Dolphin Review

[awaggett]

Stayed at the Dolphin last week for four nights. Had been a bit nervous based on reviews but we had a pretty great stay.

The only negative was check-in--we got there after 3 pm (check-in is at 3) and our room was not ready. The clerk said our room was on the 9th floor and "worth waiting for". We went and grabbed a cocktail at the pool and relaxed. After 1.5 hours I went back to the desk and our room was still not ready--this clerk said our room was on the 4th floor--I didn't particularly care, just wanted a room. The annoying part was that both clerks kept disappearing in a back room to talk with their manager. The 2nd time, she was gone for more than 10 minutes. After the back and forth, she gave us $100 off our stay, so I was fine. I'm glad I have status with SPG--it really helped (ha.).

We were in a Epcot view/balcony room--if I stay again, i would just do the balcony room. We were not there to see the fireworks, and would have enjoyed just a view of the water/boats.

The real selling point for this hotel is LOCATION. I typically enjoy staying at the Contemporary--but really enjoyed the proximity to Epcot--we "snuck" in the back gate most nights to catch the fireworks and grab a drink/dessert.

Also, the pools here were great--I have always been disappointed in the pool at the Contemporary, so this was a plus! I think I would stay here again, no problem.

[Katzateer]

Sounds nice. Glad you had a good stay. A friend of mine stayed there when her husband was attending a conference. Visited her and got to see her room- looked very nice. And my daughter loved the pool.

[mom2morgan]

Thanks for the review! I'm always nervouce about the Swan and Dolphin for fear they wouldn't "feel" like Disney. Sounds like the bit of a discount was a nice gesture for making you wait.

[Keneva]

Glad you liked it! We had a similar very good experience at the Swan (next to the Dolphin) except our room was ready when we checked in at 11am. We could see two Disney parks out our window along with the launch boats etc. No loss of Disney experience.

[epceddie]

My wife and I would love to stay at the Dolphin sometime, but I hate hotels that charge ridiculous resort fees ($17 per night for access to the fitness center, limited internet access, phone calls (seriously, EVERYBODY has their own phone these days), and bottled water. What a ripoff.
Also, they charge $15 per night for self parking.
Enough is enough already! I just can't bring myself to pay those fees. I would feel like I was getting price gouged. You're paying $32 extra dollars a night for amenities that are free at a lot of other hotels. I would feel like a sap, so no Dolphin for us!