I think you'll agree that Monumental Hotel is pretty impressive at first sight. I loved the location, being only a 10 minute ride to Universal, a rock's throw to SeaWorld, and a couple minute ride to the restaurant strip on International, while still feeling away from a lot of bustle. I was especially impressed as I walked through the hallways to the registration desk. I also liked the fact that the hotel was pretty sparsely populated during our stay. I thought it was a bit strange, but not in a bad way at all. I guess I'm just not used to a seemingly nice hotel with fewer guests than you'd expect.
Check in was very prompt and easy. Our room was spacious, extremely clean and we even had a complimentary computer with internet. The interior had a modern cleanliness to it with a slightly old fashioned theme, which is a nice touch. And the pool was gorgeous! It's probably the most impressive feature. Very clean, upscale, and luxurious looking.
That being said, let's move to my two main criticisms. For one, the AC unit was the only old and rickety thing in our room. It was set hanging in the ceiling above the entrance hallway. It was noisy and looked out of place in the nice looking room. The AC did not respond to my changes on the thermostat, which made me doubt that the two were even connected. And when it cut itself off, it continued to make noise! About every two minutes, it made this very brief but HORRIBLE buzz/vibrating noise that sounded exactly like a cell phone vibrating on a hard wood surface (everyone knows how loud that can be.) We couldn't really hear it when the AC was running, but it made that buzz noise every couple minutes when the AC wasn't even running! I knew it was the AC making the noise because it stopped after I jumped up to turn off the power switch by the ceiling. That noise kept me awake for a while! Good thing I tend to sleep pretty well...
Second, like I said, we had a computer, and also a nice little refrigerator, but what's missing from the picture? A microwave! We had leftover food (good food) that just ended up spoiling because we then realized there wasn't a microwave in the room. OK, a complimentary computer with internet, but no microwave? Most people have portable phones or laptops with internet capabilities these days, but I've never heard of anyone with a portable microwave...Even the cheapest motels have both a fridge and a microwave!
And one minor criticism...The dying plants outside could use some sprucing up or, better yet replacement.
Anyway, I know it may sound pretty bad, but besides the few setbacks, Monumental Hotel is actually very nice in my opinion and I would recommend it. With some improvements, it could be excellent. It's got outstanding potential and I wouldn't mind staying again, as long as I was guaranteed a room with a microwave and a quiet AC!