After reading the reviews on here about this resort, I was alittle worried about staying here, but after seeing the last review was written in 2005 I new the Marriott would have made improvements since then...And they sure have!!!! The resort was fabulous, the buildings were in great positions and condition, the exterior was lovely and everything was close to the main lobby. once we had checked in, which I must say was very quick, we went up to the 5th floor to our villa, there were 7 of us, and I couldn't help but think someone would NOT be happy with there bedroom. We opened the door and walked in, we were so shocked, it was gorgeous, everything looked new, lovely large hallway, a new kitchen with breakfast bar, a dining table, and the living area, the decor was warm natural colors, a corner group sofa and 2 chairs, flat screen t. v, everything you need for a relaxing stay, all 3 bedrooms were all so lovely, even the bathrooms were nice!!
I've stayed at most of the marriott resorts in Orlando and have to say this is now my favourite. It was like a home away from home, no cold tiles on the floor, a great sized villa with beautiful views, a really homely place.
I found out that the resort had been refurbished in july, and what a great job. I would recommend this resort to everybody I know, I couldn't fault a thing, even the pool's were quiet, but if you wanted more entertainment then you can head over to marriott world centre which is on site, (about a 2 minute shuttle ride away, provided by imperial palms) to use the facilities there, the pool there is one of the biggest resort pools in Orlando, and there's a fun slide, activities and great bar, just like most Marriotts it is perfect for a vacation. We had a great time and would love to return next year!!!!

Being that the Imperial Palm is one of the original vacation clubs within Marriott it's easy to see that the place needs some TLC and upgrades. Overall it's not as bad as people have described on previous posts. I'm an owner of 2 Marriott timeshares (Aruba and Palm Desert) and stayed at Imperial Palm because of the 3BR's.

Pro's:
I found the staff very friendly and the response time to any need was very quick.

3BR villa is spacious and in overall good condition.

Bed in master bedroom may have been a new one because I found it very comfortable.

Shuttle service to the adjacent World Marriott hotel was simple to use and readily available.

Not terribly crowded and I don't think I ever saw any neighbors.

Con's
Living room couch is very uncomfortable. Nearly impossible to lay down on it without fidgiting around.

Refrigerator is placed right next to a wall so when you open the right door of the fridge, you will bang it into the wall all the time.

Ktichen cabinets and appliances need to be upgraded.

The pool was rather dirty. I didn't see anyone working around the pool and noticed many dead bugs in the water. I wound up using the large pool at the hotel instead which is great.

They are expanding the convention center at the World Marriott so it is a bit dangerous to walk from the villas to the hotel. Instead you just call for the shuttle.

Overall the Imperial Palm served its purpose. Its rediculously close to Disney World and all of the shopping outlets. Marriott is in the process of updating the villas. You can see the types of fabric they are choosing for the renovations in the main lobby, so this is a step in the right direction.

Would I stay here again? IIn reality, I would probably go back to the Grand Vista until I am able to stay in a newly furnished villa at Imperial Palm. Overall it is what it is, which is one of the original Marriott villas in need of some major upgrades.

My family stayed at the Imperial Palms the first week of May. We did a timeshare exchange to Imperial Palms because of the size of the villa (4 adults, two toddlers).

Positives:
- Location, Location, Location. I4 was easily accessible and DisneyWorld parks were less than a 10 minute drive (Downtown Disney < 5 min).
- The Imperial/Royal Palm pools were nice in that they were not as crowded as the World Center pool and had what we needed for the kids to play in. Pool toys and towels were readily available.
- World Center was about a 1/2 mile away and the shuttle was pretty much running on demand. The transportation desk/concierge @ the World Center would call for the shuttle if it wasn't already there. The pool was great. Our kids enjoyed the big sand box and the kiddie pool. Hawk's Landing is a great course, if you can get a good price (staying @ Imperial Palms qualifies you for a discounted resort guest rate, but I found a cheaper rate at another teetime booking website). We also had dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse and it was one of the better ones we've been too.
- The staff was friendly and responded to all request in a timely manner. We requested a Pak n' Play for one of our kids and it was waiting in our room when we arrived (even though they gave us a choice of villas when we checked in). They even called to make sure the Pak n' Play was there. A light bulb was burnt out above the dining table and they came right away with a new one.
- The size of the villa was great and our kids loved playing with the ducks that wandered the grounds. They also had free wireless internet access in all the villas so that was a big plus.

