Sapphire Falls Resort

[Teebin]

Are they pretty much filling it up along with all their other hotels?

 

[JoeCamel]

Are they pretty much filling it up along with all their other hotels?

Yes, booked solid. I don't know why they are still giving room food credits but they have raised the rates way off the initial come on rate.

 

[JoeCamel]

Taylor Strickland, owner of Orlando Informer, just did his official review of Sapphire Falls. He calls Sapphire his favorite on site Universal hotel resort.

Saw that and wondered how much is hype. At least he did call out the food prices and the bathroom door that people have complained about. He stays club level and was in a suite at SF (no club there) so I guess I will have to see for myself next month. I understand not biting the hand that feeds you so I don't know how much weight to give it.

I have a couple of other people I know that stayed opening week and they liked the place and the quality of the breakfast and tapas but did mention that it felt overpriced.

 

[Jymmymack]

Does anyone have pics of the King Suite?

 

[JoeCamel]

Does anyone have pics of the King Suite?

They are on the OI site

 

[Teebin]

What are food credits?

 

[Mad Dog]

What are food credits?

They give you X number of dollars as a food credit at Sapphire restaurants if you book X number of days....Example: When I booked, you received a $150 food credit if you booked 4 or more nights.

 

[Teebin]

They give you X number of dollars as a food credit at Sapphire restaurants if you book X number of days....Example: When I booked, you received a $150 food credit if you booked 4 or more nights.

Isn't $150 dinner for two for one night?

 

[Mad Dog]

Isn't $150 dinner for two for one night?

I've not seen that offer. The dining credit when I booked was $150 for a minimum of 4 nights booked. I booked 5 nights but still received a $150 dining credit. And you were unable to combine that with an AP discount. The AP discount would have been about $60 so I did the dining credit instead. We're not real heavy eaters, so that should translate into about 3 dinners for two.

 

[JoeCamel]

I've not seen that offer. The dining credit when I booked was $150 for a minimum of 4 nights booked. I booked 5 nights but still received a $150 dining credit. And you were unable to combine that with an AP discount. The AP discount would have been about $60 so I did the dining credit instead. We're not real heavy eaters, so that should translate into about 3 dinners for two.

Teebin was making a funny. With the prices at Amisita you might blow the whole credit on 1 meal

 

[Mad Dog]

Teebin was making a funny. With the prices at Amisita you might blow the whole credit on 1 meal

Teebin is not capable of being funny. .......................Just kidding.

 

[JoeCamel]

Teebin is not capable of being funny. .......................Just kidding.

I was going to add I got sucked in by the dining credit as well plus the room was $10 more a night than the suite I get at CBBR so I went for it. I should have booked two stays and got a double credit but I am slow sometimes to see the deal

 

[Mad Dog]

I was going to add I got sucked in by the dining credit as well plus the room was $10 more a night than the suite I get at CBBR so I went for it. I should have booked two stays and got a double credit but I am slow sometimes to see the deal

That was a good idea if you would have done it. We're moving to our beloved Portofino for 9 nights after Sapphire....We're doing Sapphire for it's newness and a different experience. We absolutely love getting a suite at CBBR and doing a few nights there before we finish our vacations at Portofino.It's a great resort for the price. So, next year, depending on our coming Sapphire experience, we may have a decision to make......So what were your feelings. CBBR or Sapphire?

 

[JoeCamel]

I will tell you next year after I have stayed at SF and see what they are jacking the rates to. I think they will settle $179 - $189 depending on how much convention business they can generate.

The only reason I get the family suite at CBBR is that it is quiet compared to the standard rooms and you don't have the kids running up and down the halls.

 

[Teebin]

Hmm... I have tried to be convinced by the resort talk, but I will be staying at a Marriot or Hilton. Lights bolted to the wall turns me way off. I am an old school table lamp lover.

 

[JoeCamel]

Hmm... I have tried to be convinced by the resort talk, but I will be staying at a Marriot or Hilton. Lights bolted to the wall turns me way off. I am an old school table lamp lover.

We stay where we are comfortable.

 

[Mad Dog]

Hmm... I have tried to be convinced by the resort talk, but I will be staying at a Marriot or Hilton. Lights bolted to the wall turns me way off. I am an old school table lamp lover.

There is no substitute to being on site. I stayed at the Marriot resort once. Good hotel, but driving across those crazy highways to get to the parks take away from the experience way too much. Walking or taking the boat back to the hotel and pool whenever you feel like it, is the way to go. It's a feeling of pure relaxation, leisure and security.

 

[SkiBum]

There is no substitute to being on site. I stayed at the Marriot resort once. Good hotel, but driving across those crazy highways to get to the parks take away from the experience way too much. Walking or taking the boat back to the hotel and pool whenever you feel like it, is the way to go. It's a feeling of pure relaxation, leisure and security.

I keep trying to get the guts to stay offsite but never do. However, my offsite would be offsite of Disney. We typically stay at Wilderness Lodge. The drive to UNI/IOA isn't bad at all if done after rush hour. Still, I have been wanting to find a resort style hotel offsite that would offer a good walking path and feel away from it all. Portofino Bay is a candidate and now Sapphire Falls is too.

 

[traveller]

Does anyone have pics of the King Suite?

I've tried to find pictures as well, no luck. OI has pics of the Sapphire suite,
not the king suite.

 

[Joel]

Taylor Strickland, owner of Orlando Informer, just did his official review of Sapphire Falls. He calls Sapphire his favorite on site Universal hotel resort.

Saw that and wondered how much is hype. At least he did call out the food prices and the bathroom door that people have complained about. He stays club level and was in a suite at SF (no club there) so I guess I will have to see for myself next month. I understand not biting the hand that feeds you so I don't know how much weight to give it.

I have a couple of other people I know that stayed opening week and they liked the place and the quality of the breakfast and tapas but did mention that it felt overpriced.

That was a good idea if you would have done it. We're moving to our beloved Portofino for 9 nights after Sapphire....We're doing Sapphire for it's newness and a different experience. We absolutely love getting a suite at CBBR and doing a few nights there before we finish our vacations at Portofino.It's a great resort for the price. So, next year, depending on our coming Sapphire experience, we may have a decision to make......So what were your feelings. CBBR or Sapphire?

Sapphire Falls is my new favorite resort as well. I think it's underpriced for what you get, which is probably why they're raising their rates. I would say it's a true resort, whereas CBBR just feels like an extra large hotel with crappy food. I didn't eat dinner at Amatista but their breakfast buffet was amazing and well worth the price. The Strong Water Tavern tapas menu was amazing and pretty cheap. My favorite resorts before SF were:

1. Hard Rock / Portofino
2. RPR
3. - 9. (nothing)
10. CBBR

and now its..

1. Sapphire Falls
2. Hard Rock / Portofino
3. RPR
4. - 14. (nothing)
15. - CBBR (yes it moved down 5 spots after seeing what SF is at around the same price)