Rosen Shingle Creek

Rooms and decor

The moment you turn into the entrance, the first thing that catches your eye is the terracotta-tiled roofs, the towers, and the curved lines of Spanish Revival architecture that make Rosen Shingle Creek look more like a Spanish estate dropped into Florida than a typical convention hotel. The resort opened in 2006 under Harris Rosen, a well-known Orlando hotelier, and sits at the headwaters of Shingle Creek, so it's ringed by gardens, fountains, and natural views. Inside are around 1,501 rooms done in warm, easy resort tones, with a focus on space and calm. Many rooms have a private balcony opening onto the golf course, the creek, or green gardens. Beds are soft, the bathrooms are roomy, and there's enough space for a solo traveler to spread out a work setup and for a larger family to drop their bags without feeling cramped. The overall feel is elegant but unfussy — a solid starting point for both a conference trip and a family one.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is how self-contained it is. Around the resort runs an 18-hole golf course along the creek and wetlands, so golfers can play without driving anywhere. The pool area has several pools, including a big zero-entry one that slopes down like a beach, with a long waterslide and a shallow zone for small kids, ringed by loungers and cabanas for the Florida sun. Nearby is a full spa that reviews praise for its treatments and calm, plus fitness, tennis, and basketball courts. A favorite for many is the nature trail along Shingle Creek, the headwaters of the Everglades, where birds, trees, and quiet make for a good early-morning walk. For food, there's a range of restaurant styles on site — from a breakfast buffet, a cafe, and a pool bar to the highlight, the steakhouse A Land Remembered, which reviewers call a memorable special dinner. You never really have to leave the grounds to eat well.

Location and getting there

The location pitch here is clear for two groups. The first is conference-goers, because the resort sits right next to the Orange County Convention Center, about a 5-minute trip, which is as convenient as it gets if you're in for meetings, seminars, or an exhibit booth over several days — no long commute every morning. The second is leisure travelers, because the resort is at the far end of International Drive, Orlando's main tourist strip, surrounded by restaurants, outlets, and entertainment. As for the parks, it's about a 15-minute drive to Universal Orlando and around 20 minutes to Walt Disney World. It's not a hotel at the park gates, but a central I-Drive spot like this makes driving anywhere easy, and you can stop to eat or shop before or after a park day. In short, it's a balanced base for both work and play.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing is the resort and convention center's sheer size, which cuts both ways. The upside is the full set of facilities and handsome, spacious grounds; the downside is that the walk from your room to the lobby, restaurants, or pool can be farther than you'd think, and you sometimes have to allow time for a long indoor walk. Anyone who wants everything within a few steps may feel they're walking a lot. The second thing, which comes up often in reviews, is the added fees — both a resort fee and a daily parking charge on top of the room rate, so the real total at checkout runs higher than the price you saw at booking. Check the list clearly up front so it doesn't surprise you. The last thing is how busy it gets during big conventions. Since this is a large convention center, on big-event days the lobby, lifts, and restaurants are packed and noisy, and some reviews report long check-in queues and slower service at certain spots. If you can, check the convention calendar for your dates first.

Our take

From reading real guest reviews from both business and family travelers, Rosen Shingle Creek is a resort-and-convention center that fits perfectly for anyone who wants a fully self-contained base in the heart of Orlando — handsome, shady Spanish architecture along the creek, a full set of facilities from 18-hole golf, a spa, and a waterslide pool to a proper steakhouse, and a location right next to the Convention Center and in the middle of I-Drive. If you're in for a multi-day conference and want somewhere within easy walking distance of the event plus a place to unwind afterward, or you're a family wanting a roomy resort with a pool for the kids and theme parks the next day, this delivers. But if you'd rather have a small, compact hotel where everything is a few steps away and you don't like the convention crowds, the scale here may not be your style. Overall we give it 8.9/10, best for business travelers in for a conference and families wanting an all-around resort near the Convention Center.