Cabana Bay Beach Resort

[traveller]

I always pay for my room before arriving , I send money to the accounting
dept. months out. Upon check in they always ask for a credit card I just say no thanks. They already have a card in your reservation, You have to have
a cc to reserve the room in the first place.

 

[martymcflyy85]

When I checked in last month, they told me they needed a card to put the parking charges only. And that the parking would only be charged at the very end. They didn't tell me anything about a hold. I used a separate card from the one that I'd actually be using that week, just in case though.

 

[GAcoaster]

Hotels started putting holds on cards when people started paying with Debit cards. Shady people would use their debit card, then steal from or trash the room and the hotels would be out money. Almost all hotels have a sign warning people when they check in that there will be a hold placed on their account of they use a debit card and they cannot be held responsible for any problems (overdrafts) that they incur while the hold is in place.

If you do try to pay with cash they will usually charge a fairly large amount for the deposit for the same reason.

 

[pastis]

I stayed at Portofino 2 weeks ago, there was a $200 hold put on my card, I did not have the option to decline. I did not have room charge privileges, but was told the hold was 'in case' I charged anything. This has never happened at CBR. However, Portofino had the room bar and food fridge, so I think the hold is in case you eat or drink any of those items, then you can be charged after you have departed.

 

[OLSinFLA]

They just started doing this a couple of years ago. If you opt in for charges to your room, the 3 Deluxe hotels hold $200 a night against your credit card on file. So, if you stay for 7 nights, it's a $1400 credit hold on your card. CBBR is $100 a night (I don't know what the hold rate is for Sapphire)...My guess is that some guests were running up charges to their rooms and not paying them, thus the hold policy. Just a guess though...They will ask you when you check in, if you want to be able to charge to your room. You can opt out if you want.....Some people go pretty crazy charging stuff at the pool & pool bars (and the stuff is expensive with 18% service charge plus tips), so I can see why the amount is so high at the Deluxe hotels. CBBR being a family value hotel, guests are probably more conservative with their spending.

I dunno about Universal, but holds on card have been around a long time. Back in 1978, when I worked at the (then) Holiday Inn Maingate, we would always put a hold on a card if the client wanted to charge to his room, have access to long distance calls, etc.

 

[Joel]

From bioreconstruct..

Those will have a really cool reflection looking at them from inside the park.

Thanks for the explanation. I would rather just hand them $5000.00 cash and ask them to hold it in reserve. I have found that doing anything hinky with a credit card can end in disaster or at least unexpected circumstances.

It has been my experience that cash, however unorthodox, will settle all very quickly.

You can absolutely use cash as a "hold" or deposit on your room upon check-in. 99.999% of people don't. It would probably require manager assistance, but you can.

They can't force you to use a credit card to stay at a hotel.

Ah, well I was just going off experience I've had at multiple jobs in Orlando. Some simply don't. If that's illegal for them not to, it's beyond my pay grade.

Of course my main point was that a hourly, front desk worker can't do it - Like you said, you need to go through a manager to do a cash hold.

I've never had a hold on my card that I know of, but I've also never asked for charging privileges UNTIL my stay at Sapphire Falls.

SinceI received the $75 dining credit offer, I needed to have room charging available. I didn't want to use a credit card so instead I used my debit card to put another $125 in the account for an even $200 to spend. Due to my inability to stop ordering drinks by the pool, that amount was quickly exhausted and instead of having to put another X number of dollars on the account, they just charged my debit card as I charged my room key (yes, they did tell me this would happen when checking in). It was actually pretty nice because I didn't have to put a hold on a credit card and I also didn't have to carry around a credit/debit card.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Hotels started putting holds on cards when people started paying with Debit cards. Shady people would use their debit card, then steal from or trash the room and the hotels would be out money. Almost all hotels have a sign warning people when they check in that there will be a hold placed on their account of they use a debit card and they cannot be held responsible for any problems (overdrafts) that they incur while the hold is in place.

If you do try to pay with cash they will usually charge a fairly large amount for the deposit for the same reason.

Not true. Hotels were putting holds on credit cards back at least to the early 70s when I worked there, way before debit cards existed.

 

[Scott W.]

I don't know if this is a giant coincidence or not but about 90% of the time when I go to call an elevator, there is one waiting.

Does anybody know if there is a sensor on the approach to the elevator waiting areas that calls an elevator to that floor for your arrival at the doors?

 

[fryoj]

^ I don't know about CBBR specifically, but in a lot of buildings, the elevators are programmed to return to either return to the lobby when not in use, or move to a set floor and wait to minimize wait times. I don't know the count in this case, but if there are 8 elevators and 4 floors, they might have two set to wait at each floor when not in use.

 

[Mad Dog]

I don't know if this is a giant coincidence or not but about 90% of the time when I go to call an elevator, there is one waiting.

Does anybody know if there is a sensor on the approach to the elevator waiting areas that calls an elevator to that floor for your arrival at the doors?

The elevator computers are keyed to recognize Scottish profiles, and react accordingly. In this case, it's the Scotland VIP elevator, especially for you. Universal is customer friendly to a T. They were supposed to have a glass of stout ready also.

 

[JoeCamel]

The elevators are pretty speedy at CBBR. I don't think they bought them at elevators 'r us.

 

[Scott W.]

^ I don't know about CBBR specifically, but in a lot of buildings, the elevators are programmed to return to either return to the lobby when not in use, or move to a set floor and wait to minimize wait times. I don't know the count in this case, but if there are 8 elevators and 4 floors, they might have two set to wait at each floor when not in use.

That makes a lot of sense. There is 7 floors and we're in the middle on floor 4.

The elevator computers are keyed to recognize Scottish profiles, and react accordingly. In this case, it's the Scotland VIP elevator, especially for you. Universal is customer friendly to a T. They were supposed to have a glass of stout ready also.

Sounds like this would happen.

 

[Scott W.]

A lot of angry drivers tonight trying to get parked. Most of the top floor is sectioned off not including the already sectioned off area for the valet.

 

[Skipper Justin]

Does anyone know if the resort cups work at the freestyle machines at any of the resorts? I really want to Halloween cabana bay cup, but am staying at sapphire falls.

 

[Mad Dog]

A lot of angry drivers tonight trying to get parked. Most of the top floor is sectioned off not including the already sectioned off area for the valet.

With HHR, probably top heavy with a ton of one & two night locals with cars at CBBR, as opposed to tourists that don't always have cars.

 

[Yung1522]

Does anyone know if the resort cups work at the freestyle machines at any of the resorts? I really want to Halloween cabana bay cup, but am staying at sapphire falls.

A little late, but I tried my SF cup at Cabana and it didn't work. It said the same thing about seeing an attendant as it says at the parks

 

[Viator]

From Bioreconstruct..

 

[Nick]

So Uni released a deal for $99/night Family Suites for APH for select nights from 10/30-12/21. I'm thinking of taking advantage for right at the end of HHN. For those who have stayed there, what is better, a Tower suite or a Courtyard suite?

 

[amityboattours]

So Uni released a deal for $99/night Family Suites for APH for select nights from 10/30-12/21. I'm thinking of taking advantage for right at the end of HHN. For those who have stayed there, what is better, a Tower suite or a Courtyard suite?

Without knowing your situation with kids etc, Tower is always our preference because we believe that the pool area there is so much better on that side.

 

[Nick]

Without knowing your situation with kids etc, Tower is always our preference because we believe that the pool area there is so much better on that side.

The obvious visual difference between the two areas I mentioned are that the Towers have inside hallways and Courtyard rooms are more motel-style, correct?