How families use points and miles to buy multi-room apartments

When my three kids were little, my husband and I could squeeze them all into a standard hotel room. But having a preteen, a 9-year-old, and a 6-year-old share a queen-size bed is physically impossible (and would elicit three pairs of eye rolls if I dared ask).

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So we started exploring alternative types of accommodation when traveling. We stayed in side-by-side glamping tents and two-bedroom villas at an oceanfront all-inclusive resort. But as a family obsessed with theme parks, our trips are most often to Orlando.

We recently took our kids to Universal Studios’ Epic Universe for the first time and needed a hotel that ticked all the boxes: close to Universal Studios theme parks, enough beds for the five of us, and the ability to earn or redeem hotel loyalty points. We found all of this and more at the Villatel Orlando Resort, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy.

Great place for family holiday

Villatel Orlando Resort features an 80-acre water park, state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor sports courts, playgrounds, top golf swing suites and two different accommodation types.

The resort has 270 vacation villas ranging in size from 4 to 9 bedrooms and is one of only two Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy locations in the United States. Some of the larger villas also feature theater rooms and games rooms.

Related: Tips for booking a hotel room for a large family

The resort also has 256 rooms, including the Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy where we stayed. Each apartment features two or three bedrooms, a full kitchen and family room, in-unit laundry, furnished balcony and themed bunk rooms with children’s arcade games.

Guests staying at Marriott Bonvoy apartments have access to all resort amenities, can earn or redeem Marriott Bonvoy points and receive elite benefits such as bonus points, free Wi-Fi and exclusive member rates.

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The resort is just a 10-minute drive from Universal Orlando Resort and offers free shuttles to Disney World and Universal Studios several times a day.

Fees and booking details

You can book a stay at the Villatel Orlando Resort, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy starting at $391 or 38,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night for a two-bedroom apartment or $446 per night or 38,000 points for a three-bedroom apartment (discounts apply on non-refundable prepaid rates). Depending on when you visit, a minimum stay of two nights may be required. Note that if you use points, you can get a larger unit for the same price.

This price includes a resort fee of $45 per night, which includes water park admission, theme park shuttle service and high-speed Wi-Fi.

When booking Villatel Orlando Resort, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, you’ll need to use a credit card that earns the most Marriott Stay Points, or a credit card that automatically earns you Marriott Bonvoy elite status to take advantage of value-added benefits.

These include:

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card information is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Spacious multi-room accommodation

After settling into our three-bedroom apartment, my only wish was that we could stay a full week instead of just a few nights. Our rooms are equipped with everything you would expect to find in a luxury apartment: modern, comfortable furniture; Two full bathrooms; a kitchen stocked with appliances, cookware, and dishes; a stacked washer and dryer (which allowed me to come home with almost no dirty laundry); and a spacious living area perfect for family movie nights.

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Themed children’s rooms at Orlando’s Villarreal Resort and Marriott Bonvoy Apartments. Tara Chiffey/Key Person

Our apartment had three bedrooms: one with a king bed, one with a queen bed, and a themed kids room with a double bunk bed designed to resemble a Wild West town, and an old-school arcade with dozens of free games to play.

My younger kids immediately assumed the roles of Sheriff and Prisoner, while my older son took advantage of the charging port next to the bed so he could text friends back home.

Since the hotel is part of Marriott Bonvoy, you’ll also find items at the hotel or extended stay property such as soaps, lotions, refillable shower facilities and “starter packs” of laundry detergent, paper towels, cleaning wipes and other household essentials.

Resort like facilities

We spent most of our break at Universal Studios swimming, sliding and floating on the lazy river at Aqua Bay water park in the Villatel. There’s a long, winding lazy river; four water slides; a large swimming pool; and a children’s splash area. We tested all the slides and our favorite was the side-by-side racing slide. I guess you could say we are a competitive family.

The water park also hosts daily poolside activities such as arts and crafts, trivia and outdoor movie nights. We opted to have a cozy movie night in the room, but we did dine poolside at the Aqua Bar & Grille. Most of the items on the menu were standard poolside lounge food like burgers, pizza and fries, but they were all so delicious we took leftovers back to the room to reheat.

We spent the morning exploring the other facilities before flying home in the evening. My younger children and I played on the covered playground while my husband and oldest son played a round of golf in the Top Golf Swing Suite. You must reserve a tee time, but hotel guests can use the swing suite for free.

In addition to the spacious accommodations, I appreciate all the activities and amenities at Villatel Orlando. When I plan a theme park trip for my family, I always make time for us to relax at the resort. Not only does this help us save money on theme park tickets, but many resorts have their own built-in fun that you’d miss out on if you spent all your time in the parks.

Accessibility facilities at Orlando Villas Resort

Marriott Bonvoy apartments offer accessibility features, with wheelchair-friendly rooms featuring 32-inch-wide doors, lowered countertops, tub grab bars and more. Accessibility features are available throughout the resort, including accessible parking, an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant pool elevator, and wheelchair access to the business center, fitness center, restaurants, and lobby.

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Gone are the days of staying in hotel rooms that are too small with no space to relax and enjoy being together as a family. With non-traditional lodging options like Villatel Orlando Resort, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy and more, families can settle into their home away from home and focus on having fun instead of fighting over who gets to sleep on the couch.

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