Doubletree Suites by Hilton Orlando Review (Disney Springs)

Sometimes, you need to reserve a hotel with separate living spaces for your Walt Disney World vacation. While plenty of options are available, many are expensive. With those thoughts in mind, we planned a stay to review the Doubletree Suites at Disney Springs. Below, we’ll preview a standard suite and discuss other resort amenities.

Most resorts with larger accommodations in reasonable price ranges aren’t as close to the theme parks as we would like. That’s where a hotel like the Doubletree Suites by Hilton at Disney Springs comes into play. It’s the only all-suite hotel in the area.

Over the years, I’ve heard many positive reviews of the Doubletree Hotel at Disney Springs. So, I thought it was time to stay here and compare it to a few other resorts in a similar price range and location. This Doubletree Suites at Disney Springs review will examine our experience at the hotel. We’ll also preview a standard suite to see what in-room amenities you can expect.

Doubletree Hilton Disney Springs entrance — Doubletree Suites by Hilton Orlando Disney Springs

Unfortunately, my arrival at the Doubletree didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. After leaving Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotel, I checked in to the Doubletree on a Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

I had left my luggage with bell services at the Swan Resort earlier that morning and spent the day at their pool. However, the weather was uncooperating, and I assumed my room at the Doubletree would be ready by the time I arrived. A few days before, the Swan had texted my room assignment at 10:30 a.m., which exceeded expectations. I’d had an excellent stay and enjoyed my room at the resort.

a front view of the Doubletree near Disney Springs with a group of palm trees. — Front view of the Hilton’s Doubletree near Disney Springs

Upon arriving at the Doubletree, I was notified that my room wasn’t ready. When I questioned how long I should expect to wait, I was told rather abruptly that rooms weren’t guaranteed until 4:00 p.m. and that they would text me the room number when it became available.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but when I’m paying to stay somewhere, I don’t care for anyone to treat me like I’m trying to take advantage of their system. It isn’t uncommon for rooms to be ready early at hotels, and guests arrive at different times.

In addition, I had a headache and asked where I could purchase something for it. I was then told I would have to leave and go elsewhere because the hotel’s convenience shop didn’t open until 5:00 p.m.

For whatever reason, I decided to press my luck and ask if they had a first aid kit with individual Tylenol samples or something similar. At this point, it was nearly 3:00 p.m., and the last thing I wanted was to have to leave to find something. You know, since my room was guaranteed at 4:00 p.m.

Unfortunately, no help was available. So, I returned to my car and headed out to find the nearest drugstore. At 4:00 p.m., I still hadn’t received my room assignment via text, so I returned to the hotel. I waited in line at the front desk again. Thankfully, this time, my room was ready. Needless to say, things started a little rocky.

That said, the bell services guy who brought my luggage was an angel. He provided me with all the information I needed for my stay. For instance, he mentioned that the hotel offered a shuttle service to the parks, told me about the pool, and even recommended stellar dining options near Disney Springs.

When I asked him how long he had worked for the company, he mentioned that he worked through a temporary service but had been there for a while. All I can say is that the Hilton is lucky to have someone at the hotel who cares about the needs of their guests. He turned an unpleasant check-in process around and made me feel like a wanted guest. Isn’t that how most of us want to feel on vacation?

Anyway, I was pleased with the size of the suite I had reserved. This room cost $182.25 for the night, and I paid extra for parking. Thankfully, this hotel doesn’t charge a resort fee. (These rooms have been updated since this stay, so you can expect more modern furnishings. Parking charges have also gone up since this stay.)

overall view of the living room in the Hilton Doubletree at Disney Springs — Living Room | Hilton Doubletree Disney Springs

Regarding pricing, the higher price of the room was likely due to the time of year. For reference, I stayed here over a weekend in mid-July. In August, the rates were much more reasonable than what I paid. Of course, if you have a vehicle, you’ll want to consider the extra parking cost.

Below is a photo of the living room area for the one-bedroom suite, which has a king-size bed and sleeper sofa bed. This room is 540 square feet and can sleep up to four guests.

shows the layout of the room from the bedroom looking to the living area — Suite Layout | Hilton Doubletree Orlando Disney Springs

I appreciated having a separate table and chairs in the living area. Since I ran a few errands while waiting to check in, I brought dinner back to the hotel. Having a proper place to enjoy a meal and get a little work done was nice. Speaking of work, free wifi was available.

a round table with two chairs and a small kitchenette area — Table with Chairs

In the corner, a small kitchenette area provided a sink, microwave, and individual-cup coffee maker.

a microwave, an individual cup coffee maker, and a small sink in the room at Hilton Doubletree Disney Springs — Small Appliances

As of this trip, I’ve decided I’m over this style of coffee maker. Unfortunately, the coffee isn’t good, and I miss being able to make a pot of coffee while I’m getting ready. These allow the coffee to get cold quickly, and you can’t warm it up by adding more.

an individual coffee maker — Coffee Maker

A moderately sized mini-refrigerator sits under the counter. If you were to bring back leftovers from any of the nearby restaurants at Disney Springs, you could store them here and heat them later.

mini refrigerator in the room Hilton Doubletree Disney Springs — In Room Fridge

In addition to having a large living area, it was nice to have a separate bedroom. You could close the doors between the two rooms for added privacy.

King size bed with layout of room Hilton Doubletree Suites Orlando — The bedroom had a king-size bed.

The bedroom had a pretty dated television that didn’t work well. Since I spent most of my time in the living space, it wasn’t an issue. Inside the closet were extra bedding for the sleeper sofa and an in-room safe.

an older television sits on a chest of drawers — Television and Chest of Drawers

The guest bath was one ample space.

a spacious guest bath in the Doubletree Suites by Hilton

Here is the bathtub with a combined shower.

a tile shower and combined bathtub in the Doubletree Suites

Plenty of counter space was available. However, the bath only had one sink.

