[slideshow]Orlando expects a lot of visitors, and she caters for them beautifully. Whether you want to tuck up your children at Walt Disney’s castle, luxuriate on the very edge of a golf course, or crash out at a well-located hotel that can take care of all of your business needs, book flights to Orlando and know you’ll be in good hands.
Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa
1900 Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista
+1 866 397 6516
www.buenavistapalace.com
If you’re heading to Disney World and feeling a little bad about your carbon footprint, assuage the guilt by staying at the Buena Vista Palace. As well as being located so close to Downtown Disney that you won’t need to worry about taking cabs; this hotel has Green Lodging status. Parents get their Sunday lie-ins while their children are having brunch with their favourite Disney characters, and if you book rooms on the hotel’s higher floors there are perfect views of the Disney fireworks. Large, comfortable beds, sixty treatments in the on-site spa, and access to four championship golf courses seal the (very reasonably-priced) deal.
Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas
Lake Buena Vista/Orlando
8800 Vistana Centre Drive
Orlando
+1 407 239 3100
www.starwoodhotels.com
If you’re tired of high-rise and want a little home-from-home, the Sherton Vistana Resort is a great bet. Instead of an enormous hotel, its accommodation comes in the form of one and two-bedroom villas, set in a pretty little resort that’s small enough for the optimum form of transport to be its bike hire scheme. The Sheraton Vistana is a little oasis of calm, close to all of Orlando’s main attractions, but far enough away that when you’re relaxing in the pool or having a massage in one of the cabanas you feel miles from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
1500 Masters Blvd
ChampionsGate
+1 407 390 6664
www.omnihotels.com
Orlando is renowned for much more than just theme parks, it’s also America’s premier golf city. With Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara and Arnold Palmer all residents, book flights to Orlando to soak up the atmosphere. If you don’t want to waste a single second, consider checking in to the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. This hotel is home to a 9-hole, par 3 course designed by the legendary Greg Norman, and world headquarters of the renowned David Leadbetter Golf Academy. With so much golfing bliss, you may care little about the actual rooms, but there’s a choice between hotel rooms and villas to suit all tastes. Other facilities include a spa for relieving strained muscles and numerous pools set in the grounds.
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
4510 N Fort Wilderness Trail
Lake Buena Vista
+1 407 824 2900
www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.
Want to take a walk on the (very safe and immaculately groomed) wild side? 750 acres of pine and cypress await you at Fort Wilderness, where a range of camping options from the humble tent to high-end RVs is available. There are also plenty of home comforts for those who don’t like roughing it, with Internet access, grills and electricity all readily available. Other facilities include a swimming hole, theatre with nightly marshmallow roasts and Disney screenings, pony rides and numerous restaurants. Whether you choose to rent electric buggies or wander the forest trails, there’s plenty to see and do.
Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City
5905 International Drive
Orlando
+1 407 351 2100
www.starwoodhotels.com
It’s location, location, location at the Four Points on International Drive. Perfectly situated for film geeks with the Universal Orlando Resort to one side, and surrounded by the city’s best outlet malls, it also has beautiful views of the Downtown Orlando skyline. The restaurants open late, so whether you’ve been catching a late show at the cinema or taking advantage of the malls relaxed closing times, dinner will always be waiting. To ramp up the luxury factor, special “Comfort” beds are in each room, to ensure that each night’s sleep is perfect, and the entire hotel is non-smoking.
