Rosen Centre Hotel
9840 International Dr., Orlando, Florida 32819, USA
Why We Like It
Harris Rosen's hotels always offer high quality lodging, great service and convenient location. The Rosen Centre offers all three, with its central spot on International Drive, proximity to the theme parks, and its sleek, sophisticated rooms and great options for dining. Rosen's dedication to giving his guests a great experience is legendary.
Fodor's Expert Review
One of several hotels and resorts in Orlando owned by independent hotelier Harris Rosen, the Rosen Centre offers covered sky-bridge access to the convention center. Families on vacation or accompanying the conventioneer have similar easy access to Universal Studios Orlando, SeaWorld, Aquatica, and other I-Drive entertainment complexes. Newly renovated rooms offer loads of high-tech amenities and sophisticated furnishings. The vast marble-floored lobby is like a giant living room, filled with comfortable places to sit and linger over drinks or coffee. A large pool, whirlpool, and wading pool provide a perfect respite from summer heat, and a spa and fitness center tend to guests' physical well-being.
You Should Know Take care not to confuse the Rosen Centre with the Rosen Plaza, its sister hotel, only a couple of blocks south on I-Drive, or the Rosen Shingle Creek, also not far away. All are near the Orange County Convention Center, and are three of the seven excellent resorts and hotels owned by Harris Rosen.
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Room
The guestrooms were updated in late 2017, to reflect hotelier Harris Rosen’s aim to provide a serene escape for business travelers and vacationing families. Deep teal walls, gray and teal carpets, silver accents and platform beds with crisp white linens on customized pillow-top mattresses reflect a sophisticated sensibility. No need to battle over recharging or connecting as technology is king in the updated rooms. A generous dresser-desk provides space for multiple laptops, ergonomic work chairs ensure comfort, and the 50-inch flat screen TV contains a multi-outlet connectivity bar, as do the desk lamps, headboards and nightstand lamps. Guestrooms feature complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, 17-inch safes, and the obligatory hairdryers, irons and ironing boards.
Tip Guests arriving and departing by plane should be sure to make use of the efficient BAGS service, which allows guests to receive airline boarding passes and check luggage at the hotel lobby, and then proceed straight to the gate at Orlando International Airport.
Bathroom
Also recently updated, the spacious marble bathrooms provide plenty of linens, along with toiletries by Crabtree & Evelyn La Source.
Lobby
The vast terrazzo floored atrium with its iconic banquets is more than a space to pass through while checking in. As guests move further into the lobby, they enter an area designed for socializing, with numerous spots to sit, drink, eat, watch the news, gaze out at the pool, or just relax. It's a fascinating chance to watch the passing crowd, or to enjoy a cup of coffee before heading out to a day at the parks, or a refreshing pick-me-up upon returning.
Pool
The large, palm-shaded central pool offers enough space for swimming laps, or just a spot to cool down after a hot day at a theme park, or simply relaxing in the whirlpool. Plenty of lounge seats for sunning, and Harry’s Poolside Bar & Grill offers food and drink service poolside or indoors.
Spa
The Spa at Rosen Centre offers a true respite, whether from convention stresses, or too much vacation fun. From the moment guests leave the hubbub of the busy lobby and enter the subdued lighting of the spa, they find a sanctuary filled with delicate, soothing smells and sounds. The relaxation rooms (separate ones for men and women) are stocked with refreshing drinks and healthy snacks. The massage menu includes Swedish, stone, deep tissue, aroma therapy and more, all taking place in one of seven treatment rooms. Also available are herbal wraps, full-body scrubs and other skin treatments, along with facials and a full-service beauty salon with make-up and hair experts. Guests at the spa also receive access to the fitness center.
Gym
Cardio equipment including treadmills, ellipticals and bikes with flat-screen monitors and iPod connections, along with strength training equipment like free weights, Cable Cross adjustable machine, circuit training machines, medicine balls, and resistance balls all combine to offer plenty of choice to anyone looking for a workout.
You Should Know A membership fee of $15 (one time fee for as long as the guest is registered) is required to use the hotel’s fitness center. The center is available 24 hours a day, with access only by guestroom key.
Dining
With nine dining options to choose from, guests never have to leave the premises for any meals. Diners can choose from steak and seafood fine dining at Everglades Restaurant and Bar, or more casual but still sophisticated eateries such as 98Forty Tapas & Tequila, where innovative small dishes blend Spanish and Mexican flavors, or the excellent Banshoo Sushi bar in the lobby. Harry's Poolside Bar & Grill's Caribbean-Cuban fusion cuisine along with a wide range of refreshing cocktails can be ordered poolside or in air conditioned comfort. Reflecting Rosen's New York roots, Sam & Bubbe's lounge offers traditional Jewish noshes and a wide variety of drinks late into the evening. For breakfast or light lunches, Red's Deli offers hot and cold savory dishes and sandwiches 24 hours a day. If you'd rather stay in for dinner, room service is available 17 hours a day.
Drinking
There's no lack of opportunities to imbibe at the Centre, from the lounge at Everglades Restaurant and Bar, where guests are surrounded by large aquariums filled with brilliantly colored tropical fish, to 98Forty Tapas & Tequila, with its selection of 40 premium tequilas, or Sam & Bubbe's in the lobby. Tropical cocktails by the pool are part of a Florida vacation, and Harry's Poolside Bar & Grill offers up a wide range of umbrella-laden confections.
You Should Know The setting sun blazes into the Everglades Bar from about 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., so if you are looking for a dark spot to have a drink, look elsewhere, or go after sunset.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
With so much on offer inside the Rosen Centre itself, and so much within walking distance on International Drive, guests could get by without a car. Ride-sharing and taxi service is readily available, and the convenient I-RIDE Trolley travels the length of I-Drive, including stops at SeaWorld and outlet malls.
Restaurants
The Rosen Centre is located across from Pointe Orlando, a vibrant entertainment and dining center with 22 restaurants and entertainment options including live music, stand-up comedy, and an I-Max 4DX movie theater complex. The Improv offers nationally known comics and B.B. King's Blues Club brings in live blues. Dining options range from high-end steak house The Capital Grille, or seafood emporium The Oceanaire Seafood Room, to burgers and tacos.
Bars
Many of the restaurants in Pointe Orlando have lounges attached, but there are separate drinking establishments that offer options from the rustic to the sophisticated. Visitors can hoist a beer to the blues at B.B. King's Blues Club, or at the Main Event, a bowling alley, pool hall and games room; sip a martini in the VIP lounge at Blue Martini; or, if the heat is proving too much to bear, a visit to minus5° offers a cool alternative, with walls, bar, seats, glasses and sculptures made of ice.
Quick Facts
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