Jan 9, 2014, 11:22 am
Last edit by: Time traveller
Effective Jan 20, 2014, this property has a $25 resort fee. (might be $20 for Marriott elites based on one report).
From the website: Daily resort fee of 25 added to room rate includes in-room Internet, theme park shuttle, resort activities and more! No details on the resort activities & more on the website, although a FTer reported yoga classes.
Self-parking is $18/day & valet is $25/day. Some reports of elites getting parking waived; can't hurt to ask.
Updated July 2017, as per hotel website, resort fee is $35 and parking $25/day for self-park and $32/day for valet.
From the website: Daily resort fee of 25 added to room rate includes in-room Internet, theme park shuttle, resort activities and more! No details on the resort activities & more on the website, although a FTer reported yoga classes.
Self-parking is $18/day & valet is $25/day. Some reports of elites getting parking waived; can't hurt to ask.
Updated July 2017, as per hotel website, resort fee is $35 and parking $25/day for self-park and $32/day for valet.
JW Grande Lakes Orlando [Master Thread]
Jun 6, 2003, 5:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 90
JW Grande Lakes Orlando [Master Thread]
Anyone got any plans to take advantage of the $149 'I24' special? I'm thinking of making a 4th of July trip to check out the new property.
Orlando, July 1, 2003... The Family Vacation and The Good Life, refreshingly redefined. A resort so grand and luxurious in one of America's most popular destinations... that you can experience for an extraordinary grande opening rate! From July 1, 2003 to September 1, 2003, celebrate the Grande Opening of the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes® with an introductory rate of $149 per room, per night, which includes deluxe accommodations and complimentary transportation to some of Orlando's most popular theme parks.
Orlando, July 1, 2003... The Family Vacation and The Good Life, refreshingly redefined. A resort so grand and luxurious in one of America's most popular destinations... that you can experience for an extraordinary grande opening rate! From July 1, 2003 to September 1, 2003, celebrate the Grande Opening of the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes® with an introductory rate of $149 per room, per night, which includes deluxe accommodations and complimentary transportation to some of Orlando's most popular theme parks.
Jun 6, 2003, 9:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Baltimore
Programs: US 1 Mar Plt Hertz PC
Posts: 696
I'm planning a trip dowm there some time in July-August, the $149 rate is typical of the specials they offer at the World Center. I hope they are offering a grand opening bonus. Since the JW and RC are adjacent, I am curious if you can charge meals at the RC to a JW room and receive points. We know how RC views us Points People--"It's the experience stupid".
Jun 9, 2003, 7:08 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New York, NY USA
Posts: 186
Foodguy - just a word of caution as I have noticed in a few threads in other Forums that brand new hotels that just open for business tend to have a few glitches. Not that this may happen with the new Orlando Grande Lakes property, but I have heard of problems with staff, operations, systems, food, etc.
Snowcap
Snowcap
Sep 2, 2003, 6:38 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Winter Park Fla. USA Hilton Diamond, Delta SM, Starwood Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 112
My wife and I just spent the weekend at the JW, as they call it, and had a great time. As far as the rates go, the $149 is on their web site as a AAA rate. I would go to their site and check out the packages,www.grandelakes.com. We used the golf and spa package, one round of golf and one spa treatment, room, and breakfast for two, for $340. The course is great, they provide Titleist clubs and FootJoy shoes for $50, as well as a forecaddy. I had the guy that caddied for Tiger three weeks ago when he set the course record of 65.
If you have kids, bring them. The pool is one of the best in Central Florida, no need to spend money at a water park.
One last note, most of the emoployees will tell you that the Ritz is for the older crowd and the JW is for the families. On check-in, the front desk upgraded me to a top floor overlooking the pool with just a "how about it" from me. I'd be happy to answer any other questions if I could, just ask.
If you have kids, bring them. The pool is one of the best in Central Florida, no need to spend money at a water park.
One last note, most of the emoployees will tell you that the Ritz is for the older crowd and the JW is for the families. On check-in, the front desk upgraded me to a top floor overlooking the pool with just a "how about it" from me. I'd be happy to answer any other questions if I could, just ask.
Sep 3, 2003, 12:46 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Hotel Guru
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, UA Gold
Posts: 1,455
A comparison with the Orlando Marriott World Center Resort would also be interesting.
