This review investigates the top 10 best hotels with club lounges closest to Walt Disney World In Orlando in Florida. We outline many on-site hotels below, but it is also worth considering nearby off-site hotels because they can be cheaper.
In fact, some off-site hotels are convenient for Universal, too, and we have outlined the best hotels close to Universal Orlando in case you decide to split your vacation. We have also reviewed the best Marriott Bonvoy hotels near Universal in case you collect or want to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for your Disney or Universal stay.
Since opening in 1971, Walt Disney World in Orlando has become the ultimate place to take your family with dozens of hotels with different theme parks and hotels.
Every Disney hotel or resort is great. Each has its own selling point, be it a lazy river, brilliant kids club, amazing water park, or incredible views. Disney club rooms and the related club level lounge at Disney Resorts gives you extra perks and services. Food and drinks are offered in each club lounge and while lounge access is not essential for a brilliant family stay at Disney World, it can occasionally be financially worthwhile, particularly if the upgrade cost to the lounge is in the region of $100 USD per night. Note that club levels are not available at every Disney resort, but these Disney Resorts all have club levels:
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Gran Destino Resort (mid range resort with a club level)
1. Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort is one of the best Four Seasons hotels in Florida. Nestled within the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World, it is tucked away in the secluded millionaires’ row of Golden Oaks. This is easily the very best and most luxurious hotel within Walt Disney World.
You may be surprised that I include the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort in our number one spot in this listing, as it does not actually have a club lounge at all. Still, it is the absolute best resort in the area, so it should always be considered.
Add to this that if you book a stay via our luxury travel concierge, you will get the following for free and for the same price as online, so you already have $100 USD resort spend included in your package, which will go nicely towards your first evening out at this Four Seasons.
I urge you to try this resort, even if just for one night and then moving onto one of the properties below to make use of their club lounges. It is simply unbeatable in terms of luxury when compared to the other Walt Disney World® Resorts.
This lakeside haven has extensive gardens, pools, and towering pillars of palms and cypress. Tee off at the exclusive Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, splash around with the kids at Explorer Island, treat yourself to a soothing, post-park massage at The Spa, or toast the evening fireworks with dinner at our rooftop steakhouse Capa.
The hotel has its own luxury coach service to the four theme parks, and your room comes with a free EXTRA MAGIC HOURS benefit and DISNEY FASTPASS+ up to 60 days prior to arrival, making it the perfect base for your next Orlando adventure.
Beyond Walt Disney, World® Resort is the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an incredible new world which is sure to excite any Star Wars fan young and old.
Within the hotel, a five-acre water park with splash zones, interactive fountains, water slides, and pools for kids and grown-ups alike is a highlight. An attentive poolside service includes towels, lounger pillows, suncream, and pitchers of iced water.
Highlights include two elegant infinity pools, one for the family and one for adults only, splashing around in the winding lazy river, two exhilarating water slides, and weekly Dive-In Movies at the family pool, which also has zero walk in water, so it is ideal for any age! In fact, the pools are the biggest reason to stay here. The lazy river sparkles and is never crowded, with giant waterfalls. It just floats you along.. so relaxing!
The adult pool is a quiet oasis with a hot tub and lounge chairs. It is a completely peaceful and marvelous haven of escape. Crucially, wherever you go on the grounds, it is never too crowded, even when the hotel is full.
The grounds of this Four Seasons are immaculate and beautifully landscaped, with palm trees everywhere and flower beds and container planters, and water features.
There’s also a fitness center and a spa, plus an exclusive golf course. A special Disney concierge can arrange all theme park tickets and bookings.
The look of the buildings has a Spanish or Italian feel with tropical grounds. The entire complex is an oasis of calm and the perfect escape from the frenetic theme parks. All rooms are large, even the base standard rooms, and they are almost equally large balconies and signature Four Seasons marbled bathrooms with bathroom mirrors with TVs in them.
Room Tip: You must book a room above the fifth floor on the west side if this is your first trip, a Park View room so that you can see the nightly Disney fireworks! Other rooms overlook the Golden Oak properties or the surrounding lake and do not have a direct view out onto this wonderful spectacle.
