The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what actually surprised me about The Ritz-Carlton Orlando? It doesn’t feel like you’re staying at just another theme park hotel – and I mean that in the best way possible. Sure, you’re technically only about fifteen minutes from Disney World, but this place sits on Grande Lakes, which is this massive 500-acre resort area that feels completely removed from the Orlando tourist chaos. When you pull up the winding drive, there’s this immediate sense that you’ve escaped somewhere much more sophisticated.

The lobby honestly feels more like a private club than a hotel – all rich woods and subtle lighting, with this massive chandelier that somehow doesn’t scream “look at me.” What I really appreciated was how the staff actually seemed to know what they were doing. Check-in was smooth (no forty-person line like you get at some Orlando properties), and they genuinely seemed interested in making sure we knew about things like the golf course and spa without being pushy about it. The rooms are spacious by any standard, but especially compared to most Orlando hotels where you’re basically paying premium prices for what amounts to a nice motel room. Here you get actual sitting areas, marble bathrooms that you could practically live in, and – this matters more than you’d think – really effective blackout curtains for when you need to recover from a day at the parks.

But honestly, the best part might be that lazy river and the massive pool complex. I’ve stayed at a lot of Florida resorts, and this one actually gets the balance right – it’s elaborate enough to keep kids entertained for hours, but designed well enough that adults don’t feel like they’re trapped in a water park. The golf course is legit too, if that’s your thing. Greg Norman designed it, and you can tell – it’s challenging without being frustrating, plus the views across the wetlands are pretty spectacular, especially early morning when the mist is still hanging over the water. Location-wise, you’re close enough to everything that matters – Universal is maybe twenty minutes, Disney’s obviously right there, and if you need real food (not theme park food), there are some solid local spots along International Drive that the concierge actually knows about. The only thing that might bug some people is that it’s definitely pricey, but then again, you’re getting what you pay for here. This isn’t one of those places where you’re paying Ritz-Carlton prices for a Hampton Inn experience with fancier towels.