With the holidays quickly approaching comes leave time for the military and their families. Some are looking to head home and visit family and others are just looking to take the family away for the holidays. Last week I headed to Florida to get away with the family and also attend the INC 5000 conference in Orlando. Since I was there I decided to continue our annual “Military Discount Travel” series in which I seek out fun resorts, hotels, and attractions that offer special deals for military. I learned about a special military rate that the Tuscana Resort Orlando offered and was invited by them to check out the property and share my stay with you guys.
Check In , Location, And The Property
I hadn’t heard of the Tuscana Resort specifically before, but I was familiar with the Aston brand because of the deals they have offered to military before at their Hawaii property. The Tuscana Resort is located in Orlando but on the outskirts. It’s less than 9 miles from all the action of the theme parks and eateries, and after a long day I LOVED coming back to not just a room…but a home!
When I entered to check in I was greeted by a really sweet friendly hotel rep. The check in process was super easy and offered some fun perks that are included with your stay. This includes a fun kit for the kids and also a rental card that allows you to check out dvd’s and Playstation games for the devices in your condo.
In order to get to our room we had to drive through the property a bit. One of the things I love is the safety factor. When you check in you get a code to access the gate that takes you to the condos. So to put it simply the resort is a gated community! That is a definite plus for me when it comes to safety. The property is comprised of condo style buildings with a Mediterranean theme to them on the outside. There are no elevators that I noticed. It appears there are 3-4 floors in most buildings.
Accommodations
When we walked into our 2 bedroom condo I was blown away. On first glance there was a beautiful full size kitchen, a large dining room table that seats 6, and a great family seating area with a 55 inch tv. The floors in the main space are hardwood Pergo like floors and very clean. There is a washing machine/dryer and towels for use.
Kitchen- Fully stocked minus the food, but Tuscana offers food packs that can be delivered to your room from the local Publix with all the essentials to snack on at night and have a great breakfast in the morning. There are pots and pans, silverware, dish towels, and utensils. Everything you need to save money on food, is located in your kitchen. If you have pets, there was even a pet bowl. As I mentioned above, you can enjoy your meals at a beautiful family dining room table.
Living room area- The family area was quaint and my favorite part of it was the reclining chair. Additionally, you can snuggle up on a comfy sofa. The living room also had a huge flat screen TV with tons of cable channels, games, a playstation 4 and hi speed internet. Because each condo is equipped with its own modem, the internet is really fast. Off of the living room was a screened in porch with a table to sit and relax.
Bedrooms- Before I even get to the bedrooms I must commend Tuscana Resort’s cleaning team for the fact that they steam cleaned the floors in the bedroom. This wasn’t just done for me because I visited there. It’s something they do after everyone’s stay. I loved this because one of my fears is icky hotel room carpets. I felt comfortable walking in the bedroom with no socks on, because who wants to wear socks in Florida! Both bedrooms had bathrooms. The master bedroom has a full tub and shower and the kids bedroom had a nice size bathroom with a walk in shower.
Each room had huge walk in closets, beautiful bed decor and felt like a room in my house verses a hotel room. The mattresses were clean because I look for bed bugs anywhere I stay and I checked here too. The rooms were cleaned thoroughly. Each room had a big dresser and a nice size flat screen tv. Beds were comfortable and I slept great.
General Environment- It could be the time of the year (we were here in October), but I heard no outside noise. I know there were families with kids there because I saw them in passing. This is what made the stay so great in that we didn’t hear noise from others, and we also didn’t we feel like we had to be super quiet. The grounds are beautifully maintained and people are friendly. Also you can pull right up to your building which is awesome when carrying luggage.
Amenities
The Tuscana Resort has a list of amenities including a Tavern where you can purchase food and great drinks. Their pool is my fav because it is AMAZINGGGGGLY huge! There is also Wi-fi in the pool area and cabanas to hide under from the sun. Additionally, they provide a movie theatre which you can reserve for the kids to watch a movie, grocery service, rental car options and much more. Learn more about their amenities here.
Military Pricing
As a military family, we are always looking at cost and if a resort or hotel is offering a deal that is even more of a reason to stay. When I checked the pricing for this month alone, it appears all rooms were running $63 to $87 a night. There is a $10 small amenity fee and a cleaning fee, but you can’t beat that considering you are staying in an entire apartment which is a bit different than a small room. Military who stay there between now and December 22nd of 2015 will have the amenity fee waived and save 20% on their stay. You can learn more about the MILITARY DEAL here. The military deal in general is available through December of 2016.
Military Merrits Program:
Their Military Merits program runs now through Dec. 22 and includes a 20% discount on best available rates. At Tuscana, rates start at $69 for a one bedroom condo suite (2 and 3 bedroom condo suites are also available at a discounted rate), and the resort fees are also waived (an additional savings of $10 per day). When booking online, the promotional code MERITS can be used to access the rate. A valid military ID card must be presented at check in for the discount. Tuscana is also in the Military Travel Voucher program, so our property can be booked directly on base at ITT/MWR offices.
I wish I had stayed a bit longer to experience more of the amenities, but just the accommodations alone make staying here worth it. I really enjoyed driving a short distance to less hustle and bustle but with all the same amenities and features of a comfortable stay. I did learn that the new addition to the resort Fountain at Championsgate is open and while a bit more luxurious military can utilize the deal there.
The Tuscana Resort Hotel is located at:
- 1395 Tuscana Lane
- ChampionsGate, FL 33896
- Phone: (407) 787-4800
- Website: http://www.tuscanaresort.com/specials-and-packages/military-personnel/
Disclosure: Tuscana provided me a complimentary night’s stay. All opinions are from my own experience and have not been influenced.
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Army Wife 101
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market. She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.
Krystel is the mom of two and an Army Wife. In addition to Army Wife 101 she is the Co-Founder of SoFluential.com a digital media agency that connects brands with the military market.
She has appeared on MSNBC ,FOX LA and formerly was a weekly contributor to HLN's "Raising America". She has written for various outlets including Sheknows and Lifetime and is a big fan of cupcakes and french fries.