TRAARVTEL
ORLANDO FUN
Hilton’s DoubleTree at SeaWorld
156 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
By Margaret Word Burnside
and Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Gram
and Noraa
Since Orlando is just a short drive
from the Tampa Bay area, it is one
of our favorite getaways. Usually
we head right for Disney, but this
time we booked ourselves into Hilton’s
DoubleTree resort adjacent to SeaWorld.
Yes, the warm chocolate chip cookies at
check-in confirmed our decision as well
as the multi-million dollar renovation
and expansion.
Built on 28 beautiful acres between
International Drive and SeaWorld, this
resort is a relaxing oasis with tropical
plantings and lush palms. It features
PURE accommodations that are nearly
99.9 percent allergen-free because of the
in-room medical grade air purification
system, which made us less apprehensive
about catching something while we were
away. There are two onsite swimming
pools with one designated for families
next to Hideaway Cove, which is a play
area with ping pong, a large-sized checker
board, a nine-hole miniature golf course
and more. Drinks are available at the
Barefoot Bar near the adult pool, or in
the lobby at the Sonoma Bar, and food
is available morning, noon and night at
the Laguna restaurant with its indoor
and covered outdoor seating. Laguna
serves delicious cuisines from simple
appetizers to a wondrous breakfast buffet.
We dined there several times and were
never disappointed.
The new Infinity Falls at
SeaWorld sends you through
roaring world-class rapids in a
raft that plunges down a 39-foot
drop into churning whitewater.