When it comes to booking a hotel near Walt Disney World in Orlando, there are usually three factors for travelers to consider:

1. Location.

2.  Quality of accommodations.

3. Price.

The general rule of thumb is that you should expect to choose two of the things on this list.  If you want a nice hotel that is on Disney property or very close to Disney property, you should expect to pay for that convenience.  If you want to save as much money as you can, but still want to be close, expect to sleep in a double bed in a motel type atmosphere.  And finally, if you want location and a nice room – yep, you’re going to pay for it.

Or, you can stay at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and actually get all three.

Location

The number one reason that most people I know stay “on property” is for the convenience of the shuttle system, which makes getting to and from the theme parks free and relatively fast.  The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek describes their location as being “surrounded on three sides by Disney”.  What this means is they are as close as you can get without actually staying at a Disney Resort hotel.

The Director of Marketing that I spoke to went so far as to tell me that the Disney shuttle buses actually picked up and dropped off from the Hilton, although I never actually saw a Disney shuttle during my stay there.  What I did experience was a hotel shuttle system that was just as good as Disney’s.  That meant no cab fare and no ridiculously long wait or hard to meet shuttle schedule, which is often the case when staying at other off property hotels that offer shuttle service to the parks.  Shuttles run between the Hilton and the Disney theme parks every half hour from 8:00 am to 1:30 am.  Added bonus: the Hilton charter buses were much nicer, more comfortable and less crowded than the average Disney shuttle.

Quality of Accommodations

I generally expect a Hilton to be nice, and the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek did not disappoint.  The king room my husband and I stayed in was large, modern and clean.  The bed was incredibly comfortable and was covered in two sheets and a down comforter (or perhaps down-alternative comforter) instead of the dreaded not-laundered-near-enough bedspread.  The bathroom was a little on the small side, but certainly not small enough to be considered an inconvenience.

King room at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. Husband not included.

Bathroom - small, but nice. Shower not pictured, but included.

The lobby and lounge area were huge and beautiful.  The pool, featuring a water slide and lazy river, was a kid from up north’s dream, and the on-site coffee shop was convenient.  With the exception of a painfully slow valet (both coming and going), the service was impeccable.

Loung of Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

In fact, when my husband and I returned to our room after a day at Epcot, we found a chilled bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and a card congratulating us on our tenth wedding anniversary.  The next morning when I discovered neither of us had thought to pack toothpaste, the front desk had a tube sent up within minutes of my request.

The Price

I paid about $95 a night for a king room, including tax.  That was a Florida resident rate, but the same rate is available for AAA members.  The Hilton Bonnet Creek web site advertises nightly rates at $119.

How does that compare to other properties in the area?

A budget room with two double beds at one of Disney’s budget motel-style resort will cost at least $100 per night.  A similar room at a mid-level Disney resort will generally cost over $200 per night, or more than double what we paid for our night at the Hilton.  While I was able to find a few hotel rooms near Disney that were slightly less expensive, they were either farther away, offered less reliable shuttle service, or had horrible reviews (not even for $34 a night am I willing to sleep with bugs!).

I walked away from my weekend at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek hotel feeling like I had stumbled upon a great travel secret.  I wanted to call all of my friends and insist that this was the only hotel anyone should ever consider staying in when they visit Disney.  It was definitely the best deal I’ve felt like I’d gotten on a hotel in a long, long time.

Am I gushing?  You bet.  And I didn’t receive a discount or free meal or even so much as a guided tour.  This hotel was just that good.

On my next visit (and I will be back!), I hope to check out the amenities that the Hilton shares with their neighbors, the Waldorf Astoria.  Hilton guests have access to the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club and The Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain®. I’d be interested to see how their spa stacks up to my own personal paradise, the spa at Orlando’s Ritz-Carlton.