Checking In: Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando Florida

The Ritz Carlton is easily one of my favorite hotel brands. I know exactly what I am getting when I stay there: top notch customer service, attention to detail, a luxurious property – each decorated and unique in its own way, delightful food, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Staying with the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes was an easy pick for me because I love Orlando, Florida. The city truly has something for everyone of every age. From theme parks, dining, golf, museums, NASA, and so much shopping!
The Hotel:
This is one of the biggest hotels I have ever stayed in, coming in with 582 guest rooms, a 40,000 square foot spa, 47,000 square feet of in-door meeting space, and 11 dining options! With influences of Italy you will notice throughout in the architectural design. The location of the hotel is situated on the lake and around the Greg Norman designed golf course – there is beautiful views from every angle of the hotel.

 
Executive Suite:

I stayed in an Executive Suite during my stay that was a club level room, giving me access to the Club Lounge.
The specs of the room:

• 960 sq. feet
• Separate bedroom with king size bed
• 2 balconies
• 2 bathrooms
• Master bathroom equipped with separate marble shower and tub & a double sink vanity
• Work station
• Coffee and Tea
• 65″ HD LCD TV in the master bedroom
• 65″ HD LCD TV in the living room
• iPod docking station
• DVD player
• Cable and satellite TV with premium movie channels
• Vanity
• Generous sized walk in closet

I found the room to be extremely spacious. There is an option to get 2 double beds and would be perfect for friends or a family who want to share a room. With multiple seating options inside and outside, it will never feel crowded.
The master bath is absolutely gorgeous! The marble is a lighter shade and really makes the room shine. If you love taking baths like I do, then you will love it.
One of my favorite features of this room was having two TV’s – one in the bedroom and one in the living room. It gives you the option to watch TV in bed and/or in the living room from the couch or chair. Plus – if you have kids or friends staying with you, they can both be in use at the same time and everyone is happy.

 
Club Lounge:
I am a big fan of the Club Lounge. Other than the amazing service, scrumptious food and exclusivity to Club Level guests – I would say the next best thing was the view from the lounge.

Club access also gives you 2 pressed garments per day, a dedicated concierge team throughout the day, wifi, work stations, a media room with movies and games, and complimentary Ritz Kids programming for up to 3 kids per room.
The Club Lounge offers 5 culinary presentations a day with alcoholic beverages available 11 a.m – 10 p.m. daily.

• Breakfast 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Lunch 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Light Snack 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Hors d’Oeuvres 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Desserts, Candies and Cordials 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 
The Spa:
With over 40,000 square feet of space, you can only imagine how incredible the spa is. Located on multiple levels, the spa also has its own pool, cafe, fitness center, and barber shop.

I enjoyed a 50 minute relaxing massage during my stay and left feeling like a new person. One of the coolest features of the spa is that they grow their own herbs! I don’t think it gets more personalized than that.

Dining:
With 11 options to choose delicious food from – you can essentially dine somewhere new everyday. What I love about the restaurants is that they source local ingredients and ingredients from their own farm, Whisper Creek.

I dined at Highball & Harvest while I stayed at the hotel and was overly impressed by the food. The food is southern and the mixture of ingredients blew me away. I asked my server for her recommendations based on the area and everything she recommended was top notch. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor dining options.

The showstopper for me was the shrimp and grits. I actually did not even want this dish – but I am so happy I got it. The grits had more of a creamy texture because there was goat cheese mixed in – and the dish was just exquisite. If this is the only dish you can eat in Orlando – I promise it will be worth it.

I also tried a charcuterie board that had so many amazing meats and cheeses on it – I only wish I had more people to share it with.

For dessert I went for chocolate – and the cool part of this dish was the popcorn flavored ice cream.. I know, it sounds strange, but I promise, it was amazing. It paired perfectly with the chocolate and do-it-yourself mint.

Do make sure an order a cocktail! I tried the mojito and the mint was just as fresh as could be – possibly the best mojito I have ever had.

 
Overall:
I loved my stay the this Ritz Carlton hotel. It is easily accessible to all the theme parks, the decor was gorgeous, loved the food, the staff was extremely helpful and gracious, I felt relaxed after getting a treatment at the spa, and to be honest – I did not want to leave! I will definitely be coming back in the very near future.
Additional Information:

• Address: 4012 Central Florida Parkway Orlando, Florida 32837
• Phone: 407-206-2400
• Distance from airport: 10 miles
• Shuttle available (24 hour notice required) for guests to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and Sea World
• Access to lazy river pool at the JW Marriott next door

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Disclaimer: I was hosted by the Ritz Carlton, as always opinions are entirely my own
*Some photos were provided by the hotel