were two full pool areas with huge availability of loungers and umbrellas around them. One pool was zero-entry with a full pirate ship and a large jacuzzi. The other was a full waterpark with a waterslide, water games, and shallow infant pool. Water was available for drinking at both.
The hotel had a bar&grill where you could eat meals, as well as a kiosk where snacks were available for purchase. The restaurant scene is typically low-key at Vacation Clubs since most people cook their own meals in their villas. We did have lunch there once which the whole family enjoyed.
If you have drinks at your hotel’s bars and restaurants, don’t forget to charge these expenses to your room bill, earning up to 17.5 points per dollar based on your Marriott Bonvoy status!
When you check out, pay with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card to earn 5 points per dollar!
There was a tremendous amount of things to do on-site without any need to leave and go to the big Orlando parks. There was a full soccer field, various outdoor kids games (there was a schedule of organized games), beach volleyball court, 24-hour gym, BBQs for cooking, fire pit for smores, playground, basketball court, activity center where games could be borrowed, mini-golf course, and an indoor kids club where organized activities are held for a modest fee.
Overall the service was very good. Being a Vacation Club, a lot of your time is self-serve as you essentially have your own apartment. You can drive in and out with your own car, get your own groceries and do your own cooking, etc. But the staff there were great: Helpful with info about kids activities, quick with food and drink service, and super friendly at reception.
We love Vacation Clubs for family trips to Orlando with kids, and this one knocks it out of the ballpark. The rooms are very spacious, comfortable, and well appointed. The staff are friendly, there are tons of activities for children, terrific pools, and a good casual on-site restaurant when you don’t want to cook yourself. We’ll continue to use these kinds of resorts for our future trips to Orlando and this one is a great option. At the conclusion of our 4-night stay, we headed down to Miami and the St Regis Bal Harbour o enjoy 5 nights of beachfront luxury.
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