Bryan’s Spanish Cove by Diamond Resorts

Not Worth It

I do not recommend this “resort”. I use the term resort loosely, as it’s more like a cheap motel.

I booked Bryan’s Spanish Cove after reading positive reviews on Hotels.com and TripAdvisor – both of which have been reliable resources in the past. After staying there, I question where all these positive reviews came from.

Upon arrival, the property overall appeared okay. The only downside was the giant dumpster full of trash sitting in the front parking lot. I thought perhaps there had been some work done and that the dumpster would only be there temporarily, but it was there ALL WEEK. We had to look at it every time we stepped outside as it was right across the way from the suite we were given.

Check in was smooth and the girl that checked us in was very friendly. We were however disappointed in the “concierge”. She was referred to as a concierge, but I’m convinced her only duty it to try to sell timeshares.

I did not see timeshare opportunities mentioned in any of the info I came across online on Bryan’s Spanish Cove. Perhaps I wasn’t looking hard enough. I was not prepared for the hard sell we received on attending a 90 to 120 minute presentation on timeshares. She gave us the ol’ “I’m not trying to sell you…” but even though my boyfriend told her multiple times we’d let her know if we were interested, she persisted. The only other thing she did was hand us some cheap coupon booklets filled with nothing but chain restaurants and tourist traps. Those immediately went into the trash when we got to the room.

The only good thing about the room was how large it was and the fact that the bed was clean. We were given a second floor room up towards the front of the resort. The resort itself lies on a busy stretch of road so there was a lot of noise from the traffic, but we live in a busy area near a busy highway at home, so that didn’t bother us. What did bother me was the lack of cleanliness. We were told that rooms only receive maid service once a week, so I expected the room to be immaculate, but it was far from it.

The stairs and landing outside our suite looks like it had never been swept. It was filthy – I couldn’t honestly tell if the black splotches were just dirt or bird droppings. As a result, there was constantly a swarm of small bugs right outside our door. It’s Florida, so I expect there to be bugs, but had the landing been cleaned and/or treated, it may not have been so bad. We had to hold our breath every time we went in or out to avoid getting a mouthful of these bugs. Not to mention that every time we opened the door a small swarm made their way in. They loved to flock to the light above the stove in the kitchen. I was constantly cleaning these little gnats or fruit flies from the stove top and backsplash.

The floors were filthy. I used the broom from the pantry to sweep the kitchen floor myself it was so bad and there were crumbs and stains all over the carpets. The dark blue love seat and sofa also had stains, crumbs and white pieces of fuzz all over them indicating to me that those hadn’t been touched either. In the master bathroom, there was mold on the floor towards one corner of the bathtub, and the shower curtain also had mould on it.

Thankfully we had activities planned off property for the week and were really only there to sleep.

I also didn’t care for their towel policy. One morning my hair towel accidentally fell to the floor. Due to the state of the floors, I wasn’t about to pick it up and re-use it. I walked all the way to the front desk only to be told that I had to bring my old towels in to exchange them for clean ones. After walking clear across the resort, they couldn’t be bothered to just give me one clean towel – Terrible hospitality.

Additionally, we had problems with both the cable and the internet. Some channels had no sound, and we lost the cable signal more than once during the time we were there. The internet was awful. The signal seemed to go in and out. I eventually gave up and just turned off the wifi on my phone and chose to use my data instead.

All in all, the suite served its purpose. We had a clean bed to rest our heads in each night. I, fortunately, had accumulated Hotels.com credits, so I didn’t pay as much out of pocket as I could have, but I still feel as though I completely wasted those credits. I wish I had gone a completely different route and booked elsewhere – I originally chose to book Bryan’s Spanish Cove based on the positive reviews and the property’s proximity to Disney Springs.

The price per night was not terribly inexpensive. It was on par with other resorts we looked at in the area. It amazed me the lack of quality and hospitality offered by Bryan’s Spanish Cove in such a competitive marketplace. I also fail to see where the $9 per day resort fees go – the property wasn’t really kept up well, they offered very basic amenities and the maid service was a once weekly thing. I never saw a single employee outside of the office. One day there was a crew working on the lawn and landscaping up at the front of the resort near the sign. That was it.

I travel quite frequently for work and vacation once or twice each year. I have stayed at resorts cheaper than Bryan’s Spanish Cove that was absolutely immaculate and well kept. In my opinion, there is absolutely no excuse for the mess and lack of hospitality.

I would not stay here again, nor would I recommend it to a friend or family member. Based on our experience, I would also second guess ever staying at another Diamond Resort property.