That said, Golden Oak View rooms are cheaper and the same in square footage, and you might feel the premium is not worth paying for. Golden Oak View rooms are lovely, and you can always watch the fireworks from the 14th floor of the hotel from the communal hotel balcony.
If you want more space, go for a Golden Oak View Suite. They are magnificent with a larger bedroom space and a separate living area with a pull-out sofa. Some rooms have a bathtub by a window, which offers a gorgeous view while you’re bathing. If you’re staying for a long time or traveling with a lot of stuff, these rooms are lovely if your wallet stretches far enough!
There are seven dining and lounge options. All are great. Ravello has its own bar and celebrates fresh Italian food and cocktails. The pool bar PB&G offers light bites. There is a coffee bar, plus the golf clubhouse has a restaurant open for lunch.
The rooftop restaurant Capa is the place to go if you don’t have a room with a view of the fireworks. This restaurant is on the roof, and from here, you can watch the nightly Disney fireworks.
Finally, there is a free kid’s club (ages four to 12), with its own water-play area, water slides, and fun.
2. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is the very best Disney-branded resort in Orlando. Rooms and, in fact, the entire resort is Victorian in style but with a Disney makeover of the Victorian times. Located just one stop from the Magic Kingdom, you can get to the parks by riding the complimentary Resort Monorail – what a brilliant way to arrive!
This resort is classy with mosaic floors, fountains with nymphs, lots of creams and whites, pillars, and an impressive lobby. Within the rooms, the creams are complemented by forest greens that bring the outside in. The feel is elegant and dignified.
In terms of the resort itself, you can cool down at the Beach Pool or the Seven Seas Lagoon and ride down the water slides. Both pools are massive and are flanked by cabanas and loungers. Enjoy a massage at Senses Spa, and dine with Disney characters or in award-winning restaurants. There is also a club lounge for those who want to escape,
Being so close to Disney World itself, you are in the perfect place to watch the magnificent fireworks light up the sky over Cinderella’s Castle.
The Royal Palm Club Level, which is the Main Building Club Level offering at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is classy. It is one of two club lounges at this hotel. Interestingly, you will either get access to this or the Royal Palm Club Level, the Club Level for guests of the main building, or the Sugarloaf Club Level, the club in the outer building. Included in the club lounge are five small food and drink offerings, plus concierge staff who will help you with FastPass+ reservations.
The lounge on the 4th floor is traditional in design with lots of turquoise and orangy-colored sofas and traditional dining tables with seats. It feels like a traditional British hotel. It includes the corridor areas so you can sit on the balcony with views to the water on one side and views over the reception on the other. As the evening sets in, there is lobby music, either a piano player or a band, and the music wafts up to the lounge, where you can enjoy a drink while watching the magnificent sunset.
The lounge itself is open 24 hours and is serviced from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm. Alcoholic drinks include beer, wine, champagne, and non – alcoholic drinks, including coffee, espresso, tea, bottled water, and cold soft drinks.
Is the lounge worth the extra cost? All rooms in the Main Building have club level included, and they cost around $1,100 USD per night. Outer Building Garden View rooms, which are still part of the resort but do not have lounge access, are in the region of $700 USD per night. This means you are paying $400 USD ish for club lounge access, but remember, you can’t get a room in the main building without paying the premium. Remember, this lounge is very, very good. Good enough to while away the entire evening with the music and fireworks.
Rooms at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort tend to be a similar price. I prefer the Four Seasons, but if you want to be right in the center of the action, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa can’t be beaten, so my perfect trip to Disney would include 2 nights at each resort, with the club lounge level included when I stayed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
3. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, but you will feel as though you’ve entered the jungles of Africa. This Deluxe resort also has a club lounge level.
The imposing African theme extends throughout this atmospheric resort, with tribal art and artifacts, African flavors in three restaurants (Jiko, Boma, and Sanaa), and the waterfalls and meandering streams of Uzima Springs Pool.