Not so positives:
- The villas could use a little updating. The kitchen supplies were basic. The grills were a joke. I saw four and only 2 were working. Like a previous reviewer stated, you had to wait for an "engineer" to come help light the grills. Bring a match to the grill as all the "engineer" did was use a lighter to light the grills (the timers weren't working) to save time in waiting for the "engineer".
- The hours for the workout room was not convenient (opened @ 7). The World Center fitness center didn't open until 8 am unless you had a room key from the World Center. I like to workout early so we could get the family ready to the parks @ opening so this put a crunch on time.

Overall we really enjoyed the Imperial Palms and would exchange timeshare here again. We didn't get bothered much with a timeshare sales pitch, although my parents did attend just to see how Marriott Vacation Clubs worked. They weren't impressed with the sales person so it was easy for them to take the 125 Marriott Dollars offered and leave. The construction caused no distractions, even on World Center Dr, where part of the sidewalk is closed. I ran from the villas to the World Center and didn't feel in danger of being hit by a car (most were curtious enough to move to the next lane).

I planned a stay at this Marriott based on the good reviews I read on this site, so I wanted to be sure to post a review of what I saw.

Yes, the staff is friendly. But other than the front desk, and the concierge, you wont find anyone else walking the grounds (except cleaning staff).

On our trip, the construction was not a problem. Not noisy, or smelly (i.e. no tar/roofing). However, the sidewalk to the main World Center Marriott Hotel was blocked and it was impossible to walk with a stroller to the hotel's pool without walking on the road at some points in the route. The Palms offers a transport service once every 45 minutes to the main hotel.

I have visited the MVClubs at Aruba, Hilton Head, Singer Island, Palm Beach, Grande Vista. This was by far the most embarrassing excuse for a MVC I have seen. The mattresses used in all of the bedrooms contain no springs or coils; its all foam/padding. It probably started at 7 or 8 inches think, but after the wear, the result is something much thinner. OUrs was 4.5 inches thick. Neither myself or my husband were able to get more than 5 contiguous hours of sleep because of the mattress. TRIED THE OTHER BEDROOMS, and it was the same thing. I think it would have been better to put a sleeping bag on the floor. When my husband asked about this - hotel said there was nothing they could do.

Amenities at the resort are pitiful- no bar, no prepared food. Sure there is the Marketplace if you want to buy a cold beverage, or dry goods. Or you can walk to the World Center (at least a mile with traffic whizzing by) if you want a margarita or a hamburger. But again, not the service you would expect from a MVC Resort.

The main pool was not skimmed each day and the kiddie pool (next to the big pool) was littered with leaves, wrappers, trash and sand from the nearby playground. There were no activities for children at the Palms pool. A request for pool towels (i.e. handed out at the pool) at 9:15 am was not responded to, at 10 AM a second request for towels was met at approximately 10:30.

The grills at the resort are not operating correctly (i.e. "timers" and lighting mechanism do not work), burn elements have disintegrated (some grills). After you figure out that the grill lighter is not working, in order to light the grill you have to call for a service person (by going to the front desk) and waiting no less than 30 minutes.

The concierge could not give the name of any local seafood stores. WHen I asked for yellow pages, she responded that she did not have them. Did not offer to (a) get the names of local seafood market or (b) get a copy of the yellow pages for me. Also, on a separate time, could not give me the times of disney events (openings closings, etc). This despite the fact that information was available on a monthly basis from disney themself. Mr. Mark Mannix WAS helpful, even though he was the rep for the Time Share Sales in the lobby.

No payphone or courtesy phone in the lobby. SO if you are locked out of your room (because of the 10 AM checkout) and dont have access to a cell phone, and want to check on your flight, you have to use the desk attendent's main telephone.

Great Location, Great Marriott Landscaping, but a terribly disappointing MVC Property. Definitely recommend Marriott V.C. Grande Vista over Imperial, sabal Palms.