Seralago: Our Hotel in Kissimmee

As a budget conscious Momma, when I started planning for Elena’s birthday trip to Medieval Times, we needed to find a Hotel in Kissimmee. One of our main family beliefs is that experiences and memories are more valuable than toys and possessions. It’s because of this that we ask family and friends to contribute towards expensive experiences as a gift instead of another toy or item that will be temporary in her life. With this in mind, we were deal hunting for the best ways to save money on an Orlando vacation.

I started with Groupon and found what I thought was a great deal. The Seralago Resort in Kissimmee, which is right next to Old Town on US 192. The total price for two nights in a Kid’s Suite with bunk beds and a twin bed and a main bedroom with a Queen Bed, for $130 with taxes and fees. I thought I scored a huge jackpot!

Arriving at our Hotel in Kissimmee

Thanks to the incredible location, the resort was very easy to find. However, the property seemed to be much older and dated than the photos would lead you to believe. On the other hand, the lobby area was fresh and clean. There was a considerable wait to check in but with spring break and check in time just starting, I expected it.

Our Hotel Room

Walking in to our hotel room, I was extremely discouraged to see that the bed was smaller than I expected. As my husband and I are both bigger people, it’s important to have at least a Queen for us to sleep comfortably. I knew that we were in for some long nights ahead. Then, while arranging the beds, I noticed that there were no fitted sheets or even mattress covers on the bed! This totally grossed me out as I know my husband can’t be the only person that tosses and turns in his sleep. The sheets would get tangled and he’ll sleep on a bare mattress that couldn’t possibly be completely sanitized between guests.

Within an hour, we noticed the bathroom floor was flooding. The toilet was pouring out water for no apparent reason. We called and maintenence came out, spent about 3 minutes looking at it, handed us towels to clean it up and left. Nothing else was done and we avoided using the bathroom for this very reason.

The pillows were extremely flat and provided absolutely no support. It took 3 pillows to even start to feel like one. I ended up sleeping on the small twin with my back against the wall and a pillow behind my head. These had to be the most uncomfortable beds any of us have ever slept in. Even my daughter preferred to sleep on the floor.

The Next Morning: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel is a buffet style and is free for children but $9.99 for adults. This price does not include beverages. On the buffet were things you would typically see at a hotel’s regular continental style breakfast:

• Pastries
• Apples and oranges
• Make Your Own Waffle Station
• Ice table with fruit toppings for the waffles and hard boiled eggs.
• Biscuits and gravy
• Hashbrown potatoes
• Scrambled eggs
• Sausage patties and links
• Fried plaintains
• French toast sticks
• Various cereals
• Grits (? I think, it looked more like a watery mess to me.)

The set up is very awkward to navigate. There was no toast, bacon, or anything that I felt really warranted over $10 for me as an adult to have breakfast. There was no offering of milk for the cereal, I could have had a much better breakfast at my old Waffle House (Yes, I used to work at the one on Seven Dwarfs lane just a few miles down 192 almost a decade ago!) for half the price. Elena picked at her breakfast and I had a little of each item on her plate. Despite her favorites like waffles and biscuits and gravy, she just looked at me and asked if she could just skip breakfast because it didn’t taste good.

The ONLY highlight was our incredible waitress, Denise. She brought the sunshine with her that morning. She kept my coffee hot and did what she could to make us feel welcome despite having more than her fair share of tables to attend to.

Other Notes

• We were led to believe when I booked this hotel that there were nightly activities for families, which I never saw. The arcade area for the children was nice with a decent variety of games but required tokens which also required cash on hand.

• It was cold for Florida while we were there, so we did not attempt to go swimming in the main pool. However, my daughter and I did go to the hot tub to try and relax while my husband took a nap. To be honest, I have had bath water warmer than that hot tub. The jets were not that strong and was largely a disappointment. Although, that was what I had come to expect from this hotel.
• The “Food Court” actually had decent priced hot and cold snacks and entrees for those that were hungry. Quality was on par with a fast food convenience store, but a nice option to have.

Final Decision

If you’re looking at staying in a hotel in Kissimmee, I would look elsewhere.

Pros:
– Friendly Staff
– Price
– Central Location

Cons:
-Everything Else

If by some stretch of the imagination we were to stay here again, we would bring our own fitted sheets, pillows, and plan to eat breakfast off the property. I’m sure there has to be better options for a hotel in Kissimmee.