This review is based on the stay of two couples (with no kids) from March 6-10, 2009. The visit was for both leisure and work; and included visits to the Walt Disney World theme parks and Atlanta Braves Spring Training. We booked a two bedroom/two bath suite. Unlike previous reviews, we found the staff pleasant, courteous, and responsive. Even communication with the hotel manager prior to arrival was above expectations.

General Design: The hotel is a modern boutique. The hotel’s scale, lobby, restaurant, and pool are all clear winners. The interior room hallways are bright and simple with door frames accented in Florida hues. However, the “Mona Lisa” theme gets lost as the building is clearly post-modern, the pool is a bit retro-Floridia, and the ambient music is generally Caribbean, Cuban or international club beats. Nothing French about the place, but the Mona Lisa notepads are cute and a nice take home for the home office.

Room: Our suite was a corner on the second floor overlooking the pool. It included two balconies (one large enough for a full table and set of chairs). One concern with a corner worth noting is that the bedrooms and bathrooms are not of equal size. While this was not a problem, it could cause conflict when determining which couple gets which.

The furnishing of the bedrooms and outfitting of the bathrooms are very nice -- modern yet cozy. However, the common living room is decidedly uninspired. It feels as if designers either ran out of interest, budget, or both.

Location: With its location just one traffic light away from Disney and its own exit at the Central Florida Greenway (Rt 417) -- there is no need to ever see the neon tackiness of Kissimmee or International Drive (lucky for all of us!). The charming village amenities of "downtown" Celebration and Market Street are a short drive (or long walk away). The town of Celebration is worth seeing (particularly for those who enjoy architecture, urbanism or a walkable village scale)

Service: The staff and management were nice, but not best in class. Housekeeping did only the basics. For example, when soap or shampoo was remaining -- they were not replaced. Towel service was stingy -- we had to ask for extras daily. Perhaps most important -- regular coffee and filters were forgotten (with only decaf and tea remaining).

Upkeep: While nearly new, the room had minor problems: The second bedroom was missing an alarm clock and the rods supporting the curtains were broken. Additionally, at the beautiful pool, the staff was slow to clean-up towels, straighten furniture and collect used beverages. At times it appeared that the hot tub was not as clean as we would have preferred, but it did not keep us out.

Final Verdict: When again raveling to Orlando we will stay at Disney for the full experience and resort feel. This is not to say we did not like Mona Lisa, or that we wouldn’t visit again, it simply would not be our first choice. We choose the Mona Lisa for the value and based on the fact that we were traveling with another couple and wanted a shared experience (two bedrooms/two baths accommodation). For that reason the Mona Lisa Suites Celebration completely fit the bill and met expectations.