If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway amidst the theme parks and busyness of central Florida, look no further than the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. Nestled away from the traffic of the Orlando area is a sprawling 500-acre resort that you won’t want to leave. Home to both the JW Marriott and the Ritz Carlton, It’s luxurious, and relaxing and has everything Orlando travelers need for a romantic getaway, girls’ weekend, or family vacation.
I recently flew to Orlando and spent three nights at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes Resort with my husband for the second time, and can not wait to come back again. The resort is a destination all on its own and quite possibly my favorite thing in Orlando. I hope this JW Marriott Grande Lakes review will help you plan your trip to Orlando.
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Rooms at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes
I can’t tell you about the rooms at the Ritz Carlton, but the recently renovated rooms at the JW Marriott Orlando are top-notch. The deluxe king rooms are spacious for two people and have an uber-comfortable bed with luxury bedding and rich furnishings, including a sofa and table, desk and chair, plenty of drawers, and a mini fridge. The bathrooms have oversized tubs and showers and sleek granite countertops. Everything is recently updated, stylish, and impeccably clean with daily housekeeping services.
The amenities, such as plush terry cloth robes, a Keurig coffeemaker, and luxurious complimentary toiletries are well-thought-through. Also, they offer a nightly turn-down service with delicious little chocolates, which was a nice surprise to come back to after dinner.
One of my favorite things about the room was the balcony. We had an incredible lake-view room that overlooked the resort waterpark I love drinking coffee from the balcony in the morning before I head downstairs and have to face people. The view of the gorgeous resort and pools made this a fabulous experience.
If you’re traveling with a family, there are larger suites to accommodate you, with optional family rooms complete with bunk beds for the kids. How fun is that?!
To find the best prices on your hotel stay at the JW Marriot Grande Lakes, you can trust TripAdvisor. It connects you with other travel sites to provide you with the best deals available on your booking.
Dining
Between the JW Marriott and the Ritz Carlton, you have your pick of dining experiences!
Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch Service
Each morning, I dined at Citron at the JW Marriott Orlando, for their fabulous buffet breakfast, open from 7-11 am. As Marriott Titanium members, we received a free continental breakfast, which included beverages, yogurts, fruits, killer pastries, avocado toasts, charcuterie boards, oatmeal, etc. Pretty much everything except for the hot items. This was more than enough for me. Give me some strong coffee and chocolate croissants, and I’m. In. Heaven.
The last morning, I was “starving” and went for the full buffet for a few dollars extra. The chef at the omelet station made a delicious veggie omelet and I loaded up on roasted potatoes. UMMMMMM. So good. The french toast looked amazing, but I ran out of space in my belly, thanks to those irresistible chocolate croissants.
Note that on the weekends, you’ll likely have to wait for a table. They’ll take your name and send you a text when your table is ready. So if you don’t want to wait for 30 minutes to an hour, I’d suggest going early to avoid some of the vacation crowds.
If you just need a caffeine fix in the morning, they do have an espresso bar at Citron that you can order from or there’s a Starbucks that is open daily until late afternoon. The website said 4 pm, but I walked by at 6 pm one day and they were still open. So definitely check with the employees.
Next to Starbucks is the casual, to-go option Cafe Bodega, where you can order breakfast or lunch sandwiches, quiche, pastries, salads, fruit, etc. It’s closed in the evenings, so make sure you grab it early.
Poolside Dining
If you’re like a lot of the guests, you’ll be spending your day at the pool. So take advantage of the JW Marriott Orlando poolside bar and casual restaurant Knife Burger. You can grab a table on their patio or order from your lounge chair poolside. I ordered the chopped salad, and let me tell you, the roasted corn and avocado pimento ranch make this the best-chopped salad I’ve ever had. So, so good. Wash your meal down with a pina colada or fruity beverage of your choice.
Lobby Lounge
Enjoy a happy hour or after-dinner drinks at the upscale lobby lounge of the JW Marriott Orlando. Featuring appetizers and a full bar, you can enjoy the beautiful hotel lobby, as well as gorgeous views overlooking the resort’s pools and lake.
In the mornings and afternoons before the bar opens, it’s a great place to sit with a cup of coffee to read or get some work done
Dinner
One of our favorite meals was at Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen. It’s a casual yet classy restaurant in the JW Marriott Orlando. Their brussel sprouts are divine….feta, candied pecans, and some kind of sauce from Heaven. To die for! And we were so hungry and excited that we failed to get a photo. Their menu is locally sourced, with some of it being grown on the resort in the gardens. It’s a great place to have a glass of wine and share some small bites.
There are other fabulous dining options for dinner, as well. You can choose from Primo, a Michelin-rated Italian restaurant, or make reservations at one of the Ritz Carlton restaurants. Whether you want casual dining or are looking for a fancier option, there is something for everyone.
The convenient location of Grande Lakes also makes it easy to head off the property to other restaurants or pick up groceries locally, if your kid is craving some McD’s or you want some inexpensive food options for the room.
In-Room Service
The in-room dining has some delicious options, too if you get hunger pangs late at night or if you’re just ready for a night-in. If you’re looking for generous portions, I suggest chicken tenders and fries. And you can’t ever go wrong with their Margherita pizza.
