JW Marriott Grande Lakes

[G8RFAN]

We had spent 5 nights in a 1 bdrm at OKW and wanted to finish up with a couple of days at SeaWorld. A couple of months earlier, we had met up with some friends staying there for a convention and spent some time at poolside (were were staying at the Rennaisance in across from SW) and thought their lazy river pool was beautiful. Well, we decided to try the resort ourselves. Our first fear was adjusting from having the full amenities of DVC to that of a normal hotel room. Checking in we were complimentary upgraded to a mini suite overlooking the pool! Even though this is primarily a convention resort, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Each afternoon, they scheduled events for the little ones. The staff was very friendly and dining options were plenty. Definitely a beautiful resort and the pool was very popular with my DS5. The drive to SW took no more than 10 minutes and conveniently passes gas stations and a supermarket along the way. DW loved that Starbucks was downstairs and that the spa and gym were first rate.

 

[G8RFAN]

Just came back from another two nights there. We chose the "internet special rate" this time which put us in a room on the 10th floor overlooking the porte-corchère, parking lot, and John Young Parkway in the distance. Ok, not the greatest view, but still a very nice room. Like the last time, we had a king size bed, however this time had DS05 sleep in the single convertible sofa instead of between us. It was still one of the nicest beds we ever slept in. They use a 4 inch feather bed topper to give it the extra plush. Boy, we gotta find one of those. DW tried the spa today. She had a facial and deep tissue massage. In her opinion, it was better than the GF and SSR spas. The pesky Marriott time share sales people were at their desk again. This time we knew how to brush them off, yet still be friendly. Still love this resort which will probably keep us coming back to SeaWorld. Too bad it's a hike to WDW, even though we ventured out to DTD for dinner at Bongos. One of their restaurants, Citroen Brassiere still has these amazing Kobe beef burgers for $12. Pricey, but once you have one, you will agree it is worth it. I was a little disappointed with the activity center. They were almost always closed and the attendant at the pool sundry shop didn't know how to find them for a surrey bike rental.

The next time, maybe we'll try the Ritz next door and play a round of golf.

 

[kilee]

Thank you for sharing!!

 

[krisnchris]

Thanks to all the pp's on this. We're moving to this hotel after our stay at AS Sports. My DH has a conference here and me and the two DS's 2 and 5 will be on our own during the day. Don't really know a lot about this place.

 

[peyjax]

Since your husband is there for a convention I would say you will love it. We stayed there in May and while it was nice we felt it was way too formal for our taste. It really is designed for conventioners. The facilities are nice and the pool is probably one of the best in Orlando. There are suites everywhere so running around in your bathing suite/coverups seems strange. For us that is what made it strange for a vacation destination. The pool is rather empty during the day because everyone is at thier meetings.

The rooms are on the small side for a JW but the bathroom is nice for kids as there is a bath tub and shower. The view is nice if you get one on the lake side. You can see SW and Universal. If I had a spouse going there for a convention I would love to tag along. I just would not make it my base for Disney World if it were a family vacation. It is very close to SW and makes it a nice hotel for that.

The grounds are definatley impressive. The pool does charge $7 for a tube which is not bad but they are very small. I don't think they sell noodles but that may have changed. You definatley need that kind of stuff for the pool for the lazy river. It is awesome to do that at night! They also have cool things for kids like marshmallow roasts and storytelling. There is a list of activities everyday at the front desk. Some they charge for some they do not. Also remember the ritz has a kids program you can use as well. Have fun!

 

[krisnchris]

That's really helpful; thanks! Yeah, we planned the trip sort of on the fly when we found out about this conf! So dis is first, then the conf.

Hey - do you remember if the vest and arm floaties are ok in the pool for kids?

 

[mamaminnie]

Hey - do you remember if the vest and arm floaties are ok in the pool for kids?

Yes, they allow all sorts of floaties in the pool-- you really need them for the lazy river. You can buy the same floats they sell for $7 for $4 at the nearby CVS.

We really like this property, it's a nice break from the parks.

 

[krisnchris]

hmm. . . do you need to swim to do the lazy river? like, could I go w/my 5 yo or holding my 2 yo on my lap? that sounds really fun; not sure if it's young-child friendly. . .

you guys rock! i wasn't expecting to find any info on this resort!

 

[mamaminnie]

hmm. . . do you need to swim to do the lazy river? like, could I go w/my 5 yo or holding my 2 yo on my lap? that sounds really fun; not sure if it's young-child friendly. . .

you guys rock! i wasn't expecting to find any info on this resort!

I wouldn't send kids off alone-- it's pretty long and you lose sight of them for quite a while. There are lifeguard stations along the whole route but they are not always all staffed.

It's pretty tame, you could easily hold 2 yo on your lap or float alongside him (or her).

There is a pool area with a zero entry, I think it's sort of roped off from the lazy river so kids can't just wander in.

 

[GetGlowing]

We have a stay booked next September for the Marriott's Lakeshore Reserve on the same campus as the JW Marriott and the Ritz. We're looking forward to it! It's a brand new resort, but I think it shares some amenities with the other two resorts. I'll be sure to post a full review, but that's a year from now.