BEST Cheap Hotels in Orlando for a Family Vacation

Wondering the cheapest hotels in Orlando for your next family vacation? As a Florida local who grew up in Orlando, I have been to or stayed at almost every hotel in Orlando. Yep, the good ones and even the bad ones! 😳

There are a ton of hotels in Orlando. It can be tough to pick out the best cheapest hotel in Orlando that is safe for your next family vacation.

Orlando Hotel Prices

Let me first start with the basics of Orlando. If you find a cheap price for a hotel ($50-75), I can almost 100% guarantee it is in a bad area of Orlando or outside of Orlando. Since Orlando is the #1 tourist destination in the United States, the prices for hotel rooms can get high. There are even hotels that are $59 (during regular seasons) that will be as high as $250 (during holiday seasons).

With that in mind, try to visit during the week day and during slower seasons (January, May, September, or the 1st and 2nd week in December). These will always be the best prices in Orlando for your family vacation in Orlando.

Look for Hidden Fees

A lot of hotels like to offer less expensive hotel rates and then charge resort and parking fees.

When pricing out your hotel, make sure you double check the TOTAL price with resort and parking fees. Some of the Orlando resort fees can be up to $49 per night. A hotel with a $79 rate may look amazing. However, when you get to the booking window and find out they have a $49 resort fee and $17 parking fee; that cheap price disappeared.

Cheapest Hotels in Orlando

I am excited to jump into our list of the cheapest hotels in Orlando. I think you will be surprised to find these nice hotels have a ton of value added to make them the cheapest hotels in Orlando.

Endless Summer Surfside

This is one of the most expensive of the cheapest hotels in Orlando. This is a newer resort is a Universal Orlando Resort located on International Drive. This is a regular hotel for our family, because it is cheap but has a ton of value.

One of the biggest benefits of Endless Summer Surfside is the Family Suites. They have Family Suites with a microwave, mini refrigerator, separate bedroom, bath, and even a dining room table. These rooms sleep up to 6 people. It is a perfect size room for a family. The crazy news is this Family Suites starts at $144 per night plus tax.

For suites that accommodate up to 6 people, this is a fantastic price in Orlando. This resort does charge a parking fee, so keep that in mind when pricing your family vacation.

So besides the cheap Family Suites, why did this resort make our list?

• Walking distance to tons of restaurant and dining on International Drive vs eating at a hotel. You can skip breakfast at the foot court at Endless Summer Surfside and walk to Duncan Donuts. This will save you $40 on breakfast for a larger family. You can do the same for lunch or dinner.
• This hotel is a Universal Orlando Resort, so transportation is provided from this hotel to Universal CityWalk. This transportation system is also amazing. I have never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. This is even during super busy times. It is a great system. This saves you $27 in parking fees at Universal CityWalk.
• Complimentary Early Park Admission at the Universal Parks. This is a huge win if you are visiting Universal Orlando during your vacation. You will get access to either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure one hour before the gates open to the general public. You can enjoy the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or ride VelociCoaster before the crowds hit. You cannot pay for this service. However, as a regular to Universal Orlando; I would estimate this perk to be around $50 per person

Even though the $144 per night for a Family Suite is more expensive. Adding the value added of the location on International Drive with lots of dining and complimentary transportation to Universal Parks, this price gets closer to $77 per night.

Element on International Drive

One of the coolest views in Orlando is the huge ICON wheel (ferris wheel) on International Drive. There is a hotel called Element right next to the ICON wheel. You can even upgrade to a view of the ICON wheel (which is an epic view all day and night).

This hotel is only a few years old, so it is still super clean and fresh. They have a pool, fitness center, bike rentals, and you are walking distance to the ICON Park with dining, shopping, and attractions.

This hotel is a value property for the Marriott chain. The last two times I stayed at Element were $109 and $129 per night. Just like I mentioned above, during weekend and holidays even this price can increase (A LOT). The reason this property made our cheapest hotels in Orlando list is the amenities.

• You will find coffee makers, mini-refrigerators, and microwaves in your room. This is perfect if you want to bring snacks with you to make sandwiches for lunch or evening snacks. You are also right next to a Wawa if you want to walk over to pick up some suppliers.
• A hot breakfast is included daily. This saves you around $35-40 per day on breakfast in Orlando.
• Each evening you can enjoy complimentary beer and wine. They sometimes put out cheese and crackers, too. Even if you have one beer and wine, this saves you another $20 (if you bought a drinks from a nearby bar with tip).
• You can find water, coffee, and sometimes juice in the lobby all day long. This will save you $10 on water.

