2-Star Hotels in Cypress Gardens

I've driven past this property so many times while in town and always thought it looked kind of cute in a retro kind of way. The grounds are well-manicured and they have little pavilions with tiki lights next to the ”lake”. So, on this trip, I decided to give it a try. First the positive points -- the owners are friendly and welcoming, the room was technically clean, and the WiFi was good. However, the rooms are extremely shabby (and not in a shabby-chic kind of way). I could deal with shabby...what I could not deal with was the extremely thin walls. By ”thin” I mean this: it's best if your just put your TV on whatever channel your neighbor is watching. Trust me. Also, you will hear every single word your neighbor utters in their room....every. single. word. Finally, don't be surprised if you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of your neighbor snoring. I am serious.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! There simply are no words to describe how horrible this motel is. Filthy, putrid, or raunchy don’t really quite cut it. First, we were surprised that there was a $100 deposit we were not told about when we placed the reservation, but as it turned out, that was the least of our concerns. When we walked down to the room, the first thing we saw is that it looked as though the door had been kicked in, and shoddily repaired. Great first impression! Then we opened the door, and from the sidewalk we could see an old armchair that was filthy. But that doesn’t tell half of it. We walked in and were immediately hit with an indescribable stench! The floor, wall, furniture, bedding, EVERYTHING was dirty. We immediately closed the door and went back to the office and told the manager we could not and would not stay there, and politely asked for a refund. At first, he got pissy about it, saying that the room was cleaned after every guest, yadda yadda, and offered another room. Since we didn’t think another room would be a whole lot better, we said no, and again asked for the refund. When he hesitated, I said that if it would be a problem, I could just call the home office. Then he said, understandably, that he could not offer a refund until his employee checked the place out, so we could show him what we meant by dirty. So, we walked back to the room with another employee, a really nice young guy. When he opened the door he almost gagged! When he walked back to the bathroom (we hadn’t even gotten that far!) he pulled his shirt collar over his nose to try to block out the odor! When we went back to the office, the manager sheepishly mumbled something about how they had just changed the cleaning crew last week, or whatever. My advice is, if this is the last motel available in the area, sleep in your car. It will be a much more pleasant experience.

With a stay at Economy Suites in Winter Haven, you'll be within a 5-minute drive of LEGOLAND® Florida and Baytree Golf Club. This motel is 2.1 mi (3.4 km) from Chain of Lakes Park and 2.1 mi (3.4 km) from Winter Haven Women's Hospital.Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool, or other amenities including complimentary wireless internet access and a picnic area.Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the poolside bar.The front desk is staffed during limited hours. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 20 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have bathtubs or showers and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include desks and separate sitting areas, and housekeeping is provided daily.