Built in 2007 (and currently under renovation), TownePlace Suites by Marriott The Villages is located near Spanish Springs Town Square in The Villages, Florida. Each of its 119 suites offers all the amenities of a true small apartment, including kitchenette, for travelers who want to discover this distinctive retirement community, organized into different neighborhoods, each with its own unique characteristics.

Via Florida’s Turnpike, the hotel is a 75-minute drive northwest of Orlando International Airport. On the other hand, if you opt to avoid the toll roads, you’ll need to allow around 2 hours for the journey.

The hotel’s big selling point is its location directly in the man-made town center known as Spanish Springs Town Square, in the community of The Villages. In just a two-minute walk, you’re in the square, which is the heart of social life and hosts live concerts 365 nights a year, stores, restaurants and other events.

The Villages community boasts some of these squares, each with its own distinct theme and entertainment options. At Spanish Springs Town Square, everything is inspired by Spain and Spanish architecture. Here you’ll find Mediterranean-influenced buildings, cobbled squares, fountains, palm trees and more.

The hotel has ample free parking.

Even after arriving at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning, everything went smoothly at reception. Our room was quickly assigned.

On arrival, and throughout our stay, tea, coffee and lemonade were offered in the hotel lobby.

As with all TownePlace brand Marriott hotels, all rooms have a kitchenette. A convenience that came in very handy in our case, especially for keeping our groceries cold during our five-night stay.

The air-conditioning unit is indispensable at night, even in October, and fortunately it’s very quiet.

The location and nights are very peaceful, because although we are located very close to the action of Spanish Springs Town Square, you have to remember that we’re in a community of retirees and people generally over the age of 55. Every evening, from 9pm onwards, everything becomes quiet.

Room cleaning service is available every other day.

For those who really want to immerse themselves in the lifestyle of The Villages residents, you can rent a golf cart directly from the hotel. There are some 70,000 golf carts in use in this community of around 150,000 inhabitants.

The hotel’s swimming pool is small but hardly ever occupied, despite a temperature of almost 28 degrees in October.

A laundry room is available to hotel guests. The ice maker also comes in handy for keeping our cooler cold when we’re out for the day.

A gym with some equipment is available on the first floor.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for free stays at over 8,000 hotels worldwide is to have the Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card (and/or the Marriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card).

In addition to the exceptional welcome bonus of each of these two cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all your purchases and 5 points per dollar at any of the Marriott establishments. On top of that, every year, you’ll receive a free hotel night certificate (worth 35,000 points) and 15 Elite Night Credits toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.

A complimentary buffet-style breakfast is available from 6:00am to 9:30am on weekdays and from 6:30am to 10:00am on weekends. The food on offer is a little below our expectations, both in quality and variety, but since there’s a Publix grocery store a two-minute drive from the hotel and we have our own kitchenette in the room, we’re never caught unprepared.

Do you have Marriott Bonvoy points thanks to a Marriott Bonvoy^MD American Express^MD* Card by any chance? You could get a free night at this hotel using your points. The number of points required per night varies, as do the dollar rates, according to supply and demand. For example, at the time of writing, the number of points required to obtain a free night ranged from 16,000 to 29,500 points per night.

Your Marriott Bonvoy^MD American Express^MD* Card also gives you a free night certificate every year. This hotel may be an excellent choice to use this certificate, to make the cost of a night at the hotel equal to zero!

The hotel allowed us to spend a week in the heart of an enchanting place reminiscent of both Disney World and the imaginary little town in the film “The Truman Show”. Here’s what a walk to Lake Sumter Landing Town Square looked like, just a few minutes away by car or golf cart from the hotel.

The architectural style of Lake Sumter Landing Town Square is designed to resemble a traditional American small town. The design is reminiscent of old Florida and southern coastal towns.

Around 70,000 golf carts criss-cross The Villages territory, some of them looking like real cars.

In addition to being able to take advantage of all the attractions of The Villages community, such as its squares and evening shows, setting up our “base camp” specifically here has made it possible to do day excursions in many state parks in central Florida.

Silver Springs State Park is just a 30-minute drive north. A boat trip or kayak tour allows you to observe manatees, alligators, monkeys, etc. in complete freedom.

It would even have been possible to enjoy a sunrise on the Atlantic coast and a sunset on the Gulf of Mexico in the same day!

Just a 10-minute drive from the hotel, residents and visitors to The Villages can enjoy polo matches at The Villages Polo Club.