The two towers form a busy city unto themselves in a 500-acre plot east of SeaWorld. If you stay in one of them, you can use the main amenities of the other, a 10-minute walk away, which is a value, but you won’t be as close to the theme parks as you would at the newer JW. This JW’s 24,000-square-foot pool area, landscaped with fake rocks, jungle greens, and a 1/4-mile lazy river, is deservedly jammed on hot days, while the Ritz’s water area is formal and refined. The JW’s rooms are more palatial than the norm in town (and have bathtubs) and were renovated in 2023. Meanwhile, the Ritz’ rooms completed a renovation in 2021 that filled them with soothing greys, putty colors, and dark woods, and the pampering and quality here are a notch higher than at the JW. The 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton spa is one of the city’s best. It’s a resort that has it all and seduces you into sticking around, but the remote location means you’ll have to drive somewhere every time your stomach rumbles if you want to escape high-priced food (even though the Ritz’s Knife & Spoon, is a knockout and the JW’s Primo is a long-running pleaser). You’ll spot guests coming back from local pizza joints and Wawa with cheaper provisions. Both hotels have unobstructed views over a Greg Norman–designed golf course and a connected nature reserve (it’s much larger than you’d think—you could get lost during an evening wander past the blooming magnolia trees) where every diversion, from fishing to biking, is on offer. With so much choice in town, Grande Lakes is the resort you choose if you lean toward the Ritz and want to seal yourself away with rounds of golf and spa rubdowns; the JW is nice, but much bigger and more impersonal. Rates fluctuate wildly if there’s a conference. Resort fee warning: $48/night.
Orlando
Travel Guide
Orlando› Hotel
Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando / JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando
Our Rating
Neighborhood
International Drive Area
Phone
Ritz: 888/707-9325 or 407/206-2400 for the Ritz , JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes: 800/433-5402 or 407/206-2300
Prices
Doubles $228–$548. Ritz: 584 units, doubles $391–$744. Minifridge $20. Parking $36 (self), $52 (valet; mandatory for Ritz guests). Resort fee $48/night.
Amenities
6 restaurants; 2 cafes; 2 outdoor heated pools with lazy river and tower with 3 water slides; kids’ pool; spa; health club; golf course (normally membership-only); 3 tennis courts; kayaking; Club Level rooms; Starbucks; babysitting; 1 daily hr. of kids’ club (Ritz only); free local calls; free park shuttles (with 24 hr. notice); free Wi-Fi.
Units
JW: 1,010 units. Ritz: 584 units.
Web site
JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando
Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando
![3 star(s) 3 star rating](/assets/rating/fromm-rating-3star.png)
Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando
Map
4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando OrlandoNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.