Grand Beach (formerly Embassy Vacation Resort)

We (a family of four with kids ages 8 and 10) stayed here in May 2007 on an RCI guest certificate (trading with a relative's timeshare week). We stayed in a three bedroom - three bath in a building located mid-way between the two pool areas.

Our three bedroom condo was very spacious, with two kings and two twin beds. It could have comfortably accommodated six to eight people. The screened porch, which overlooked a pond with interesting bird life (including diving, fish-eating, Ahinga birds), was also very spacious. Overall, the layout of the condo was excellent, but the furnishings and appliances were beginning to show some wear. There was a lose board on one of the king headboards, one of the stove burners would not lay flat, and the couch looked worn out (we did not request service for these issues). The day we arrived, we requested maintenance to fix a broken ice maker in the refrigerator, which they did very quickly, but they were back a few hours later to replace the entire refrigerator as the refrigerator section would not get cold. Service was top notch. This was the only time we needed it.

The room was pretty clean, but not outstanding. Similarly, the beds were comfortable, but not remarkably so.

The location of the resort is excellent as a base for visiting the theme parks. It is very close to Disney and also provided quick access to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, Wet 'n Wild, and Sea World. The location on peaceful Lake Bryan was a calm and welcome refuge from the hustle and bustle of the parks when we returned each night. The grounds were well maintained, but were not great by Orlando landscaping standards. The Magnolia trees were in bloom during our visit. A drought made the ponds a little unsightly as the water level had dropped quite a bit, exposing dry pond bottom.

The kids loved the pools and wanted to go for a swim each day no matter how busy the day had been. They also loved the wildlife. Little 4 to 6 inch lizards abound, which my son found endlessly fascinating. We also spotted a 4 foot snake on the dock leading out into the lake one night, which turned out to be non-poisonous (a Steve Irwin wannabe grabbed the thing to determine this). I'm sure it was attracted by the numerous and very tame squirrels. We got a bag of peanuts to feed the squirrels and they came up to within a few inches of us to be fed. The kids attended an organized duck feeding one day and enjoyed their time with the event staff.

The picnic areas are nice, with picnic tables and BBQ grills, but we had to plan to eat a bit early to make sure we got one. They could use a few more.

Check in and check out were quick and efficient, and we found the staff to be pleasant and helpful. A pay by the minute internet terminal was available in the lobby, which I used a couple of times. It was very slow (frustrating when paying by the minute) and I sometimes had to wait for the terminal as they only had one (they could quickly alleviate that by adding a couple more cheap $300 desktops and a router).

Overall my impressions of this resort were very positive and I would gladly return. In my opinion, it deserves its RCI Silver Crown rating. I liked it well enough that this year, while looking to purchase two timeshare weeks, I kept an eye out for suitable resales at this resort. I can see myself trading into this resort again in the future.

Have been staying here for years. The place is showing some wear, but the managment is striving to correct any problems. Area is beautiful, rooms are large and this is a great kid-spot for daytime poolside activities. Very easy to find your young children at the pools. Very close to Disney. The lakeside views are beautiful. Best thing about the resort are the new beds! They are heavenly.

We just returned from a week at the Grand Beach and had a wonderful time. We stayed in a 3 bedroom, 3 bath which was very large, very clean, and had a wonderfully large screened in balcony. There were basically two master bedrooms and then a smaller room with two single beds. We did not do much cooking in the unit - just breakfasts and lunches - and so it was adequately equipped for us.

We had no problems checking in or out and the staff was very friendly and helpful. There were many activities each day and my 5 year old daughter loved the arts and crafts and face painting and the activities staff was very nice. The pool was clean and well heated and the playground for the children was nice as well. We were close to everything you could want - Disney, SeaWorld, groceries, dining, mini golf, etc.

A few of the negatives were that the couch and chairs, as mentioned by other reviewers, were not comfortable, and our bed was a little lumpy. The internet connection in the lobby was very slow.

Overall, however, I would highly recommend this resort and would look to stay here again on a return trip to Orlando.

Our family stayed in a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom suite in building 4 at Grand Beach from Aug. 3- 10, 2007. We stayed there by an exchange through RCI.

