3/12 Holiday Inn Downtown Disney Tour

Hi everyone!

Last week I was part of a tour of the newly opened 323-room Holiday Inn on Hotel Plaza Boulevard near Downtown Disney.  We had stopped there just days before to take some photos for a Mousesteps update, so it was nice to get to see the rooms as well. This was one of several hotels in the Downtown Disney Resort area that had received hurricane damage in 2004, and that led to what Director of Sales and Marketing Doug Smith calls a “rebuild” of the hotel. 

It took about a year and a half to rebuild the hotel at a cost of 35 million dollars, it was taken down to nearly bare concrete and fitted with new pipes, elevators, etc.  The lobby is light and airy, with a lemony scent being pumped in.  

The Holiday Inn chain is looking to offer an upgraded experience to their guests, and many Holiday Inns have already been changed to the new standards. Room amenities at this Downtown Disney area Holiday Inn include premium bedding with triple sheeting and a pillow menu, free high speed internet (wireless in the lobby and wired in the rooms), free local calls, electronic safe, a coffee maker with coffee, premium TV channels, a small refrigerator – without an ice maker for more room – and more. There is no resort fee, but there is a $10.00 nightly parking fee.  There is also a fitness center which includes stairmasters, exercise bikes and elliptical machines. Transportation is provided to the 4 Walt Disney World parks as well as Downtown Disney. A Disney owned store will be off the lobby in the upcoming months.

The front of the Holiday Inn:

 

 

The pool, patio and jacuzzi:

The bar with purse hooks in front of the chairs (that was an exciting moment for the women in our group):

 

My favorite was the king room, which included the king sized bed, chair, as well as a table. I especially liked the shower. There are a variety of room combinations, and some rooms include a bathtub/shower combination.

Some rooms overlook I-4 (we were all very surprised at how great the sound insulation was on the rooms – whatever area they looked over).  There are also rooms that have a Downtown Disney view:

 

The Downtown Disney view room we looked at also had a nice pool view:

 

Two queen beds:

As part of our tour, we were offered some menu items from their Palm Breezes Hotel and Bar to try for lunch. The food was better than most hotel fare that I’ve had, with an emphasis on fresh vegetables (which I love) and much of what we tried was Asian inspired.  Kids ages 2-12 eat free when dining with an adult. More details on this offer can be found on the Holiday Inn Website.  For those who want a quicker bite to eat, there is a grab-and-go that serves fresh sandwiches and salads.

 

After lunch, I took a few more photos:

Looking up:

Meeting room area:

Hostess stand:

Lobby seating:

 

At a price point of $89 and up (depending on the season and other variables), the Holiday Inn is a great addition to the Downtown Disney Resort area!  For more information, you can go to DowntownDisney.com. The Holiday Inn does offer some discounts including Florida Resident rates.

For disclosure purposes, we were provided lunch (as mentioned above) as part of the tour.  Mousesteps receives nothing else for the article.