Summer of Shell: Nickelodeon Suites Resort

On Wednesday, June 11th 2014 I received a phone call from Michele while she was driving to Orlando, Florida. She was on her way to the Nickelodeon Suites Resort for Retro Weekend, a TMNT event part of the Summer of Shell. Summer of Shell is an event made to celebrate TMNT in one of it's biggest years yet. With the 30th Anniversary, 2014 movie, and epic storyline of the Nick series, the turtle-power-train shows no signs of slowing down!

This event was so big, that one review just won't be able fit it all in. I'll be covering various aspects separately, starting with the hotel itself.

The Nickelodeon Suites resort is a very impressive establishment, with many details and amenities that make it the ultimate getaway for families. When you drive up to the very secure building, you'll feel as though you're walking right into Nickelodeon Studios! The lobby is covered in splashes of orange and green, with Nickelodeon characters all around you. Large screens on the wall display graphics similar to those you see on the Nickelodeon network bumpers. After checking in, you enter the resort through a hallway filled with interactive game stations.

I would like to take a moment to talk about the staff at the Nick Hotel. They are fantastic! Everyone was extremely kind and helpful. A big shout out to Brad, Maureen, Imane and Juan. You guys really made our stay incredible!

The resort is made up of 3 main areas: the pool, the mall, and studio B. The pool has a large play structure filled with water slides and is also where the mass sliming takes place every day. The mall contains restaurants such as the Nicktoons Cafe, Subway, Starbucks, and a real life Antonio's Pizza, which I will discuss in a future review. Also in this area is two stores, the 4D theatre, and the studio, which hosts events such as Karaoke and Double Dare. Studio B is located across from the mall and is where special events are held, such as the Retro Weekend panels.

The only area where the hotel lacks is in the theming of the suites. Theming in these suits is very minimal. The suite we stayed in was themed after The Fairly Oddparents, and only had a wallpaper on one wall of the kids room and a Cosmo and Wanda wall decoration outside. The reason I bring this up is because other themed resorts really go all out in this area. If you want to see a well themed room, take a look at Disney's Art of Animation Resort or Universal's Despicable me themed bedrooms for kids. Themed props and full decoration really make these rooms stand out far more than the Nick Hotel rooms.

Minor issue aside, the Nick Hotel is truly a sight to behold and I highly recommend it as a great choice for families to stay on vacation. In my next review I will discuss the Nick Hotel's take on a Nickelodeon Classic... Double Dare!