The best luxury experiences in Orlando

Everything about The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grand Lakes resort screams luxury, particularly the world-class 18-hole golf course. Play on the pristinely kept and expertly landscaped green and then head to the Fairways Pub for an after-golf drink: the resort’s upscale local pub boasts a fantastic selection of draught beers and whiskeys. You can also grab a light bite to eat if you’re feeling peckish after a full day swinging the club. 

Sometimes the best luxury experiences in Orlando are the simplest. Why not make it the venue for your proposal too? 

Most enjoyed by: Golfers and beer drinkers.

Some of the very best private VIP experiences in Orlando are spent in the comfort of your own villa. At ChampionsGate Resort, you can rent a luxurious villa for the whole family to reside in. Ranging from four to 10 bedrooms, there’s something for families and groups of all shapes and sizes here.

The larger 10-Bedroom Villas are the most impressive. It’s like renting your own Florida mansion for the week, with so much to keep you entertained within your four walls – a large kitchen for making big family dinners, a games room for the little ones, and a lanai-covered outdoor pool for the hottest days.  

Most enjoyed by: Large families and groups.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is home to a fantastic onsite water park the whole family can enjoy during their stay. Adults can lap up the luxury by lounging around the pool on a sun lounger. Order a cocktail and simply soak up the sun and the resort’s relaxed atmosphere. 

Meanwhile, kids can enjoy their own type of luxury with Stormalong Bay: the resort's aquatic playground full of slides, whirlpools, and splash zones. They’ll spend hours having fun in the Floridian sunshine. 

Most enjoyed by: Water babies and strong swimmers. 

With theme parks being such an integral part of the typical Orlando holiday, one of the best luxury experiences in all of Orlando is having unlimited fast passes and exclusive early access to the parks.

That’s exactly what you get when you stay at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando – all guests are treated like VIPs from the moment they arrive until check-out. With such great theme park perks, adrenaline junkies can beat the regular queues to Orlando’s biggest, wettest, and most thrilling attractions like the indoor rollercoaster Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts or beloved family favourites like The E.T Adventure. 

This is a private VIP experience Orlando is renowned for.

Most enjoyed by: Impatient theme park fanatics. 

If you fancy something a little less nerve-racking and a lot more relaxing, how about a pampering session at Gaylord Palms Resort? 

The resort’s renowned Relâche Spa invites you to leave all your stresses and worries at the door. Choose from a variety of massages, facials, and other spa treatments and forget about the outside world for a while. We recommend something a little more unusual, like the Musclease Warming Ocean Wrap – a seaweed wrap that softens the skin with a blend of essential oils such as lavender, sage, and thyme. 

And don’t worry about the little ones, you’ll rest easy knowing they’re being looked after by the staff at the designated kids’ services.

Most enjoyed by: Rightfully lazy holiday-goers.

One of the best luxury Orlando experiences for kids can be found at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Instead of a drive-in cinema, how about the resort’s Starstruck Dive-In experience?

Simply grab an inflatable, pull up a deck chair, and set your sights on the giant HD widescreen set up poolside. This is a chance to watch your favourite movies right from the comfort of the water! Plus, no movie experience is complete without popcorn, so best believe you can tuck into a complimentary bowl of buttery goodness. Showings are every Thursday and Saturday evening.

Most enjoyed by: Movie buffs and freebie-grabbers.

Are you more of a villa person than a hotel person? If so, Reunion Resort has some of the best, most affordable vacation villas to choose from. 

Here you’ll stay in the privacy of your own luxury villa – but with the additional benefits of onsite resort facilities, including a family water park, 10 swimming pools, a spa, a kids’ club, and three golf courses! It’s the absolute best of both worlds. 

The excitement continues inside the villas too. Whether you opt for a One, Two, or Three-Bedroom Villa, all are the perfect blend of comfort and convenience. The decor is stylishly traditional and there are all sorts of amenities that’ll make you feel at home, like having a washer-dryer and a dining room. It’s the little things that matter most with Orlando's private VIP villa experiences.

Most enjoyed by: Sophisticated souls who appreciate privacy.

For those that love nothing more than browsing around shops, the ultimate luxury Orlando experience lies right at the heart of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. 

In addition to fancy restaurants, the charming Harbour Piazza is home to all sorts of unique shops and boutiques. You’ll find Italian-themed gifts at La Memories de Portofino, cute nautical-themed trinkets at L’Ancora, and a selection of fine art at Galleria Portofino. No doubt you’ll find the perfect souvenir for a loved one back home.

And when your feet start to tire, grab a coffee and sit outside by the lakeside waters. The atmosphere is simply lovely, especially when a live band starts to play and the sun’s beaming down.

Most enjoyed by: Shopaholics and coffee-lovers.