Lounge Review: Marriott Orlando Lakeside Hotel Concierge Lounge

Written by Matthew Justice on Aug 12, 2023

When I travel, I try to stay at hotels that offer clubs or lounges. Sometimes these clubs offer free food and drinks as well as provide a place for working. I was in Orlando as part of the inaugural Avelo Airlines flight from Brownsville (BRO) to Orlando International (MCO). I choose to stay at the Marriott Orlando Airport Lakeside Hotel. Furthermore, I am lucky to be a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite, and as a benefit of my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (credit card), I was given access to the lounge as part of my stay.

Location and Access

The Concierge Lounge is located on the top floor (9th floor) of the hotel, just off the elevators. You will see two tinted glass doors with a big M on the glass; this is the lounge. If you have access, simply tap your key on the door panel, and the door will unlock.

The Concierge Lounge is open for breakfast from 06:00 to 09:30 (Monday-Friday), hors 'd'oeuvres from 17:30 to 19:30, snacks and desserts from 19:30 to 22:00 (Sunday-Thursday). I arrived on a Wednesday, but too late for hors 'd'oeuvres since I was at the Plaza Premium Lounge at MCO working on another review. When I arrived at the Marriott Concierge Lounge around 8pm, there were still some snacks. But I was mostly excited about the breakfast the following day.

You can access the Concierge Lounge via two standard methods. The first method is to have Platinum Elite or higher (hotel) status. Upon check-in, I always confirm the hours of the club to make sure I know the hours and to confirm I have access. The other method is to purchase a room with Concierge Lounge access. In my research, this typically costs around $30 more and sometimes means you get a better room as well. When booking on the Marriott site, look for rooms with “Concierge Lounge Access” in the room title.

One final note is that the terms of the lounge state, “Access is limited to member plus one guest.” I don't know how often this is enforced, but it is something to consider if you are traveling with a group.

Lounge Amenities

The lounge was spacious and had excellent views of the lake that sits in front of the hotel. There were 2 TVs (both tuned to Fox News). They offered a computer and printer that can be used by customers. When I was there in the evening, there was a person using the computer and printing (never seen that before). There are charging ports around the lounge both USB and A/C. The staff was very nice; I talked to the evening staff and the morning staff; both of them were very upbeat and helpful. I also did like the airplane art on the walls of DC3s and other older airlanes.

Seating and Tables

The lounge had lots of available seating and tables while I was there including window seating, sofas, dining tables, and other chairs around the lounge. The furniture was spotless, modern, and comfortable.

Food and Beverage

I won't rate the evening hors 'd'oeuvres and snacks since I arrived too late to really get the experience. But I will say there were some light snacks and coffee that were available. One of the things that did catch me by surprise was the price of the alcoholic drinks (beer $8.50 to $9.50, wine & cocktails $11.00 to $15.50). I have been to hotel lounges that offered them for free, so this was a surprise to see them for the same price as the bar downstairs.

The breakfast was very good, and I was impressed with what they were offering. They had a self-serve buffet setup with toast, bagels, muffins, and pastries. They also did offer “real” butter, cream cheese, and jelly.

They had the usual breakfast drinks of coffee, tea, orange juice, apple juice, and cranberry juice. The buffet also offered fresh fruit, eggs, sausage, and oatmeal. Everything I tried was great and fresh.

Closing Thoughts

Plan to visit this lounge if you are staying during the week and have time for breakfast. Since I checked in so late, there were no room upgrades available, but they were able to give me access to the lounge. I really enjoyed eating with the view outside and the lake.