As you can see, this $109 per night rate is now closer to $39 per night. The value added at this resort really adds up.

Drury Hotel near Universal Orlando

One of the cheapest hotels in Orlando is the Drury Hotel near Universal Orlando. You may not have heard of Drury Hotels, but they are super popular in the midwest. We love this hotel chain. There are not a lot of amenities at this hotel, but you will find an indoor/outdoor pool. You are also close to Universal Orlando, International Drive, and “Restaurant Row”. So, you have a lot of dining and attractions nearby.

We have stayed at this hotel many times. Our kids just love all of the food opportunities! We pay between $109-129 per night. However, check out all of the value added. You will be amazed what this price actually turns into and why this made our cheapest hotels in Orlando list.

This hotel does have a ton of value added.

• Daily hot breakfast buffet. We love properties that offer breakfast. Drury Hotels offer a hot breakfast buffet. The crazy news ~ it is actually good! We love the breakfast buffet at this property. The breakfast buffet will save you around $35-40 for a family of 4.
• Evening drinks and hors d’oeuvres during Kick Back. You can enjoy a big lunch at the theme parks. When you get back to the hotel, you can enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres during Kick Back from 5:30-7:00 PM. The Saturday menu includes: Spring Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, BBQ Sliders, Baked Beans, Mixed Veggies, Baked Potatoes, Hot Dog & Bun, and Chips/Salsa/Nacho Cheese. Dude, that could be dinner! It has actually been dinner in the Jones Family many a nights. The Kick Back also includes sodas, beer, wine, AND mixed drinks. The Kick Back can save you $75-100 for a family of 4 on dinner and drinks in Orlando.
• Popcorn & Soda in the Lobby. If you are hungry in the afternoon, you can pop over to the lobby for popcorn and a soda or water. This can save you another $20 on drinks and popcorn.
• The rooms all have microwave and mini refrigerators if you want to stock up with snacks. There is even a Whole Foods across the street to grab some treats.
• This property is a Universal Orlando Partner, so transportation to Universal CityWalk is free! This will save you $40 in Uber fees and $27 in parking fees.

I am sure you can see why we love the Drury Hotels. The value added is HUGE. It is a nice and clean resort, but then you add all of the value added it brings the $100 hotel price tag down to -$53. In other words, Drury is paying you $53 to stay at their property. 🤣

This hotel property is an incredible value in Orlando and that is why it made our list of the cheapest hotels in Orlando.

Drury Hotel at Disney Springs

There is another Drury Hotel coming soon to Disney Springs. This hotel will be located right on Disney Springs row. It is a Disney Springs Resort, so you can take advantage of transportation to the Disney World Parks. You are also walking distance to Disney Springs for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

This hotel is opening soon, so you know it will be amazing! This hotel has a lot more resort style amenities including a fitness center, outdoor pool with splash area, whirlpool, on side restaurant, arcade, Starbucks coffee, and concierge.

The price starts at $139 per night. This resort still has all of the Drury Hotel value added, including:

• Daily hot breakfast buffet. We love properties that offer breakfast. Drury Hotels offer a hot breakfast buffet. The crazy news ~ it is actually good! We love the breakfast buffet at this property. The breakfast buffet will save you around $35-40 for a family of 4.
• Evening drinks and hors d’oeuvres during Kick Back. You can enjoy a big lunch at the theme parks. When you get back to the hotel, you can enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres during Kick Back from 5:30-7:00 PM. The Saturday menu includes: Spring Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup, BBQ Sliders, Baked Beans, Mixed Veggies, Baked Potatoes, Hot Dog & Bun, and Chips/Salsa/Nacho Cheese. Dude, that could be dinner! It has actually been dinner in the Jones Family many a nights. The Kick Back also includes sodas, beer, wine, AND mixed drinks. The Kick Back can save you $75-100 for a family of 4 on dinner and drinks in Orlando.
• The rooms all have microwave and mini refrigerators if you want to stock up with snacks.

For a new Disney Springs Hotel, this price is incredible. Even more surprising is this hotel looks like it is the only Disney Springs Hotel that is not charging a resort fee. This is HUGE!

For a Disney World vacation, this will be the cheapest hotel and really the best value for a family vacation.