Quick take - The primary business purpose of this property appears to be wedding receptions. People looking for a traditional B&B will be disappointed, especially with the breakfast. Out of state visitors primarily interested in visiting theme parks should look elsewhere. People looking to experience downtown old Orlando as a “local” for a short stay may find it of interest. The inn is in a wonderful neighborhood for walking with good restaurants, wine bars and coffee shops and Lake Eola Park is a couple of blocks away. There are many pluses and minuses for this property and we would have given it a higher rating except for . . .

The Inn - The rooms are located in cluster of small older homes around a central courtyard clearly created for receptions. The property takes up a considerable portion of a city block. It is a nice location for an outdoor wedding reception. The small swimming pool is only slightly larger than a plunge pool provided with an individual room at some Caribbean resorts. The pool area is pleasant with tables and chairs for an occasional dip to relieve the heat of the day or enjoy a Florida evening. The second floor Roosevelt room we reserved is a pleasant small suite furnished with some antiques with a sitting room, small bedroom and bath. The bathroom needs updating. There is a small TV in both the sitting area and bedroom, with microwave and under counter fridge in the sitting room. They provided one set of dishes and glasses for a room designed for two. The four poster king bed was quite comfortable but surprisingly there was no lamp on the single bedside table making reading in bed a problem. Only lighting in the bedroom was the ceiling light and a dresser lamp. We did not use the deck sitting area outside our room as it overlooked an active street and was in the hot afternoon sun during our summer visit. The motel-style push button air conditioning unit located in the bedroom did an adequate job of cooling the suite but was too noisy for us to sleep. We choose to super cool the room before bedtime and turn off the AC for the night. Overnight street noise was not an issue and did not impact our sleep. Ice is available from the innkeeper only during office hours which do not extend into the evening. The wireless internet did not work in our room. The maid service was good and room was clean but there were some minor maintenance problems outside the room, loose and broken boards on deck, nail pops on stairs.

The office staff was friendly and they kept our small cooler with them the morning of our arrival while we enjoyed our visit to the nearby Leu Botanical Gardens before check-in. We spent two nights here. On our first morning we arrived at the breakfast room 40 minutes into the breakfast period to find the doors were locked. We called the innkeeper’s after hour number and got voice mail. We walked to the nearby Central City Market Restaurant and had a very nice breakfast sitting in their street side outdoor dining area. Upon returning from breakfast, the staff had arrived and we requested and received credit from the inn for the missed breakfast. The breakfast provided the second morning was not typical B&B fare. They offered vending machine style individually packaged bagels and danish, sugar coated cereal, bananas, oranges and good coffee. The milk and orange juice were in small cartons. For a B&B, a real forgettable breakfast, and not as good as that provided at many low rate chain motor inns along the interstate.

Parking can be a problem given the high level of activity in the immediate area. The Inn does not have enough off street parking for its overnight guests, there are restrictions on nearby street parking, and many daytime businesses permit evening parking but no overnight parking on their lots –tow zone. Inn Guests returning in the evening by car may be challenged to find nearby parking. This was not a problem for us as the Inn’s off-street parking was available late afternoon.

The inn has a great location in downtown old Orlando on the edge of an established historic residential community. Single family homes, restaurants, and law offices encompass much of the adjoining area. The local residents clearly patronize the businesses in the immediate vicinity and people are out walking in the area. We had a wonderful, though expensive, dinner at the highly rated Hue Restaurant, one block from the inn, and also enjoyed dinner at Wildside Bar and Grill and carry out pizza from Anthony’s, both of which are across the street from the Inn. There are many other dining choices within walking distance. Walking in nearby Lake Eola Park is pleasant. The fountain is lit at night and even at 9-10 PM on a warm summer night the park was busy with strolling adults and children enjoying the play area. On Sunday midday, they have an organized market in the park with vendors selling produce, grilled food, and other products. There are regularly scheduled events in the park. [--]. This is a really nice neighborhood to enjoy.

With a few changes, this Inn could be much improved.