I have been hibernating for a while in the blogosphere but i am back with a lot of exciting updates to share.
My family just came back from a 2.5-week trip to the US and Canada so expect the next few posts to be about our adventures during our vacation.
Let me start with our hotel in Florida. My dad booked us in the Marriott's Grande Vista Resort in Orlando. IT.WAS.AWESOME! i love how spacious and luxurious the place is and even with two very active kids, i still found the place very relaxing.
When you enter the resort compound, you are greeted with a picturesque view of the lake with the hotel in the background. It truly spells V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.
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| http://www.tripadvisor.com |
The hotel lobby, as with most resort hotels in Orlando, was housed in a separate building where most of the amenities were. The lobby has modern mediterranean interior and was very spacious yet cozy.
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| http://www.orbitz.com |
The hotel has a lot of family-friendly amenities.
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| They had a kiddie play center where Troy and his cousins, Lance and Mia, had a blast. |
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They even had an ice cream parlor for the kids and small table and chairs that looked like a kiddie restaurant. Isn't that so cute?
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There was also a video arcade for bigger kids and young-at-heart parents.
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Of course, there are also the more common internet portals, swimming pool, spa and gym.
One thing that was very helpful for us was the convenience store inside the hotel. It was truly what it was - a store for our convenience. It sold anything from souvenirs to grocery items. Special thanks to the store for having different diaper sizes in stock. It was a lifesaver when we suddenly realized we were out of diapers for our little girl.
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| http://www.orbitz.com |
There were other amenities that we were not able to enjoy such as the gaming area where there was a pool table and other outdoor sports activities. It might even be a good idea to go back next time and not plan a full theme park itinerary. I think my dad might enjoy the idea of spending a day playing golf in the resort compound.
Now let's move on to the bedrooms. Our family got a two-bedroom villa. The rooms were very spacious and had complete living amenities such as a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, ironing set, and kitchen necessities.
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| Dining and living area |
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| Kitchen. The white door at the back is where the washing machine and dryer are. |
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| The two sofa sets (one in the living room and another in one of the rooms) convert into beds. So you essentially get 2 beds and 2 sofa beds in a 2-bedroom villa. |
After 7 days in Marriott's Grande Vista Resort, it still wasn't enough. I really enjoyed our stay and would be more than happy to go back the next time we find ourselves in Orlando again.
The hotel is conveniently located near most of the theme parks (Sea World, Disney, Universal Studios) so driving to and from the parks was not difficult at all.
For hotel rates, you may go to the hotel's official website or the different travel sites available.
Marriott's Grande Vista Resort is located at 5925 Avenida Vista · Orlando, Florida 32821 USA.
One thing that was very helpful for us was the convenience store inside the hotel. It was truly what it was - a store for our convenience. It sold anything from souvenirs to grocery items. Special thanks to the store for having different diaper sizes in stock. It was a lifesaver when we suddenly realized we were out of diapers for our little girl.
The hotel is conveniently located near most of the theme parks (Sea World, Disney, Universal Studios) so driving to and from the parks was not difficult at all. 
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