In-room dining is available for breakfast (7-11 am) lunch (12-5 pm) and dinner (6-12 pm). Note that there is an hour in between each meal when it’s not available, so plan accordingly to avoid a hangry kid (or spouse).
Ritz Carlton Dining
The Ritz Carlton offers many dining options, as well. I didn’t experience any of these, but I can imagine that they are all extraordinary. You can check out all they have to offer here.
Pool Time All Day!
My favorite part of the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes resort is the new waterpark. And this isn’t your typical waterpark. Since it’s a JW Marriott hotel, they’ve gone above and beyond with the foliage to make it a gorgeous tropical oasis for relaxing. I spent hours floating along the lazy river, listening to the live musicians and dodging a few splashing kids here and there.
When you’re ready to sun or read a book, there are tons of lounge chairs. I never had a problem finding one. If you’re looking for one in the shade, though, you probably want to get there early to claim your spot. You can also rent a waterpark cabana each day by booking ahead online.
The waterpark has some huge waterslides, too. I didn’t try them, but they looked fun if you’re into a little thrill.
In the evenings, the waterpark is not busy at all, so it’s a great time for a quiet swim. We took advantage of the empty hot tub and enjoyed having it all to ourselves.
There are a lot of families at the JW Marriott Orlando waterpark, so if you’re looking for a more adult experience, you can walk over to the Ritz Carlton pool.
We spent our last day there when we were ready to nap by the pool and get away from extra noise. Everything about the Ritz is a 5-star experience, including the pool. They offer towel service when you arrive and also come around with frozen towels to cool you off. There were few families there, but it was quieter for sure.
The resort also has a beautiful pool at its spa. If you purchase any spa treatments, you’re able to use the pool throughout your stay. That will definitely be on the agenda for next time. This is available for non-hotel guests, as well, which is awesome!
Ritz Carlton Spa and Fitness Center
The European-style spa and state-of-the-art fitness center are located midway between the JW Marriott and the Ritz Carlton hotels. You have to enter the spa to access the fitness center, which was a little tricky to find at first.
The 24-hour fitness center is state-of-the-art and huge. There’s also a separate studio room where they offer group fitness classes. Each resort guest is allotted one free class per day.
The Ritz Carlton Spa allows you to book your services online. You can choose between European-style spa or salon services, shop at the boutique, or dine at the spa cafe. You can also relax at the gorgeous pool area exclusively for spa guests.
When booking your hotel, check for package deals that include spa services. It’s a great way to save a little money on your spa experience.
Resort Fees and Offerings
The JW Marriott Grande Lakes is more than a hotel. It is a resort, and with that comes resort fees. Currently, at the time this article was written, there is a $48 (+tax) daily resort fee that will be added to the room’s daily rate. (This price is subject to change.)
The resort fee includes the following:
Enhanced High-Speed Internet
Two Mountain Bike Rental at Grande Lakes Sports per day, per room
Kayak rental for 30 minutes each day for a one or two-seater kayak
Driving Range Privileges
Two Pool Floats for the lazy river pool complex
Shuttles to SeaWorld, Disney parks, and Universal Studios (need to make a reservation 24 hours in advance)
Tennis Court access for two guests for one hour each day
Fitness Center Class for two guests each day
There are also other activities that cost on top of the resort fee, such as full use of the Ritz Carlton golf course, tours, the Ritz Kids program, etc.
One of our favorite thing to do at the resort is to walk the trail that goes around the lake. The view is beautiful and it’s a great way to enjoy the resort and get some exercise after eating too many chocolate croissants. Ahem.
Parking and Shuttles
There is a daily parking fee at the Grande Lakes resort. You can choose valet parking ($50/day) or self-parking ($35/day).
If you’re traveling from the Orlando International Airport, you’ll have to arrange your own travel to the Grande Lakes resort or contact the concierge to arrange travel, as there is no airport shuttle. It’s about 12.5 miles from the airport and takes about 20 minutes, so an Uber or Lyft is a pretty affordable option if you won’t need a car while at the resort.
Included with your resort fee is a shuttle service to Walt Disney World, Univeral Studios, and SeaWorld. This service has to be booked 24 hours in advance and can be done at the concierge desk or by calling 407-206-2300. The Grande Lakes Orlando is only 7 miles from Disney World and 6 miles from Universal Studios.
This is absolutely worth booking, so you don’t have to deal with parking at the parks. Just make sure to schedule it ahead of time.
Wrap-Up: Is it worth the cost?
This is definitely not a budget hotel and for us, it is quite a splurge. So the question is, is it really worth the cost?
In my opinion, it is absolutely worth the cost if you’re going to enjoy the Grande Lakes resort and take advantage of all that it offers. With the waterpark and other activities it offers as part of the resort fee, it’s really a pretty awesome deal.
However, if you’ll be spending most of your time at theme parks and only coming back here to sleep, then I suggest staying at a hotel at or near the parks, so you’re not wasting your money on the resort fees.
We would absolutely travel to Orlando with the JW Marriott Orlando as our main destination. The resort is THAT amazing. I’m content to hang out at the pool all day and enjoy that Florida sunshine. I would love to bring my kids and hope that I’ll be able to do that the next time we visit.
I hope you get a chance to experience all that this resort offers. It’s a fabulous location and an incredible, luxurious vacation experience Let us know about your experience at JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes!
