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Palm Lakefront Resort & Hostel

Orlando (Kissimmee), Florida, USA

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Address
4840 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway (Highway 192), Orlando (Kissimmee)   Map
Price
dorms high/low season $25 US Check Current Prices by Date Here
Location/Contact
Details
Their Description

Features

  • Kitchen
  • Lockers
  • Gameroom
  • Lounge / Common space
  • Swimming Pool
  • BBQ
  • Washing Machine (laundry)
  • Travel information provided
  • Bike Rental
  • 24 Hour Free Hot Showers
  • Phones (public or in room)
  • Air Conditioning
  • Gym/Fitness Room
 
The Hostelz.com Review
The Palm Lakefront is a converted motel with good facilities, and a good atmosphere. The hostel is very social orientated, with a large swimming pool, dining area, and regular foosball competitions, as well as outings to local bars.

It's located in Kissimmee, which is pretty far away from the local sights unless you have a car (highly recommended). Public transport is provided, but it takes a long time to get to attractions such as Universal Studios (over 2 hours and 3 bus changes). Shuttle services are available, but are also pricey. To get to the hostel from Orlando you need to take a couple of buses, it takes over 2 hours from the Greyhound Orlando bus station.

There is a supermarket right across the road, as well as a lot of diners and takeaway restaurants within walking distance.

There are good facilities provided, internet is cheap, there's a big kitchen with plenty of storage space, two washers and driers and two payphones (there's usually a line for them). Of course as the name implies, the hostel is on a lake, which is located directly behind the hostel. Also behind the hostel is a swimming pool, which is great for cooling off in the summer.

The rooms are fairly large and have good bathrooms and air conditioning. The double rooms are well worth the extra money if you can afford it, as they come with cable TV and a nice bathroom, including towels provided for you. The always busy staff are very willing to help, although they are away from the desk a lot, the hostel could use some extra workers.

Overall the Palm Lakefront is a friendly, fun place to stay, and is excellent value for money, although a rental car is highly recommended because everything is so spread out in the area.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review


