For my birthday my wife and I dropped the kids off at grandma and grandpa's and went to Universal for the day. This was our first overnight trip without the kids in three years so we tried to find a nice Starwood hotel (we have SPG) that was close to the park. I was a little hesitant booking this from the negative reviews but we did it anyway. When booking I asked for the biggest room they had since they said they didn't have suites. They had a kitchenette, so I took it.
When we got to the hotel I kind of freaked because part of the parking lot was blocked off for tour buses of high school kids. Check in was easy and my wife and I made our way up to the room.
Mind you this hotel is based off of 50's Hollywood so there are a lot of things that some people would find gaudy. I guess you just have to be in the right mindset going in. Our kitchenette turned out to the be the Sinatra Suite. It was a large room overlooking Universal from the 21st floor. Very nice! Once again, you have to have the right mindset going into this room with tons of Sinatra pictures, zebra skin shower curtain and the colors of forest green and magenta! Not gross just fun. We had a good laugh and admired the view for a while. The bathroom was large and had kohler fixtures and was clean. The hotel is old but not rundown, it looks as if they have been updating it as necessary.
We ran out to dinner which was a little bit of a hassle because of International drive traffic. Came back to the hotel and got to our room. We did notice some noise from the pool but since we were 21 floor up and we were exhausted from walking all day it wasn't a problem, although if I was on a lower floor it may have been an issue.
All in all this was a good hotel to stay at after a day of theme parking. I don't really know what the regular rooms are like but anything on the 21st floor would be my choice since you have to use your room key to get there and there wasn't the normal "kids running up and down the halls" problem found in a lot of Orlando hotels (and the views are great!)

Great place!! Was a little unsure of the place after reading various bad reviews about this hotel. Most people either loved it or hated. Our stay at the hotel was a VERY good experience. I was pleasantly suprised. Rooms were very clean (and didn't smell bad like some of the other reviewers stated), trash was emptied everyday, free newpaper every morning, free cofee and tea was supplied (I suggest taking extra sugar from some of the restaurants since the hotel doesn't supply enough sugar), front desk was friendly and helpful. No problems with the plumbing (A little slow shower drain, but no big deal). Water pressure was good. I HATE slow showers. Bathroom was very roomy. New towels were supplied every day. The beds are unbelievabley comfortable! Never had a bed that comfortable at a hotel before. After a long day at the parks we would come home and lay down to relax/refresh and ended up falling sleeping for the night. The hotel is rediculously close to everything. It's on International Drive which has every store imaginable. All within walking distance. Denny's and IHOP is right next door. 7-11 across the street. Walgreen's is next to IHOP. We walked to Ponderosa the first night for a good cheap meal. Food was good and the place was clean. Many places sell discounted ticket to the theme parks but I didn't trust them with my credit card number. If you have cash then it may be a decent option. I bought my tickets online through the theme parks' web sites. (Universal/SeaWorld).
I would NOT recommend getting a rent a car. You'll spend a fortune on tolls and gas. The hotel offers free shuttle to and from the airport plus shuttle to the parks. Just tip the drive $1-$2 for each of the trip(s). You also have the I-Trolly which is VERY cheap. $2 for all day. Bus stops in front of the hotel. You could walk to Universal if you wanted to and save $10 for parking but your feet would be really sore all the extra walking. I didn't use the pool but it looked clean and inviting. It's not the biggest, but I didn't fly all the way to Orlando to swim in a pool. I was there for the theme parks. The only thing that I didn't like at the hotel was all the mirrors in the lobby and the elevator. Was like a 360 degree mirror in the elevator. If you ride up with a bunch of people, you feel like everyone is staring. Great experience. Will probably stay again at the same place (in 3-4 years) since it is nice, clean and convenient.
Don't listen to all the negative reviews on this place. They are full of it. This place is not a 5 star hotel, but it is a nice place to stay at. With all the conveniences it makes the place a must stay.
Photos posted on this place are accurate.

Very old hotel ... did not feel safe ... chaos in the elevators.

Even at $41 on priceline I felt jipped. Huge gap under the door of the room. Hotel smelled.

Would not return to this hotel.

When I was checking in a very unhappy guest came down to the checkin desk claiming her room smelled of vomit.

The only positive thing I could say is that it is close to Universal.

The hotel is clean and the staff is pleasant, but the rooms are a bit small and my ironing board refused to close after it's first use.
If you want a refrigerator, there might be an extra charge.
The bathroom is very spacious and I didn't experience trouble with the plumbing, just wait for the tank to fill up with water, before flushing again. The workout room could be a bit bigger and provide at least one more stationary bicycle. The pool is nice, but again, a bit small. The location is great, as I made it to Universal Studio within a 15 minute walk. A shuttle is provided, if you prefer, and there's also the trolley/bus in front to take you up and down International Drive. The hotel food is good, but a bit pricey. I like the fact that you must use your hotel key/card to operate the elevators and the friendly staff will provide change for the washers/dryers. Overall, not bad, expecially if you can get a good deal on your stay. You're never more than a walk or a quick drive to all the Orlando attractions including Disney, Seaworld, or the HolyLand.