The resort looked beautiful, just like the photos I had seen. I was disappointed that we could not get a lake front view but maybe that was because we arrived on a Friday.

I had read in reviews that the sofa & chairs were not comfortable and that is accurate. The beds were very comfortable and seemed new. The nice screened-in porch compensated for the uncomfortable sofa & 2 chairs and added an extra room if some people wanted to read instead of watch TV. The dining room chairs were comfortable.

I was glad there was a DVD player in the living room (as well as TV's in all 3 bedrooms). They have a machine to rent DVD's from in the lobby. Another convenience is the little market in the lobby where you can buy milk, eggs, bread, candy, newspaper, sunscreen, etc.

The front desk wasn't always helpful. We were there when the Space Shuttle launched and I called to ask if the Lobby TV was tuned in to the Countdown. They gave me the 3rd degree on why did I want to know. Then they told me that someone was watching another channel. I didn't believe them so I walked over to the building and there was one person using the internet, not watching the TV. I was trying to find a place to watch the countdown and then go outside to see the shuttle in the air. We ended up being able to see the shuttle in the air from our porch!

They charge you $40. for the week to use the internet in your room. They aren't the only ones that do that, but since we couldn't stay connected most of the time it was not a good deal. Even though there was a wireless router in our bedroom, the computer could only detect a signal in another suite down the hall. We only got one bar and the signal was dropped a lot. Going online with the wireless in the lobby is free. I asked a man connected there if it was because he had problems connecting in his room and he said yes.

If you are staying for 7 days they give you light maid service midweek. They had some exclusions but I don't remember them. We had a washer/dryer so we washed towels if needed. They gave us enough detergent for the week as well as dishwasher detergent.

There are two pools. Our building was near the pool by the Lobby. It wasn't large but was large enough and never crowded. There is a jacuzzi there too and the pool is right off the lake.

It was so hot that we didn't rent the canoes or paddleboats or the fishing rods and bait but they are available. There is a place down the street that rents Jet skis for Lake Bryan. We also didn't participate in any of the resort activities but there are some.

We couldn't believe how close we were to Epcot. We were off Rt 535 which is a major highway and very close to I-4 which is another major highway. It was very close and easy to get to the airport also.

We didn't do a lot of outside activities as our elderly parents were with us and it was 94 - 98 degrees outside the whole week. We were very happy that the air conditioning worked great.

One of the best things, especially because it was so hot, was that Grand Beach has elevators and indoor parking. The car didn't get as hot as it would have being parked outside. Even though our elevator wasn't air conditioned, I was glad not to have to walk up 4 flights of stairs (or even 1!)

In the Welcome packet we received there was a paper warning that portable gps units were a popular item to be stolen and don't leave anything in your car. Well sure enough, one day my husband after he put the gps under the seat (it was still plugged into the cigarette lighter) got distracted and didn't lock the door. That turned out for the best as another guest was giving a report to the police the same day as us and not only did their gps get stolen but their car window was broken. There is security from 4 pm to 7 am but they didn't catch the thief.

We all enjoyed our stay at Grand Beach.

We ahve stayed 3 times already and have recommened over and over. Space is on the top of my list along with location and this has both. Traveling with kids I love that it has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths!! We were all ready in a timely fashion to get out and start our day! It is located a mile form on of Disney Worlds entrances and close to many restaurants. Units are clean and updated.

The pool is not extra-ordinary but inviting and if you like to fish you can rent a canoe and go out on the lake. I will stay here many more trips to come!

We love the space this resort offers. The three bdrms allow us to bring our teenagers and they can really spread out. The resort is located on a lovely lake with many kinds of boats. There are two pools including a new pool just added this year. The people at the resort are friendly and accommodating and there are always activities for kids of all ages. The location is one of the best features of the Grand Beach. It is located about 5 minutes from Disney World but it can be equally as accesible to Universal and Sea World. Love the resort, loved the rooms and loved the location. I give it a 5

My first visit to this resort was through an exchange from one of my other resorts. I was so impressed by the resort, the villa layout, and the amenities, that I became an ower shortly thereafter.

