First look at the renovated Renaissance Orlando at Disney Springs, a new way to use Marriott points at Disney

17.09.2024 - 04:01 / thepointsguy.com

If you like to use your points to stay at Disney World, there's a new player in town: the Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa, located at Disney Springs.

Thanks to a recent $25 million rebrand and renovation that involved the lobby, guest rooms and more, what was formerly known as the B Resort & Spa now has a fresh look and feel and is returning as the Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa. This means there is now another option for using your Marriott points while staying on Disney property and enjoying some Disney-related perks, as this property is an official Disney hotel.

As an Orlando area local who is always looking for some well-located and value-oriented places to stay when I want to crash at the parks, I decided to take a peek at this property a few weeks ago. Here's what it's like.

Related: These are the best places to stay at Disney World

Your hotel is either on Disney property or it isn't, and given Orlando's traffic, it's ideal to be within the park. So it's especially nice that the Renaissance Orlando sits on the aptly named Hotel Plaza Boulevard in the Disney Springs resort area. This area features six other hotels from major chains, including Hilton, Drury Hotels, Holiday Inn and Wyndham, so you really have your pick of some budget-friendly and points-friendly options here.

If you plan to visit Disney Springs on your trip, the hotel is about a 15-minute walk from the Disney Springs shopping and dining area. While this is convenient, I'm unsure if I would want to take this walk on the same day that I had a long stretch of walking in the parks; you can always take the resort's complimentary bus transportation instead.

During my stay a few weeks ago, it was clear that Renaissance Orlando had indeed had a makeover since its former life as the B Resort.

Like most of the other Disney Springs hotels, this one doesn't have all-immersive Disney theming, but it does have a notably Floridian vibe with palm leaves, wood accents and subtle tropical character.

There was a cute little cafe in the lobby where I was able to grab a quick breakfast consisting of an iced latte and pastry, and it was also stocked with other grab-and-go options like fruit, cereal and granola bars — ideal for some quick energy during longer park days. While I didn't have time to dine here on this trip, I'll note that there is also the American Kitchen Bar & Grill that's open for sit-down breakfast, lunch and dinner.

When it comes to the rooms, I was pleasantly surprised by the spaciousness and some of the bright, modern design elements of my 11th-floor room, which overlooked the resort's pool.

The room's features would likely suit the needs of anyone going on a Disney vacation. It had a good air-conditioning system that kept it