Hotel Reviews
Travel Tuesday: Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando Review
When we returned from our trip to Hong Kong, we didn’t go back home. Instead, we headed straight to Florida for a friend’s wedding. But, with a week to spend in Orlando, we decided to try a few different places during our time there. We also happened to wait until just a few days before our arrival to settle on our first hotel: Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando (which I’ll be referring to with various abbreviations from here on out).
So, what about this property made it our pick — and did it live up to expectations? Let’s get into it.
Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando Review: What it Has to Offer
Booking and price
As seasoned travelers may be able to guess from the name, Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando is actually a timeshare property. Despite that, it is also bookable with cash. In our case, we booked via Chase Travel (using our $50 hotel credit from our Chase Sapphire Preferred). While you might see some members-only offerings, we didn’t notice much of a difference between being a cash guest versus an owner.
For our three-night stay, our base total was $672.33. We then elected to redeem 28,834 Chase points, bringing the total to $311.90 — before a $28.13 per night resort fee charged at check-in and the aforementioned $50 statement credit that our purchase triggered.
Check-in
Something I’ve noticed about the timeshare properties I’ve stayed at is that they tend to have security guards at the entry. Sure enough, the HGV Tuscany Village was no different. Because of this, we needed to provide our names as our Uber drove up to drop us off. This wasn’t a big deal for us (and was expected on our part) but it did seem to throw our driver off a bit.
In any case, we were able to get dropped off right by the clubhouse where check-in was. From there, the process was fairly standard, but the team member did provide us with a map to help us find our room. Well, actually, she must have inverted two of the digits in the room and directed us to the wrong building. Luckily, we received a welcome text upon check-in so were able to confirm our real room number and find our way to the correct building.
One thing I was worried about was getting an invitation to a sales meeting. Typically, I’ve found that such invites come as you’re led over to the concierge to pick up coupons for nearby attractions and/or a parking pass. Well, since we didn’t drive and didn’t need a parking pass, we were able to skip this part entirely. So, I can’t say for sure whether we would have been invited to something or not — but I’m glad we weren’t.
Lastly, before we headed to our room, we were given a coupon entitling us to free coffee in the cafe. Although free coffee doesn’t exactly cover the $28+ resort fee, at least you did actually get something for that fee, unlike most hotels.
The room
For our stay, we booked a one-bedroom king suite. While we probably would have been fine with a regular guest room, but we made a point to go with the suite for one specific reason: in-room laundry. Seeing as we were returning from Hong Kong with very few clean clothes, we wanted a place to do a load of wash. And while we could have found a laundromat or even settled for a separate laundry room on the property, having a washer/dryer in the unit sounded too good to pass up. Plus, the upgrade meant moving to a full-sized kitchen versus a kitchenette set-up.
Considering the emphasis I put on getting a washer/dryer, you can imagine how worried I was when I initially couldn’t locate it. Thankfully, this panic was soon settled as I found it in the kitchen — in disguise as a pantry. This made me laugh and looked pretty awkward once we noticed it, but at least it was there.
Speaking of the kitchen, the array of appliances and provided equipment made it easy to prepare meals. After spending a week overseas, this was very much appreciated. Meanwhile, although we didn’t spend a ton of time in the living room/dining room, the set-up was great. There was also a balcony off the living room, which was mercifully screened in. This made for a great spot to sit and sip some coffee.
Moving into the bedroom, the bed itself was nice and comfy. There was also a decent number of plugs, although I could always use more. Other than that, I don’t really have any other notes.
That’s also true of the bathroom — which was quite large and featured two sinks, a bathtub, and a standing shower. Per usual, the water did smell vaguely of Florida, but it wasn’t as strong as in some places I’ve stayed in the state. The bathroom was also accessible via the bedroom or the living room, which was convenient.
Overall, the room was pretty nice and met our needs well.
Dining
On the property at Hilton Tuscany Village, there are two dining locations: Toscana Pool Bar & Grill and Fresco Deli & Pizza. We happened to have a chance to try both of these. First, on our arrival night, we headed to Toscana for some takeout. I kept it simple by getting a chicken sandwich, while my wife opted for a taco pizza. Although I don’t recall the exact total, I can tell you that it was somewhere between “not cheap” and expensive. Adding a cocktail, an NA beer, and a tip definitely contributed to that, but it was a bit pricey to begin with. The good news is that the food was tasty and, because we had a fridge and kitchen, we were able to take advantage of the leftovers.
As for the deli, this is where we retrieved our free coffee. Of course, we only did this on the last day because we didn’t plan too well. But, as it turned out, this spot was perfect for us as the business center was next door, allowing us to sit and work while sipping our coffee and waiting for our friend to pick us up.
Beyond the property itself, you can access plenty of other dining options next door at the Vineland Premium Outlets mall. Conveniently, there’s even a pedestrian gate near the back of the Hilton allowing you to walk over to Outlets easily. That’s what I did one afternoon as I rushed over to get us some Shake Shack and made it back to our room in less than 10 minutes. If the free coffee in the deli or the stuff in your room isn’t cutting it for you, there are also a pair of Starbucks locations to be found at Vineland. So, if you’re on a budget, you may want to wander over the mall rather than stick with the two on-site locations.
Final Thoughts on Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando
Overall, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tuscany Village Orlando turned out to be just about perfect for this leg of our trip. It’s also pretty much what I expected it would be. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but it is hilarious to me how many similarities I noticed between this property and others in the area, such as Marriott and Wyndham. From the dining locations, to the pirate decor in the kiddie pool area, to the wooden plank bridges that take you across a lake at the center of the property, it’s truly amazing how many comparisons I could make.
Setting that aside, I’m glad that this location does allow for cash bookings and makes them fairly easy. At the same time, if I didn’t have points and a credit to use, I’m not sure we’d be willing to “splurge” on this $250 a night place. But, having the conveniences of home after traveling internationally definitely made the upgrade worth it. So, while we probably won’t be staying here every time we’re in Orlando, I wouldn’t rule out staying here again in the future.
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