TRAVELING DURING COVID-19 STAYCATION REVIEW: THE GROVE RESORT & WATER PARK ORLANDO

I was excited to visit The Grove Resort as I wanted to see if this would be a viable family option for myself and other clients. During this summer, I have been making my rounds at different hotels across the state of Florida to assess the similarities and differences in quality, policy, and procedures during COVID-19. Upon entering the hotel I immediately saw a staff member wiping down the counter after each guest left. They also wiped down the payment stations as well. This was very impressive and was the first time that I’d seen this done at a hotel. Each station at the check-in desk also had a bottle of hand sanitizer for guests to use after they check-in. I also noticed that each guest agent would sanitize their hands after they finished assisting each guest. All of these measure were above and beyond what I had observed at other properties thus far. The desk agent was friendly and attentive during the check-in process. She explained what services had been modified during this time. There would be no housekeeping and you could receive extra linens upon request. The pool, fitness center, spa, and restaurants were all open. The water park was open as well. All staff members that I encountered wore masks. Once I entered the villa it appeared to be very clean and spacious. One thing that I would recommend is to supply the villas with more linens, plates, and cups. Also, the common areas such as hallways and elevators definitely need to be cleaned more often. I also felt that there could have been more cleaning service done to the pool and water park areas. The resort is very nice but it is also very big. For some the size could be quite overwhelming. The property was very close to Disney and will work well for families or groups who wish to visit the Disney theme parks. I would recommend this property for those who are looking for a villa with extra space and/or would like a room with an option to cook your own food so that you can stay inside and reduce your exposure to other people. Just be prepared for the huge size of the property and larger groups of people.