Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes Review and Photo Gallery
The following Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes review is a 100% authentic, 100% real review. Dadtography.com was not provided compensation in any way for this review. All photos below are originals taken by us using our Samsung Galaxy S7 phone. No photos were edited for this post.
Housing is a really big deal, and as rent prices go up (especially in Orlando), choosing the right apartment complex is more important than ever.
My family and I are fortunate to have found our "forever home" in the Lake Nona neighborhood. We were renting a home in the neighborhood and the owner decided to sell. We needed to find an apartment fast. We signed a one-year lease at Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes in late February, 2017. We are set to move out by the end of July, 2017. Here's our review of this apartment complex.
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Navigate this Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes review post:
Neighborhood
The Parking
The Basics
Best Parts
Amenities
Worst Parts
The Units
Final Thoughts
Want to skip to the photo galleries?
We have quite a few (unedited) photos down below, including galleries of the pools and amenities and a 2-bedroom apartment unit.
How is the overall neighborhood at Randal Lakes?
Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes is located in south-east Orlando, just west of the Orlando International Airport in a popular area known as Lake Nona.
Lake Nona is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, thanks in no small part to what's known as Medical City, just a few miles away. I'm sure you can guess what's located there. Needless to say, a lot of people are looking to move to the area, so new neighborhoods are being built all over the area.
The Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes apartments are located just outside the Randal Park neighborhood, not far from the 417 toll road.
Overall, I find the location to be pretty good. I love the Randal Park neighborhood and visit it almost every morning on my daily jog. Much of the apartment complex is located along Dowden Road. Dowden is a very busy 4-lane divided "parkway" style road. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour, but people regularly travel 60+ mph.
With relatively easy access to the 417, Narcoossee Rd and the 528, you can get to most of Orlando pretty quickly. But because most of the main roads in the area are toll, you may have to pay for the convenience.
- It's managed by MAA out of Memphis, TN.
- It's located in a the fast-growing area of Lake Nona.
- It's not gated.
- It's one of the lesser-expensive apartments in the area.
- It's a mix of 2- and 3-story buildings.
- It has two phases, each with a club house and pool.
- It has apartment units ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms.
- It's located at the corner of Dowden Rd just west of the 417.
- It's considered a "luxury" apartment complex.
- Prices range from just over $1,000 per month to $2,700+.
- Prices vary daily (or so I was told by the leasing office).
- It's zoned for Sun Blaze Elementary school, Innovation Middle School and Lake Nona High School.
- It does not have access to Randal Park amenities.
Here's all the contact and location info:
Mailing Address:
9200 Randal Park Blvd
Orlando, FL
32832
Telephone:
877-725-5251
Office Hours:
Monday 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
What are amenities are offered at Colonial Grand and Randal Lakes?
Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes really has quite a lot of amenities, because that's one of the best (cheapest) ways to distinguish one complex over another.
Here's a short list what this apartment complex has to offer:
- Poolside cabanas with WiFi
- Deluxe grilling area
- Car Care Center
- Connect Cafe
- Pet friendly with dog park
- Fireplace pavilion
- StayFit Spa
- Attached/Detached garages available
How are the actual apartment units at Colonial Grand at Randal?
I'd say the apartments themselves are about what you'd expect in a "luxury" complex. Phase one of the complex has a few 3-story buildings, but phase two only seems to have 2-story.
Here's a list of the options offered inside the apartments. Naturally, not all are included in every apartment unit (hence, the asterisks below).
Interior Features
- Ceiling Fans
- 42" custom cabinetry
- Soaking tubs*
- Built in computer workstations*
- Washer / Dryer included
- Screened in patios and balconies
- Black granite style countertops
- Black appliance packages
- Crown Molding
- Gourmet kitchens*
- Formal dining rooms*
- Faux wood flooring*
Give it to me straight - how's the parking?
Prior to moving into the Colonial Grand at Randal apartments, it had been a while since my last apartment stay. One thing I did remember was how important parking is.
One of the upsides (so far, at least) to this apartment complex is that it's still pretty new. Pretty new means it's not at capacity yet and that means the parking lots aren't full.
That said, our building (in phase two) seems like it's at around 50% occupancy now - there are 8 units total, and 4 are occupied. The parking situation is still okay, but I suspect as the complex fills up that will change or if you live in a unit in phase one.
What are the best parts about Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes?
There's a lot to love about this apartment and I like to start out on a positive note before I drop some truth bombs a little later. Here's what we liked most about this apartment:
- The pools are awesome
- Cabanas and grilling areas rock
- Club houses are great - free WiFi, too
- Location is good
- Surrounding area is nice
- Leasing office staff are very nice
What are the worst parts about Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes?
Now for a few of those truth bombs. I don't expect perfection where I live, but when you're living in a "luxury" apartment, I think it's okay to have higher expectations. Here are a few things we really didn't like about this apartment complex:
- The bugs; they're seriously everywhere and in-house pest control is pretty bad (and also rude)
- Garbage compactors always over-flow
- Poor water drainage in the sidewalks and landscaping
- Noisy upstairs neighbors (duh)
- Busy and loud Dowden Road
- Not much green space - there's a small patch inside "The Pointe" pool area
- One (tiny) park for the kids
- The apartment is not gated (break-ins were an issue at times)
- The break lease fee is 2 months rent - kinda steep and likely common for this area
- Phase two pool ("The Pointe") opened 3 months late
- Brand new appliances are already starting to fail
- Apartment air conditioning doesn't have a dehumidifier (didn't know this was even possible, TBH)
A few final thoughts about Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes apartments.
Take the good with the bad and I've had worse apartment experiences. I guess as I get older, my standards have gone up and my tolerances have gone down.
I really appreciated the helpfulness and how nice leasing office staff always were with us. My boys loved the pools and amenities. They will definitely be missed.
Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes is a solid option in the Lake Nona area. It's almost brand new, and with that come both good and bad aspects. If you're relocating to the area or considering an upgrade, Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes is worth a look.
Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes Review - Neighborhood Photos
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Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes Review - 1st Floor 2 Bedroom Photos
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Colonial Grand at Randal Lakes
Pros
- Awesome pools
- Great cabanas with TV and WiFi
- Outdoor Grills
- Dog Park
Cons
- Bugs are bad - especially ants
- A/C with no dehumidifier?
- Parking is drying up fast
- Busy and loud Dowden Rd
- Toll roads everywhere