Muerz
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Visit the Hyatt Review Website at http://www.hotelreview.de.vu
Muerz
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Visit the Hyatt Review Website at http://www.hotelreview.de.vu
Sep 3, 2003, 4:45 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Winter Park Fla. USA Hilton Diamond, Delta SM, Starwood Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 112
I have stayed at the Grand Cypress, actually at the golf villas. Depending on what you want to do and if you bring your family would determine where I stayed. The Grand Cypress has the best pool in Central Florida, bar none. The hotel is big,(1000) rooms, or so. The golf villas, in my opinion, have some of the best rooms in Orlando. You can configure your room to range from just a bedroom, all the way to a three bedroom suite, with kitchen and dining room,depending on how much you want to spend, of course. There's 45 holes of some of the best golf in Orlando, tennis, and a spa. They will pick you up in a van and take you anywhere you want to go in the complex, they'll even come to your room and light your grill and bring you a movie. Let me know if I can answer any more questions,
Sep 6, 2003, 1:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Winter Park Fla. USA Hilton Diamond, Delta SM, Starwood Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 112
The rooms at the Grand Cypress are up to date. Either hotel would be great for Christmas. The decision for you is which park do you want to be closer to. The Grande Lakes is close to Sea World and Universal, and it provides free transportaition to either park. The Hyatt is in Lake Buena Vista, near the Disney parks. Aslo, if you stay at the Grande, you are in a secluded, gated property. You can't walk anywhere if you wanted to go out to different restaurants, or Downtown Disney, as you could if staying at the Hyatt.
May 1, 2004, 10:30 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: CO Gold (RIP UA), AA PLT (2MM), MR PLT
Posts: 378
Any Recent Stays at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes
Any recents stays/comments at the Ritz Orlando?
Anybody receive a upgrade also, either to club level or suite?
I am staying for a weekend in May with my mom, so of course I would love a upgrade as perhap to a suite with separate sleeping quarters...
Jeff.
Anybody receive a upgrade also, either to club level or suite?
I am staying for a weekend in May with my mom, so of course I would love a upgrade as perhap to a suite with separate sleeping quarters...
Jeff.
May 2, 2004, 11:41 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,712
The JW Marriott Orlando is one of the only properties in the whole Marriott family that I strongly try to steer people away from. I had a very bad experience there and got no satisfaction at all from their GM.
To make a long story short, the first problem had to do with not getting a platinum upgrade. I had booked a standard room, and the website showed lots of nicer room types available for the length of my stay. I was told there was nothing available. I verified my facts and then tried a manager; still no luck. The next day I happened to bump into the front desk manager in the lobby--he asked how I was enjoying my stay to which I replied it was great except for my room, went through the story, and he said he'd take care of it by the time I returned from Disney that day. Nothing ever happened, there was no record of him trying to do anything, and I got the same "there's nothing available" line (even though the website STILL showed better room types open).
This was disappointing, but not enough to make me vow never to return. The icing on the cake was after checking out when I tried to exit the parking lot. The incompetent buffoon at the gate tried to charge me for parking for my whole stay, even though daily parking charges were already added to my room bill. I was stuck at that stupid gate for--get this--OVER AN HOUR while he kept calling back to the hotel to try and figure out what to do. Eventually someone figured out I'd already paid for parking and didn't need to pay again, but I almost missed my flight home.
I wrote all this up in a dispassionate, factual letter to the GM. At the very least I expected a form reply that said they were sorry and hoped I would try them again in the future. Nope, nothing, nada. I never heard back at all.
They won't get another penny of my business EVER, and posts like this are part of my ongoing campaign to get people to stay in any of the other wonderful resorts around the area, just not the JW.
To make a long story short, the first problem had to do with not getting a platinum upgrade. I had booked a standard room, and the website showed lots of nicer room types available for the length of my stay. I was told there was nothing available. I verified my facts and then tried a manager; still no luck. The next day I happened to bump into the front desk manager in the lobby--he asked how I was enjoying my stay to which I replied it was great except for my room, went through the story, and he said he'd take care of it by the time I returned from Disney that day. Nothing ever happened, there was no record of him trying to do anything, and I got the same "there's nothing available" line (even though the website STILL showed better room types open).
This was disappointing, but not enough to make me vow never to return. The icing on the cake was after checking out when I tried to exit the parking lot. The incompetent buffoon at the gate tried to charge me for parking for my whole stay, even though daily parking charges were already added to my room bill. I was stuck at that stupid gate for--get this--OVER AN HOUR while he kept calling back to the hotel to try and figure out what to do. Eventually someone figured out I'd already paid for parking and didn't need to pay again, but I almost missed my flight home.
I wrote all this up in a dispassionate, factual letter to the GM. At the very least I expected a form reply that said they were sorry and hoped I would try them again in the future. Nope, nothing, nada. I never heard back at all.
They won't get another penny of my business EVER, and posts like this are part of my ongoing campaign to get people to stay in any of the other wonderful resorts around the area, just not the JW.