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With tens of thousands of lodging choices available in the Orlando area, from tents to deluxe villas, there is no lack of variety in price or amenities. In fact, narrowing down the possibilities is part of the fun.
More than 72 million visitors come to the Orlando area each year, making it the most popular tourism destination on the planet. More upscale hotels are opening as visitors demand more luxurious surroundings, such as luxe linens, tasteful and refined decor, organic toiletries, or ergonomic chairs and work desks. But no matter what your budget or desires, lodging comes in such a wide range of prices, themes, color schemes, brands, meal plans, and guest-room amenities, you will have no problem finding something that fits.
Resorts on and off Disney property combine function with fantasy, as befits visitor expectations. Characters in costume perform for the kids, pools are pirates’ caves with waterfalls, and some, like the Gaylord Palms, go so far as to re-create Florida landmarks under a gargantuan glass roof, giving visitors the illusion of having visited more of the state than they expected.
International Drive’s expanding attractions, including the Orlando Eye, Madame Tussauds, and a widening array of eateries, are drawing more savvy conventioneers who bring their families along for the fun.
Many hotels have joined the trend toward green lodging, bringing recycling, water conservation, and other environmentally conscious practices to the table. Best of all, the sheer number and variety of hotel rooms means you can still find relative bargains throughout the Orlando area, even on Disney property, by researching your trip well, calling the lodgings directly, negotiating packages and prices, and shopping wisely.
This serenely sophisticated boutique hotel displays a vast collection of modern art on almost every wall. Rooms are decorated in cool grays, with touches of the iconic Winter Park peacock blue, and have workstations and flat-screen TVs. The inn is owned by Rollins College, a private coeducational liberal arts institution, and its income benefits the Alfond Scholars program, the college's premier scholarship fund.
This imposing, award-winning resort, at the end of International Drive close to Disney, takes its name seriously, with everything—from the pink exterior to the pools and landscaping to the Audubon-style drawings of flamingos, pelicans, and lush vegetation that adorn the interiors—designed to create a tropical haven. Accommodations are great for families, as the suites have a separate bedroom, plenty of USB charging stations, a spacious living area with a sofa, and two TVs. The two-bedroom villas have fully equipped kitchens, dining areas, and laundry suites. On-site amenities include a spa, two outdoor swimming pools, a 75-foot water slide and kiddie pool, two hot tubs, private cabanas, a catch-and-release fishing pond, a two-story fitness center, a running trail, and athletic activities.
Just outside of Walt Disney World property, this high-end resort features upscale accommodations, restaurants, a spa, and a popular kids' club that is also home to a 9-hole putt-putt course and a rock-climbing wall. Flat-screen TVs, luxurious bedding, and spacious bathrooms make this stay an experience in itself. The resort’s 9,920-square-foot Spa by JW 10 treatment rooms and offers unique services like cupping massages and meditative sound therapy.
In the middle of the high-tech Lake Nona community and handy to the airport, the high-concept Wave bills itself as "the world's most technologically advanced hotel," offering amenities like giant TVs, a "digital concierge," smart windows, and high-end Toto Neorest Smart toilets. Its two restaurants and lounge bar are as stylish as its rooms, and guests have access to the facilities and staff at the adjacent Lake Nona Performance Club, a state-of-the-art fitness center.
From the welcoming lobby to the well-appointed suites (with dishwasher, microwave, pots, pans, dishes) and the parklike atmosphere around the pool, this hotel is a great choice if SeaWorld, Aquatica, I-Drive shopping, Universal, or the convention center are on your to-do list. A huge laundry is a boon for families.
Orlando's only Ritz-Carlton is a particularly extravagant link in the luxury chain, and it shares a lush, 500-acre campus with the JW Marriott and offers exemplary service, excellent restaurants, children's programs, a golf course, and a 40-room spa. Suites have balconies, decadent white-marble baths, and deluxe bedding; the Royal Suite can satisfy even the most noble of guests.
Sitting amid 255 acres of subtropical landscape, including a cypress-fringed creek and a championship golf course, this award-winning luxury resort offers a golf academy; fishing; nature trails; four swimming pools; tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts; and a huge spa to soothe those aching muscles.
In the heart of Orlando, steps from the arts center, sports arena, and nightlife, this former utilities building has been transformed into a trendy urban hotel, with a busy bar, innovative rooms, and high-tech amenities.
In the middle of all the I-Drive activity, and a short walk from ICON Park, this resort offers families a home away from home with plenty of amenities at a reasonable price; rooms and public areas are decorated in mid-century chic, and the large pool has a children's play area, a sandy beach with volleyball court, a shuffleboard court, and a bar and grill.
You can almost reach out and touch The Wheel at ICON Park from this hotel, which offers a slightly kitschy sophistication, combining Alpine castle with Mardi Gras glitz.
