Orlando Staycation.
Orlando is such a great place to visit whenever you need a short break from your day-to-day routine. This city instantly takes you away from all of your worries and makes you feel like a kid again!
Last week, we enjoyed a two day “Staycation” at the one-and-only Castle Hotel. The Castle Hotel is a AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel and located directly off of International Drive. When you stay here, you are in walking distance to the Orlando Aquarium, ICON Park, Mystery Dinner Shows, Improv Comedy, WonderWorks, and countless bars and restaurants.
When we pulled into the lot, we were blown away with the design of this hotel. It is unlike any other hotel we’ve stay at [and we’ve stayed at A LOT of hotels!] We met Andre at the front desk to check in and he made the process quick and efficient. He shared all of the need-to-know details about the hotel before showing us to our room.
Our room was beautiful and looked like it was taken out of a magazine! A gift bag was left in the room for us with a handwritten note welcoming us to Orlando. This was so thoughtful and made us feel at home.
We had a view that overlooked the pool and the bed was so spacious and comfortable. The room had a simple layout… plenty of outlets to charge phones and cameras, full length mirrors, a nice bathroom with plenty of counter space and toiletries. They also provide a mini fridge with in-room coffee, tea, water and wine. As always, there is also the option to order room service [yes, please!]
After settling into our room, we walked around the hotel to check out all of the amenities. Downstairs, there is a lobby bar– every morning they provide complimentary coffee and blueberry muffins. Outside, you’ll find a gorgeous entryway leading to the pool, cafe, and event space. There are also two rooftop terraces, a 24-hour fitness center, as well as an on-site restaurant and bar.
We closed out the night with dinner and drinks at the cocktail lounge. It was a busy night, but the bartender was very kind, helpful and made sure we had everything we needed.
In the morning, we made our way downstairs to the Garden Bistro for breakfast. Keeping it simple, we ordered a fruit plate and coffee. The Bistro is gorgeous and the bright green garden-theme is very refreshing.
We try to get some form of exercise in each day, so we walked to ICON Park and Pointe Orlando to explore areas around the hotel. There are so many entertainment options within walking distance.
ICON Park offers arcades, restaurants, the aquarium, mini-golf and other attractions. Point Orlando has a movie theater, WonderWorks, restaurants, and a comedy club!
We stopped for lunch at Yard House in Icon Park. The large menu with several plant-based options is what attracted us to this restaurant. Yard House has a great atmosphere with a clear view of the Orlando Eye AND has over 200 beers on tap.
Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped by Ben and Jerry’s for some dairy-free ice cream. One scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough and one scoop of almond fudge chip. So good!
After our morning walk, unfortunately– it was time to check out of the hotel.
Even though it was a short stay, we had so much fun. What made it really hard to leave was the hospitality we received from the hotel staff. Everyone was so kind– from checking in with Andre, ordering cocktails at the bar from Michael, and getting all the restaurant and attraction recommendations from Joe. [Joe was extremely genuine and easy to talk to. We talked about running, golf, local events and he even gave us 10% off our entire meal at Tu Tu Tango’s [a tapas restaurant in walking distance from the hotel!]
If you’re looking to book your next vacation to Orlando and want to stay at the Castle Hotel, you can book directly through their website [here] or you can book your stay through Hotels.com.
Here are our top 5 things to do while you’re visiting this fun city!
Top 5 Things to Do in Orlando:
-
Disney [Obviously!]
There are four main attractions at Disney: Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom. We recommend all four if you have time, but Animal Kingdom and Epcot were our Top 2! Save 20% on your park hopper tickets with THIS discount code.
-
Universal Studios
Universal Studios is so much fun! Some of the most memorable attractions for us: Transformers, Diagon Alley, and The Simpsons Arcade. We try to go during the week because it can get really busy on the weekends! It’s also fun just to walk around the Universal City Walk [no entrance fee]. Visit the Chocolate Emporium, grab donuts at VooDoo Doughnuts, Eat Sushi at CowFish Sushi Burger Bar, and sip on a margarita at Margaritaville! You can get a discount for up to $100 off your Universal Tickets HERE!
-
International Drive
International Drive is full of dining, attractions, hotels, nightlife and shopping. You’ll find top attractions including: Main Event, ICON Park, Top Golf, Orlando Aquarium, WonderWorks, StarFlyer, and Arcade City. A few of our go-to restaurants near I-Drive are Yard House, Rocco’s Tacos, Marlow’s Tavern, and BJ’s Restaurant + Brewhouse.
-
Lake Eola
If you’re looking for an adventure that doesn’t involve theme parks, Lake Eola is a great place to spend the afternoon. Enjoy a walk around the lake, stop by the Orlando Farmer’s Market, and grab lunch at World of Beer or Juice’d.
-
Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center shares the history of the U.S. Space Program and offers several exhibits, shows, and attractions. Eat lunch with an astronaut, watch an IMAX space movie, and touch a piece of moon rock. This is another great option if you don’t plan on visiting theme parks!
We could easily make a list of 100 things to do in Orlando and still not cover everything! Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoyed our write up on this beautiful hotel. Have you stayed at the Castle Hotel? Also, what are your top 5 things to do in Orlando?
Cheers–
Kayla + Logan