Is Orlando Airport a good place to stay in Orlando?

The Orlando Airport area is a practical base if you land late, fly early or are catching the Brightline train to Miami. Almost every hotel runs a free shuttle to the terminals, and the Hyatt Regency is right inside the main building. It suits travellers in transit, business visitors and families who want a cheap first or last night before the parks.

The area is a business park of offices and chain hotels, with wide roads, pools and lots of parking. There's little to walk to, but most hotels have a restaurant or a bar, and Lake Nona, to the south, has a growing town centre with restaurants and the huge USTA National Campus for tennis. The Florida Mall is a short drive west.

The downside is that there's nothing of Orlando's fun on your doorstep. The theme parks and International Drive are all a drive away, public transport to them is slow, and evenings are quiet. Planes and traffic are part of the background, so it isn't somewhere for more than a night or two.

What makes the airport area worth considering is how easy it makes arriving and leaving. You can be in bed soon after landing, catch an early flight without stress and pay much less than at the resorts, with the parks still within reach by car the next morning.