If swimming and sliding are among your family's top vacation desires, and your budget gets happy with value prices, this colorful resort with its on-property, 14-slide, three-pool water park could be the perfect destination.
If Universal's roller coasters and Harry Potter's Diagon Alley are your destinations, these homey accommodations just outside the park should fit the bill with budget-priced rooms that offer a kitchenette with microwave, refrigerator, and coffeemaker; some even have dining tables.
The name is a mouthful, but it's an accurate description for this hotel, which caters to business-trippers and pleasure seekers alike and is so close to Universal that some of the tower rooms offer roller-coaster and Hogwarts views.
Combining low, bungalow-style buildings and a 17-story tower, this Bali-inspired hotel creates a warm welcome and a comforting escape—lush linens, tranquil guest rooms, three pools, and tropical landscaping—from hectic I-Drive.
Focused on families and just ½ mile from Disney Springs, this high-rise property features comfortable accommodations equipped with microwaves, refrigerators, and flat-screen TVs. Other perks at the property include free, hot breakfast, a complimentary afternoon reception with food and drinks, a saltwater pool, and numerous on-site dining options including a Pizza Hut.
A short walk from a half-dozen cafés and restaurants, the Orange County History Center, and the performing arts center and sports venue, this hotel has numerous suites with views of nearby Lake Eola and its centerpiece fountain, swan boats, and jogging path.
An airy, eight-story atrium with palm trees and fountains lends an air of luxury to this all-suites lodging, which offers free breakfast and late-afternoon drinks.
Five miles from Orlando International Airport, and midway between it and I-Drive, this hotel is connected to the upscale Florida Mall—with major department stores, an Apple Store, hundreds of specialty shops, the Crayola Experience, and currency exchange—so stays here are a treat if you like to shop.
This pleasant, two- and three-bedroom condo resort with full kitchens, halfway between Universal Orlando and Disney World, has six six-story buildings, two pools, a game room, gym, business center, and café with room service.
With a giant ball perched atop its 20-story round tower, this hotel on the north end of I-Drive is visible for blocks and has a contemporary atmosphere, thanks to the clean, airy design of the lobby. Some guest rooms have views of Universal Orlando.
Adjacent to the performing arts center and a block from the sports venue, this luxurious, European-style property affords city-center views and showcases hundreds of pieces of art, along with a rare Imperial Grand Bösendorfer piano, which is played by jazz pianists in the popular Bösendorfer Lounge.
Families visiting this award-winning hotel get two pools, a palm-fringed lazy river to relax in, a kids' club, basketball court, tennis court, and a full-service spa; and conventioneers appreciate the vast meeting space, direct connection to the convention center, substantial restaurants and bars, and work desks with Herman Miller chairs.
Staying at this hotel directly across the street from Universal could be a savvy budget move as the value price includes things like Wi-Fi and free kids meals.
Youngish, high-tech-consuming business travelers and vacationing families find value here because of the location and amenities, such as 42-inch flat-panel HDTVs, work areas with computer access panel, wet bar with mini-refrigerator, and heated pool.
Hyatt Place (not to be confused with neighboring Hyatt House) supports tech-savvy guests in what the company calls the 24/7 lifestyle, which means the amenities available to guests at 3 in the afternoon are also on tap at 3 in the morning, and rooms have work spaces and computer-ready, flat-screen TVs.
This deluxe, high-rise, conference hotel offers everything a resort guest could want, including richly appointed rooms, two pools with cabanas, a full-service spa and fitness center the size of your local Y, two large restaurants, and a 360-seat, glass-walled lounge overlooking the pool.
If you have to catch an early-morning flight or have a long layover, this hotel inside the main terminal complex is a very convenient option—counting the time you spend waiting for the elevator, your room is a five-minute walk from the nearest ticket counter. The hotel also offers a day-stay option if you have a night flight.
This lush resort, amid 500 acres of natural beauty, offers spectacular views and amenities, including a European-style spa, a Greg Norman–designed golf course, a lazy river–style pool complex, and kids' programs. Rooms have ergonomic workstations and flat-screen TVs, and the in-house restaurants are supplied from the resort's gardens. Guided canoe or kayak tours take you back in time to the Florida wilderness.
This beach retreat–themed LEGO hotel has guest bungalows that not only feature separate sleeping areas for little ones but also outdoor patios overlooking private playground areas. A giant pool and LEGO-themed nighttime activities for kids make this a popular resort in summertime. Free transportation to LEGOLAND Florida park is provided, as is self-parking if you decide to make the drive.
Located 130 kid-steps away from the entrance to the LEGOLAND Florida theme park, this hotel is, as you can imagine, a LEGO builder's dream come true—one featuring in-room scavenger hunts, nightly kids entertainment, free breakfast, and separate kids sleeping areas in rooms that have various LEGO themes.
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