Stay, Play, and Eat at Grande Lakes Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott in Orlando, Florida
We always take our kids with us on vacation but we don't always want to stay in the most kid-friendly hotels. When visiting the Orlando theme parks, we love to stay in a fabulous location called Grande Lakes. About 20 minutes to 1/2 hour away from Disney World and even closer to Sea World, it's home to TWO gorgeous resorts. The JW Marriott is complete with amazing restaurants, large accommodations, and an AWESOME lazy river. Plus, Grande Lakes also boasts a Ritz-Carlton, which is also part of the Marriott brand, but it's a bit quieter and even more luxurious. See below why Grande Lakes is our pick for amazing activities, accommodations and incredible dining for a magical Orlando, Florida vacation.
If you want to upscale your Disney experience to be within close proximity to the theme parks, while still being far enough away for luxury relaxation, this is where you'll want to be.
The two hotels are easily accessible from each other without even leaving the premises. You can enjoy both lobbies and grand shopping throughout. In the past, we've stayed at the JW Marriott as a family. However, many of the photographs below are from 2017 and 2019 visits to the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, where we photographed the annual Wine and Spirits Convention in their stunning ballroom. Definitely the place to have an event!
In 2025, we stayed at the JW Marriott, although enjoyed many of the public spaces in the Ritz-Carlton as well. We upscaled our holiday with a luxurious Sanctuary Cabana by the waterpark and lazy river. We dined at all of the Michelin-recognized restaurants throughout the property, as well sampled small bites and drinks at the lounges. Both resorts were beautifully outfitted in holiday decorations. They offered hot chocolate in the lobby daily, as well as kept us hydrated in typical JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton fashion with complimentary water cartons stocked in our room. During this 2025 holiday visit, we took advantage of the "Family Deal" where we purchased a King Room, and received a Two-Queen Connecting Room for 50% off. I booked this directly on the Marriott Bonvoy website and then, once we arrived on property, I could easily coordinate everything from the Bonvoy App.
Stay at Grande Lakes
The lobby areas at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes and JW Marriott are both stunning!
Enter the lobby from the valet parking circle at the front of the resort
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The Ritz-Carlton Orlando
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JW Marriott Grande Lakes
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Play at Grande Lakes
Head outside and you'll find more water than you'd ever expect in Orlando! From a lazy river and water slides for all ages at the JW Marriott, you'll also find an enormous pool and an adults only spa pool at The Ritz-Carlton.
Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
The Ritz-Carlton pool is heated, perfect for cooler winter Orlando temperatures
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Welcoming umbrellas and lounges are awaiting.
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Doesn't this just make you want to jump in?!
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JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
This Sanctuary Cabana was perfect for a relaxing day
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One of the quiet spots on the lazy river.
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Overlooking the JW Marriott property. It's a magical place on it's own!
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Eat at Grande Lakes
The food is amazing at both of these resorts, and there are truly many places to eat for all ages and all palates. At The Ritz-Carlton for dining, you can choose from relaxing in The Lobby Lounge to cooling off poolside at Bleu, or fine dining at Knife and Spoon (my favorite place to celebrate a special occasion!) If you love upscale Italian, don't miss Primo at the JW Marriott.
A great find is farm-to-table cuisine at Highball & Harvest:
The fresh bread and seasoned butters cost extra, but worth it!
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Cape Canaveral Rock Shrimp with Stuffed Local Squid and
Citrus Spaetzle
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Wood Fired Duck Breast
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Still dreaming of the Shrimp and Grits
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Crab Mac & Cheese was a hit
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Poached Pear Salad. The whipped feta was wonderful!
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Or have a seat in the beautiful lobby for a quick bite and take in the glamorous view of The Lobby Lounge:
I love a good charcuterie board!
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The Lobby Lounge of The Ritz-Carlton Orlando
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The chips and sliders are incredible! Nice portions, too.
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Knife and Spoon for Michelin dining:
Fresh baked breads with 2 salts
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Shrimp Cocktail
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Hamachi Crudo
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Gorgeous amuse bouche
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Sticky Toffee Pudding (Christmas 2025 Menu)
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A special treat at the end with macarons and gelees
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The JW Marriott has it's own dining options and shopping options.
Evrbar at JW Marriott Orlando during the holidays
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Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen for a farm-to-table experience.
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Stop in Cafe Bodega for a grab-and-go breakfast, lunch or snack.
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Primo:
Step inside Primo's Organic Garden to inspire your dining
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Beautiful, organic herbs picked all year long
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A working, organic garden inspires the daily cuisine at Primo
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Cioppino is delicious with fresh seafood
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Florida's Spiny Lobster is the highlight of this cacio de pepe
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Primo's Espresso Martini is uniquely Italian topped with parmesan cheese
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Citron for Breakfast:
Chia Bowl with Overnight Oats and Fruit (amazing!)
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Bubble Waffle is a hit for adults and kids
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Specialty breads and breakfast delicacies are on the buffet
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Poolside food from Bleu at Ritz-Carlton Orlando and Knife Burger at JW Marriott:
Carne Asada Tacos
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Hendricks Hideaway (our favorite!)
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Included fruit platter and chips for our cabana
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Frozen Mangotini and JW Coconut Reserve poolside
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Tostones from Ritz-Carlton poolside. The dips are a must try.
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Our Sanctuary Cabana 355. Perfect location!
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Sleep at Grande Lakes
Ritz-Carlton Orlando
Beautifully appointed and spacious rooms. If you have older kids, these are perfect to get two adjoining rooms for a family of 4 or more. Although if your children are still agreeable to sharing, I love the fact that they offer both one King and or two Queen bedrooms. When I see two Queens as an option, I literally jump up and down! If you are not sure what room type is for you, they have a terrific Compare Rooms Guide that shows the size of rooms, number of people, views, photos, and more.
Whether you have a Lake, Lake Front, or Garden View, the views are phenomenal from all of the rooms. If you choose the JW Marriott Orlando, you can still use all of the amenities at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando. They even accept room charges directly to your room from either property.
Two Queen beds are perfect for a family
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Spacious room with fantastic extras like this huge television.
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Lake view room from Ritz-Carlton Orlando room on 3rd floor.
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One advantage of the Ritz-Carlton over the JW Marriott is they have furniture on the balcony
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Dressed up for the holidays!
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Just beautiful at dusk
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Toasty fire pits around the property
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Holiday scenes around Grande Lakes
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The view from the balcony at the JW Marriott.
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Love Ritz-Carlton as much as I do? Explore our other stays at:
