JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes

What We Think

Some people shy away from resorts of this magnitude, but we’d wager that those people haven’t stayed here. The property feels like your own private castle, complete with doting staffers and pampering galore (note the Ritz-Carlton spa that’s more than a spa—wellness classes include Barre, Tai Chi Qi Gong, and a hysterical Broadway Cardio that will have you belting out show tunes as you firm your own show-stopping behind). Guest rooms are adorned in soothing colors—tranquil turquoise, sedate sands, marble-lined bathrooms—which will have you on Island Time the moment you check in. (Bonus: they’re enormous, starting at 425 square feet).

What It Is

A towering resort on 500 leafy acres with literally everything, including a de facto water park and 18-hole golf course by Greg Norman.

What It Isn't

Tasteless. Among seven restaurants on-site, you’ll find a Starbucks and a locavore restaurant, Whisper Creek Farm, where Florida-grown produce stars on the menu.

You're Here Because

You want to hand your golf obsession to the next generation, and here you’ll have access to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, where kids play free—and there’s a driving range and putting green at-the-ready for practice sessions.

The Moment

You’d heard chef Melissa Kelly was award winning even before you set foot in Primo, her organic-leaning Italian eatery with its own verdant gardens beyond the windows. But when you take a bite of your bruschetta—with duck confit, stracciatella, wild mushrooms and cured duck yolk—you realize how apt the name, primo, is. You’ve never had a better bruschetta—and you’ve been to Italy thrice.

Restaurants & Bars

Norman's - Latin, Caribbean, Asian fusion Bleu - Bar food poolside Fairways Pub - Pub food Primo - Contemporary Italian Citron - American Brasserie Sushi Bar - Japanese Café Bodega - Grab and go Highball & Harvest - Southern-inspired cuisine Vitale, Spa Café – Healthy cuisine First Drop – Lobby café Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen – Farm-inspired comfort food Quench Poolside Bar & Grill - Tropical drinks, burgers and salads Starbucks® - Coffee, beverages and snacks The Lobby Lounge & Sushi Bar - Creative cocktails and Asian tapas

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