Your Comments
This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites, we don't censor out the negative comments.
We do not validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Comment by Hantz and Teresa, Germany
July 2008
I wish there were no "starz" rating
Cause i am giving it a "zero." this is got to be one of the worst hostels i've ever stayed at. owners, which are the staff, are rude. I had to listen to some preaching on some guy that he talks a lot. also the younger "staff" was chasing girls like he owned them. it was disgusting. Stay away -- do yourself a favor.
Comment by Elena, Russia
July 2008
Stay away if possible please.
this place is run by a family. set aside all the bickering and gossip, this place is a dive. this is the worst hostel i even been to. Stay away, do yourself a favor.
Comment by Julie, US
July 2008
Dump
Stayed here one night. Staff were rude. Local drunks live here. Room was filthy -- mold and hair in the bathroom, scary stained carpet was also filthy. Lighting was provided by a bare bulb on a chain in the middle of the room. Afraid of getting bedbugs in this place. Trust me, I've backpacked all over Europe, and this place is by far the worst. Scary times, my friend.
Comment by Bill, Canada
February 2008
Look elsewhere
The most disappointing part of my stay was the almost comdemning attitude of the manager, Aaron. Why does he treat most people like he's doing them a favor, instead of the paying customer doing him a favor by staying at this hostel? Other than Aaron, the hostel itself is prime. Location is the best, grounds are well kept, and Aaron's brother Jerry is a welcome personality. Most of the locals who stay at the hostel are harmless, even if they do over indulge with habits. Gives the place a local flair. I'd stay again. Maybe Aaron will lighten-up or move on.
Comment by Helena, Sweden
December 2007
Bad
This is a hellhole. It was the most disgusting hostel I've ever stayed at. The dorms were dirty, the kitchen smelled like something died in there, the staff was very rude, and it was a bad experience all over.
Comment by CC, Canada
September 2007
Ok though
I though this hostel was a good and cheap alternative in Orlando. We had a double room, which was very large, with TV, fridge, and private bathroom, which is quite rare in a hostel. The hostel have a pool and a kitchen too. However I had the bad suprise to be bitten by bedbugs. How come nobody else experienced that? Anyway, do not stay in room 115, (or one close to that, they can spread).
Comment by Trizzia, Philippines/Australia
July 2007
Laid back
had loads of fun, even extended for another week. staff are great, and met loads of people during my stay.
Comment by Misty
February 2007
I stayed there this last Dec. for a few days. The rooms were very average. The location is good. It took some doing to get someone to come to the counter for check in/out. My biggest beef is the hotel next door was cheaper than their private room was! Maybe it's worth it better for the dorms, but I definitely could have gotten cheaper than their private room was.
Comment by Anon.
December 2006
I just called long distance down to florida from B.C. to say that I needed to cancel my reservation and the man who answered the phone was incredibly rude. I said I wanted to cancel my reservation right off the bat. Usually when you say that you hear typing or something that indicates they're canceling it. I promptly gave him my name, thinking he was waiting for that. He threw in some other rude sentence about what was it I wanted to know. What was it I wanted to know? I told him right off the bat what I wanted to do. This place is obviously not starving for attention or they would be practicing their phone etiquette.
Comment by Aussie
September 2006
I just phoned this hostel to make enquiries and the man who answered the phone was rude and couldn't wait to get off the phone. He rudely told me to send him an email with questions. If this is any indication of the type of treatment I would receive staying there, I choose to stay elsewhere.
Comment by lauren
July 2006
how can anybody fault this place! it was great, i stayed there for fourteen days and was the best hostel on the trip! i wouldnt have wanted to go anywhere else! lovely guys behind the desk always helpful and the people we met there were brilliant. disney and all the parks were really close, buses are a great help, the pool and lake were lovely, definitely five stars and will be going back!
Comment by Eduardo Souza Machado da Silva
May 2006
I've been there for nine days in June 2005 with my girlfriend visiting parks and friends. It was a great time. I met good people (from Poland to Argentina, Brazil, U.S.A.). I used kitchen, public phone, internet (shared dial up that time). The place is in front of a great supermarket (Publix) and also near bus station. You could save a lot of money buying food in Publix and using hostel's kitchen. Besides, the owner (Aaron) is a very good guy. I recommend that place to everyone.
Comment by daniel h
May 2006
kitchen and outdoor area great, guy who worked there was great, booked a few things and was helpful. rooms a little small though, but with it the only hostel in orlando u get all the travellers there. but dont use the public transport too much! good hostel though and across the road from shopping centre.
Comment by Wanderley
May 2006
We stayed at the hostels for eleven nights. We were a party of six and we stayed in two rooms, one of them had a nice kitchen. The rooms are comfortable, the shower is excelent. As we went in winter time, we could not check the swimming pool. The owner and his son are there for any help. They explain everything and they make the atmorphere very cosy and happy.
Comment by Dick Williams
November 2005
I spent one night at the Palm Lakefront in mid November 2005 and give it 5 stars. A couple of negative comments here in the reviews shouldn't deter you if you're thinking about this hostel — it's a converted motel through and through — no escaping that but the up side is that it has a pool. That's pretty rare in the world of hostelling and the pool was clean, well maintained and located on the backside or the lake side of the grounds so it was screened from Highway 192 and in a quiet, relatively private setting. Large "back yard" — again well cared for. . I was in room 104 — a six-person dorm room with typical motel bathroom — adequate and I was lucky in that only three were using the room. With all six beds in use it'd be rather crowded just from gear and clothes but there are some lockers in the room — not much else. The common area off the office provides room to spread out. Kitchen also in the common area and a TV room with two Internet terminals — 20-minute free sessions available via a signup list — however only one terminal was working for my stay. If you arrive by LYNX bus the landmark to watch for is the Super 8 Motel, which is next door west of the hostel. They mention the Publix supermarket across the street and Disney Marker Eleven as landmarks but neither of those is as showy as the Super 8's lighted yellow sign if you get there at night. The hostel is marked with a sign but it's sort of lost amid other signage. The location is where route 192 makes a big curve toward the southeast at Highway 535. Try to have the location nailed down — it's well past Old Town — a prominent landmark along 192. My bus driver knew where it was so helped me exit at the right stop but some might not know of it. Do allow 2 1/2 hours to get to the airport from the hostel — it takes that much time even though it doesn't look to be that far — three buses and some waiting but it's a $1.50 ride. Good spot — the guys at the desk were pretty much "yes" or "no" to questions but that was basically all I needed. I'd definitely stay again and the price is right, $16 for a dorm space — came to $18.08 with taxes and that included sheets, towel, and pillowcase. Plenty of places nearby to eat from Taco Bell and McDonalds to Middle Eastern, Oriental, and barbecue, and the Publix market is across the street on the north side of Highway 192. D*ck in Kansas City www.kcsky.net
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