Overall, the room was spacious, and the price was more reasonable for the room size than some of the neighboring hotels. You might remember we reviewed a suite at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace a few months ago.

While that hotel was nicer and directly across the street from Disney Springs, the rooms weren’t as large, and the price was higher. However, that hotel offers more of a resort experience, while the Doubletree is strictly a hotel.

Here is a video tour of the Doubletree suite if you want to see the entire perspective.

Before we wrap things up, we’ll look at a few other amenities at the Disney Springs Doubletree. Below is a photo of the lobby.

lobby area with sofa and chairs — Hotel Lobby

Seating was limited to these two small spaces.

a couple of benches — Alternate View of the Hotel Lobby

Guests could rent a DVD with their room key if desired. I thought that was a fun touch and noticed several guests picking out movies.

DVD rental kiosk inside the hotel that you could use to rent movies to watch in your room. — DVD Rental Kiosk

There were a few workstations that provided computers and printers.

cubicles providing work stations for guests with computer access — Workstation | Doubletree Suites at Disney Springs

Below is the area that leads out to the resort’s bus stop.

Several hotels in the area offer complimentary shuttle service to the theme parks. This service is once per hour during the parks’ operating hours.

If you’ve read my previous hotel reviews, you know I’m not a fan of shuttle services because they are restricted to specific times. Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice that the hotels offer the service. But as someone who visits the parks often, I prefer to drive my personal car.

When I took photos for this review, I saw this sign in the image below and scanned the QR code to see how it worked. No one mentioned the shuttle service at check-in, so I assumed you would walk to the bus stop and wait.

Posted DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Shuttle Service during stay — Shuttle Service

When I scanned the code, it gave me a list of times and prices for the shuttle service. However, after looking at it for a few moments, I was more confused because the prices sounded pretty high. So, I went to the front desk and inquired how it worked. I was given this sheet of paper that provided a complimentary coupon code for the shuttle.

A sheet of paper that explains how the shuttle system works for the Disney Springs area hotels. — Complimentary Discount Code for Hotel Guests

I would have had to pay for the service if I hadn’t gotten this code. So, if you take advantage of this offering, pick one of these sheets up at the front desk. After finding out about the transportation offerings, I decided to check out the pool at the resort.

directional to the pool and fitness center at the Hilton Doubletree

I was surprised to find such an ample outdoor space behind the hotel.

Resort Grounds Doubletree Suites by Hilton — Landscaped Grounds

The pool is open daily from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. No lifeguards are on duty. You must use your room key to access the space. The pool’s maximum depth is 6′ (feet), per the sign.

a posted set of rules and hours for guests using the pool area — Pool, Spa, and Splashpad Rules and Hours

A nice-size gym near the pool offers everything one would need to get in a decent workout.

Resort Fitness Center — Fitness Center at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton

Here is an alternate view of the fitness center.

A whirlpool spa sits toward the back of the pool in a private, shaded area. A hot tub is an excellent place to relax after a long day in the parks.

The resort had a pleasant pool area.

Doubletree Suites by Hilton Pool sits in a shaded area. — Pool

And a pool bar is available during the busier times of the day.

a covered bar and pavilion by the pool — Pavilion

What surprised me most at the hotel was the tremendous outdoor space. A small playground was available.

a playground in a sandy area — Playground

It was surprising to see two sizeable outdoor tennis courts. Given my real estate background, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of new and modern hotel would be built here.

tennis courts or pickleball — Tennis and Pickleball Courts

As I made my way back up to the front of the hotel, I checked the walkway to Disney Springs. Most of the walkway is shaded, and thankfully, there’s a large pedestrian bridge when you get to Disney Springs, so you don’t have to deal with traffic.

walkway to the path that leads to Disney Springs

However, it’s 0.7 miles from the Doubletree to the Marketplace entrance at Disney Springs, which is approximately a 16-minute walk. Ultimately, I didn’t feel like it was worth the walk when I considered the amount of walking I would do at Disney Springs and then having to walk back to the hotel. So remember those things if you plan to walk over to the venue.

Doubletree Hotel Entrance near Disney Springs walkway

Lastly, I wanted to mention that a breakfast buffet was available for a whopping $23.00 per adult. Since I enjoy eating a pleasant hotel breakfast while on vacation, I always like to check out what a hotel offers.

Unfortunately, this is the same breakfast that most Marriott hotels offer for free. See the following reviews to compare:

As I write this review, I’ve spent the last ten days at the Residence Inn by Marriott, where I’ve enjoyed a complimentary breakfast every morning.

These make-your-own Mickey waffles are included in many complimentary hotel breakfasts. However, at the Hilton Doubletree, they are included with the expensive breakfast buffet charge.

Again, all of these items pictured below are complimentary at most budget-friendly hotels.

I don’t usually like to get into this sort of thing. But with no breakfast options nearby, Doubletree can get away with charging a high price for the same breakfast you would get complimentary at other hotels.

Since I stay at so many hotels, I can’t help but notice these drastic differences between similar items. I hope our reviews help you determine which hotel is worthy of your hard-earned vacation funds.

Ultimately, the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando is worth considering if you need a little space to spread out and would like to be near Disney Springs. However, far better overall amenities are available near Disney World.

As for the money spent, I would have been happier elsewhere. The lack of customer service at the hotel (other than bell services) also contributed to my feelings about this hotel.

Since this review was written, the Drury Plaza Hotel at Disney Springs opened across the street. That hotel offers a variety of suites, reasonable prices, complimentary meals (plural), and more! We love it!