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With more than 113,000 hotel rooms, Orlando offers incredible lodging options, from budget and moderately priced hotels, all-suite properties and bed and breakfast inns to themed resorts and lavish suites.
If you want to immerse yourself totally in the theme-park atmosphere then arrange to stay in one of the on-site hotels at the big parks. Each resort occupies its own landscape plot, usually encompassing several swimming pools and a beach beside an artificial lake, and has several restaurants and bars. Disney guests can also use resort parking lots for free and the standard of service should be excellent. Another advantage of staying at a Disney resort comes in the shape of Extra Magic Hour, when each day one of the four parks is opened an hour early exclusively for resort guests, giving them the opportunity of some quality time with Micky and relatively unimpeded access to the wildest rides. Prices are much higher- sometimes more than $300 per night- than you'll pay elsewhere.
Walt Disney World has 18 hotels on-site (Central Reservations Office: Box 10100, Suite 300, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830.
Tel: 407 934 7639 or the Walt Disney Travel Company in the UK, tel: 0870 24 24 904) or consider Universal Orlando, where Portofino Bay (see Luxury hotels, below) and the Hard Rock Hotel are the first two of five planned hotels, with The Royal Pacific Resort hotel scheduled to open in summer 2002.
American hotels, particularly in the tourist areas, tend towards the motel type. The facilities and service are great, but you won't necessarily be located in one main building. One feature of this type of accommodation is the lack of restaurants in some cases. This is because American hotels operate almost exclusively on a room-only basis- meals are usually extra- so you may have to drive to the nearest restaurant even for breakfast.
Luxury:
Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, 4401 Grand Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830. Tel: 407 824 3000. Fax: 407 824 3186.
Situated on a pristine man-made 'beach' overlooking the Seven Seas Lagoon, this is the jewel in Disney's hotel crown.
A Victorian-style mansion house, it boasts (among its 900 rooms) 74 concierge suites with private lift access, along with all the usual luxury touches: five restaurants, pool, tennis courts, hot tub, health club, beauty salon.
There's also Grand 1, a 40ft yacht that you can charter for an evening cruise around the lagoon with butler service and a gourmet dinner on offer.
Portofino Bay Hotel, 5601 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819. Tel: 888 322 5541. Website: www.universalstudiosvacations.com .
Impressive (Las Vegas-style) reconstruction of the Italian Riviera, complete with boats bobbing on a man-made lake and pretend fishermen 'mending' nets that will never be used to catch fish!
Luxury touches in this grand but bizarre property include the opportunity to book into a villa complete with personal 'butler', who will unpack your bags and fix you a martini while you relax.
Three good restaurants (including Mama Della's and Delfino Riviera), spa, health club - and all just a complimentary water taxi ride away from the Universal Orlando attractions.
The Inn at Cocoa Beach, 4300 Ocean Beach Boulevard, Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931. Tel: 321 799 3460. Fax: 321 784 8632. Website: www.theinnatcocoabeach.com .
Sumptuously decorated rooms, each with a four-poster bed and a balcony or patio with a view of the sea. Included in your room price is not only a breakfast of home-made muffins, but also an evening appetiser of cheese and wine. The Kennedy Space Centre is only 15 minutes' drive away.
Moderate:
The Castle DoubleTree Resort, 8629 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Tel: 407 352 0233. Fax: 407 352 8028.
Close to Universal Orlando, this mock medieval castle has ornate gold and silver spires, a resident dragon - and Sony Playstations in the rooms. Two restaurants, including the recommended Cafe Tu Tu Tango, swimming pool and rooftop terrace.
Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Lake Buena Vista, 13351 Route 535, Orlando, Florida 32821. Tel: 407 239 4500. Fax: 407 239 7713.
Children reign supreme in this hotel: not only do they have their own registration desk, but their own Kidsuites (basically a room within your room).
Yours will love their themed play/sleep space, whether it's a magic castle or a space capsule, and when hotel mascot Max the raccoon comes to tuck them in, let's hope they're not too excited to sleep!
Video games arcade, free children's meals in the buffet restaurant and a free programme of supervised activities make this a great place for parents looking for a little time off.
Cocoa Beach Oceanside Inn, 1 Hendry Avenue, Ocean Beach, Florida 32931. Tel: 321 784 3126. Fax: 321 799 0883. Website: www.cocoabeachoceansideinn.com
Situated right on the beach, all rooms in this small (by Florida's standards) hotel have an ocean view. Heated pool and restaurant.
Budget:
Fairfield Inn by Marriott, 8342 Jamaican Court (off I-Drive), Orlando, Florida 32819. Tel: 800 228 2800. Fax: 407 363 1944.
Ideal for families on a tight budget, this small hotel offers no-frills accommodation, but little extras such as complimentary tea and coffee, free local phone calls and cable TV make it especially good value. Swimming pool.
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, Bay Lake, Walt Disney World. Tel: 407 824 2900. Fax: 407 824 3508.
A small oasis of calm in the theme-park world, here you can either bring your own tent or campervan or rent one of Disney's air-conditioned trailers, known as Wilderness Homes, which come complete with charcoal grill and picnic table.
Set in 700 acres of pine forest, with streams and lakes, there's plenty of opportunity for biking, sailing and other sports activities. Two pools, tennis courts, basketball, cafe and snack bar.
Unless your staying on Disney or Universal property and planning a Disney or Universal-only vacation, you'll need to be mobile wherever you stay in the far-flung Orlando area. Price, therefore, should be more of a concern than location.
Want to try something different?
Stay at one of our many vacation homes or villa properties. You can choose from one-bedroom villas to five-bedroom vacation homes. Many of the homes provide perks such as pools, duel master suites and on-location recreational activities. So, no matter whether it is a quick getaway for the two of you, a family trip, or a large group of friends and family, Orlando has a place to stay for everyone.
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