Reporting back after a very nice stay at the Dolphin.
This was a solo stay October 2-8 in room 5178, deluxe resort view with balcony. I checked in around 6:00 pm. The line was very short and the agent was gracious. Bell services was friendly and fast both for check-in and check-out. No issues with my folio either.
Through the Bonvoy app, I had requested a room with a working balcony away from the construction, and was placed in the westernmost “finger” facing East toward Crescent Lake. Being East-facing, the balcony was shaded in the afternoon and evening, which made for some very pleasant sitting and enjoying the view, which (bonus!) included some fireworks from Harmonious.
Daytime view room 5178 (it felt more expansive in person):
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Nighttime view
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The room was clean and in decent shape. It did show some wear here and there but no worse than most hotels I’ve stayed in. Weather was perfect, no rain at all, so I did not spend a lot of time there other than an hour or two break most afternoons. The bathroom vanity was nice and bright, brighter than many hotels, and the water pressure was great on the 5th floor. The extra vanity/tabletop worked perfectly as a beverage and snack station. Bed was amazingly comfortable which led to great sleep, and more energy for the parks.
My only drawback with the room was the lack of a low-intensity reading light; the room was either very bright with the lamp on or very dark with it off -- no in-between for winding down at night. If a low light is important to you, you may want to bring your own night light or reading light.
I would not hesitate to stay there again, especially for a solo trip. With my AP discount the room cost less than a moderate, and was much more comfortable and convenient compared to my stay at French Quarter in March. While the Dolphin may not have a literal theme like French Quarter, it does have it’s own distinct vacation vibe and you can’t beat being able to walk or boat to two parks and the Boardwalk.
Walking back into the S/D area at night felt like walking into Walt Disney’s “City of the Future.” It did not feel like I was missing anything.
Sorry, I did not check out the pools or on-site restaurants. Any other questions please ask!