The 3BR-3BA villa had TWO (2) MASTER KING bedrooms - with large adjoining full bath - tub - separate shower - twin vanity - closet. The guest bedroom had two (2) twins and adjacent full bath. All 3 BR had separate TVs.

Full eat-in kitchen - large and small appliances - cookware - dinnerware - microwave - washer and dryer.

Living room had a pull-out sleep-sofa - another TV - venetian blinds - French doors to a large screened-in and furnished balcony.

Beautiful resort to stroll along the walks by the lake. (2) heated pools - (2) spas - playground - water sports - other sports - sponsored side trips.

Being an I.I. 5-Star Resort and an RCI Silver Crown Resort, the trading power to other resorts is OUTSTANDING - worldwide !

I would recommend this beautiful 3BR-3BA family resort to everyone.

I have stayed at this resort 4 times. It's not the greatest; but it a clean, pleasent place to stay.

We (a kid-free middle-aged couple) stayed here for a week in November 2005.

The positives were its terrific location, near all things Disney plus shopping, restaurants, etc. We had requested a 1 BR unit but were assigned 3 BR! The nicest part of this was that we each had a bathroom and more closets and drawers than we needed.

The negatives were the lack of high-speed Internet access. The thermostat did not function properly, and some of the furniture needed refreshing. These negatives will need to be addressed or else this resort will be run out of the market by the newer, glitzier properties all over Orlando.

Despite the Embassy name and logo, this is a Sunterra resort. We took a sales presentation, and the sales staff was pleasant and well informed.

We would gladly spend another week here any time.

I bought here in 1992 and have used it at least annually, sometimes twice a year. It is clean, spaceous, great staff and activities for the kids. They now have 2 large pools and hot tubs. Plans to open a restaurant by jan 2006.

Just a few miles from all the Disney properties, convenient to all the attractions, shopping and restaurants. Full kitchen if you want to eat in.

My mother owns a week at this resort since 1997. I was the very first person out of my family to stay there in June of 2003. The place is simply wonderful. Activities coordinators who are also the staff on check in are very friendly and accomodating . I stayed there with my boyfriend and four friends and we were all about 19 at the time. It was our first Independent vacation. It was like home away from home. The rooms were well furnished and clean. The maid service was great. The front desk and maintenance were very efficient. I had called because our stereo was not working properly and within 20 minutes someone came up with a brand new system (which was nice by the way). The same thing went for a plumbing issue. As far as getting to the parks and everything else, as long as you have a car you are fine because they are all in reach. There is a supermarket down the road about 3 minutes down. All together , I really enjoyed the stay and I convinced my mother not to sell it(Since she never used it) . She is better off renting to us or trading the week and renting it to us for somewhere else... say like Cancun(Royal Sands/Islander 6-11-2005- I am looking for 2 villas to trade or rent) lol.We own this and Star Island and I am hearing better reviews for Embassy . on TripAdvisors. Anyhow, this is a great place to relax. I have no regrets, we enjoyed ourselves and had no complaints both ways. That is how sound the walls were. No but seriously , it is a nice place to stay.

We could not have asked for a better place to rest and relax during our week at Disney World. My wife and I stayed with 4 kids and had plenty of room and privacy.

A very pleasant and wonderful stay.

We stayed in May 2003 and found the room to be outstanding. Nice to have 3 bedrooms and 3 large baths. Very quite and relaxing property.

The amenities could be improved such as adding another pool, larger exercise room and lighting the tennis and basketball courts.

We stayed here two years ago..everything was top notch. We had a fourth floor unit, lakeview. Very spacious, three bedroom, convenient location. The hammocks on the beach were great....and the kids loved fishing off the gazebo in the lake. Great fun!!!

We stayed in August 2002. Very limited pool area but activity directors and staff very good. Need a second pool. Was a bit disappointed in cleanliness. We asked for a better job cleaning the floors--they came to clean them but they still looked dirty. Nice set up but ours didnt look like the picture shown and we had a three bedroom.

stayed here several years ago

first class rooms 3 huge bed rooms fully equiped full laundry in unit

good location to parks and grocery stores w/o using I4