Staying at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel, in Orlando

Illuminations at the Epcot Center. Photo / Getty Images

Andrew Parsons checks into the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel, in Orlando.

Getting there: The hotel is about 20 minutes drive from Orlando Sanford airport.

Check-in experience: Fast and friendly — though finding the entrance to the carpark in the dark is an absolute nightmare: I tried three times before having to get the concierge to escort me in! The hotel is modern, large and has huge grounds.

Room: We were in 7321, on the seventh floor looking towards Disney World. All rooms have views; none have balconies. The layout was good — decent-sized desk for working on; two good quality double beds with sheets; aircon. Didn't have a kettle "jug" but this was promptly delivered.There was a filter coffee machine, but I discovered that other rooms have a Nespresso-style one which makes plunger-type coffee; a request was made and shortly the machines were swapped to enable reasonable coffee.

Price: US$240 per night plus $18/day parking — this was a Conference rate for MDRT (Million-Dollar Round Table), which we were attending nearby.

Fellow guests: A subset of the 13,000 attendees at MDRT — mostly Americans and Chinese.

What's in the neighbourhood: Disney World is a 20-minute drive; Kennedy Space Centre is an hour "along the 540" [road] — my diversion while wife at MDRT. Seaworld 15 minutes away. Outlet mall is 15 minutes "west on the 540".

Facilities & food: Good selection of eateries: cafes, formal restaurant and ethnic cuisines.

Gym, tennis courts and swimming pool — all of which were useless to me as I'd stripped my knee two weeks prior to leaving and was banned from exercise until it heals. Also a large golf course with a number of "ponds" — probably with resident alligators to deal with loose balls and wandering golfers.

Wi-Fi: Secure and fast.

Noise: As noisy as church mice at cat convention.

Perfect for: A good base for Orlando in general, close to Sea World, not too far from Disney or Kennedy Space Centre.

Stay again? Probably — I stayed in Disney Resort on my last visit, which is closer to Disney parks, but the advantage was there were few kids staying here.