The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

Stayed here for two nights over New Year’s Eve and thought the hotel and service were lovely. We were upgraded to a view of the lake which meant we had a side view of the hotel’s fireworks at midnight on NYE as well as several displays at other hotels . The room was spacious, spotlessly clean and every staff member we encountered was welcoming and professional. We very much enjoyed our break at this hotel and would happily return .

I recently booked two rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando using Marriott points that I earned through paid stays—it’s not like I got them for free. Since I also hold the Amex Platinum card, I was hoping to have my reservations matched to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) benefits. After speaking with Amex customer service, they reached out to the hotel on my behalf, but someone named Ann outright refused to extend any FHR perks because, in her words, the rooms were on points and the hotel “would lose money” from them. That alone was bewildering, but it got worse when I tried calling Ann directly. She had a condescending attitude, essentially implying my points-based reservation was less valuable than a regular paid stay. She even asked if I wanted to cancel my booking, which I never mentioned, and came close to canceling it for me before I could protest. When I told her not to cancel, she basically cut me off and transferred me to her manager—who showed little interest in addressing her behavior. Honestly, I’m disappointed by this entire exchange, especially coming from a hotel brand that markets itself as luxury and prides itself on hospitality. Points are still money—I paid for those points over time. I hadn’t even stepped foot on the property yet and was already treated like a second-class guest. If this is how they handle a simple request to match FHR benefits, I’d urge anyone considering a stay here—especially using points—to think twice or at least confirm the benefits in writing beforehand. For a five-star brand, their training and customer service attitude fell far below expectations. I will definitely take further actions on this type of absurd discrimination.

Amazing customer service. We used points to pay for this hotel which I always think matters when writing a review. How much you paid for the night matters to the value. think this hotel is a good experience for around $800 a night. Every experience with a worker was truly top notch. I think it is the best customer service that I have seen in a long time. We went right before thanksgiving. It felt like this is more of a business and couples hotel. I didn’t see that many kids. My husband and I went for a quick getaway before all our children came home for the holidays. The lobby bar was a fun vibe. We made a reservation for the spa and the restaurant. It was a great calming staycation. My only comment is that I feel like the spa is more geared towards groups of ladies rather than couples. There was a lot more talking than in normal spas. It wasn’t a bad thing. It just made me want to gather a whole bunch of friends and go back for a ladies trip. After our massage, we hung out at the spa pool and it was very chill and comfortable. We really had a great time.

We had an amazing time at the Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes! We booked room 1125, which was a cozy two queen resort view guest room on the 11th floor. It was perfect! Check-in was a breeze. The valet took our car, and we were blown away by the New Year’s decorations they had up when we arrived. The same guy from February was there, and he gave us the room. When we walked in, it was gorgeous! The queen-size beds were super comfortable, and we loved the tub in the shower. It was also convenient to make coffee in the morning when we woke up. And the balcony was huge! It was so nice to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful resort view. We also went in the lazy river and it was amazing! The hot tubs were super warm. Breakfast was delicious. We ate at Ciron at the JW, and it was fantastic. No complaints about the food. They always do a great job. The Ritz Carlton in Orlando has always been a hit with our family for the past five years. We were thrilled to come here to celebrate the New Year holiday. We hope to come back soon and see them again. Their staff is incredible, and I highly recommend coming for the holiday season because they always have great holiday events. Thanks so much! The Stella family

Checking in with Austen was the highlight of the tail end of our family holiday vacation at the Ritz Grande Lakes. Outside the brass at the front desk, the staff at dining, pool attendants and pool service are D listers. Perhaps the result of high unemployment or poor training. Here are a few lowlights — Highball & Harvest dining manager telling us “it’s your fault” for picking our establishment because it’s the only kids option in the resort or being told that we were on the clock at the pool when we weee eating lunch. This is our third time staying at Grande Lakes and our last.