It is quite extraordinary how this beautiful resort’s designers have bought Africa to Florida, and this African theme goes beyond the vibrant safari-style interiors. There are more than 30 species of African wildlife on the resort grounds! Among the exotic animals, you’ll spot are zebras, giraffes, and kudu with their spiral antlers.
Beyond this, restaurants serve traditional African dishes, and the zero-entry Uzima pool is a dream for families. Think lush vegetation, palm trees, rock formations, and brilliant slides, and you will imagine how lovely this pool is.
In terms of views, the parking lot view offers the best value but if you are looking for something more inspiring, go for a pool view, landscape view, or water view. The ultimate view at this resort is the view of the savanna and African wildlife. You won’t find a view like this anywhere else in Florida, and the animals mixed with the jungle decor will make you feel like you have left America completely.
Rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge start at around $400 USD, with club-level rooms around $150 USD more. Still, the advantage of club rooms is they have the “best” Savanna Views, so while it looks like you are paying $150 – $200 USD to use the executive club level, in fact, some of that expense is enabling you to sit out and watch the distant African animals! Savanna View rooms tend to come in around $50 – $100 USD less than the club level, so if you intended to book one of these rooms, the club level extra cost absolutely seems worth it!
The club lounge here is called the Kilimanjaro Club, and there is a special club level check-in. Included in the club lounge are five small food and drink offerings plus useful concierge staff from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm who will help you with FastPass+ reservations.
You will find the Animal Kingdom Lodge club lounge on the sixth floor of Jambo House. It actually overlooks the lobby. Access is restricted to guests who have booked club-level rooms, and you will have a “Magic Band,” which will give you lift access to the sixth floor. This lobby view is rather special as there are often carnival-style events in the lobby, and you have a brilliant view of these. Of course, this means the lounge is a lively place to hang out rather than being quiet.
The lounge looks straight out of Africa with dark wood seating, tan and brown rugs, and a thatched ceiling. It is very atmospheric. There is a TV playing Disney movies and a children’s area.
The lounge is also quite dingy or atmospheric, depending on which way you look at it. I would say it feels mid-range and not as luxurious as Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa club lounge. Nonetheless, it seems like a bargain if you were going to book the Savanna View room as you can pretty much avoid paying for your food and drink while you are at the hotel by making use of the lounge facilities.
4. Disney’s Beach Club Resort
In my opinion, this charming New England-style resort with baby blue and white clapboard frontage is the most lovely looking of all the Disney resorts. You will not be losing any of the class by booking a cheaper rate, and you can still laze on your wooden balconies in this oh so pretty, almost turreted resort design.
I love the color scheme of the rooms. The sandy carpet, the hints of sea blue in the headboard. The decor is unfussy and simple and yet classy and luxurious. The decor will remind you of a New England beach cottage, but the Disney flair makes them that bit better. Disney’s Beach Club Resort are also super convenient, walkable from Epcot and just a short boat ride (what fun!) to the popular Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
We love the fact that most of the resort looks over the charming pools and the lake beyond. Kids and adults of all ages will love splashing and sliding at the 3-acre on-site water park. A kids club also gives the younger family members a chance to make crafts and play games. If you have little ones, you must stay here for the character dining – what could be more fun!
Probably my favorite thing about this resort is the way you get to the Disney parks… You use the Disney Skyliner with its whimsical aerial gondolas. They say, “Glide across the sky and add an extra dash of pixie dust to your day. This grand, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot and links to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. The Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot is also conveniently located just a short stroll away from Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.”
The Stone Harbor club lounge is the club level at this hotel and can be found on the 5th floor of the Beach Club Resort. While I love the rooms at this hotel, the lounge has a fairly generic feel, be it with vibrant yellow walls and blue carpets, and soft furnishings. There is a sitting area and a separate buffet area.
The club lounge includes food and drink offerings throughout the day plus useful concierge staff from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm who will help you with FastPass+ reservations.
The breakfast is continental with cereals and cold cuts along with pastries and cakes. There are snacks, pizza bread things throughout the day, and in the evening, there are canapes, pasta dishes, and desserts like mini cheesecakes with berries. This lounge is good but not great. Is it worth the $200 USD premium from a standard room at around $450 USD to a club room at $650 USD? Probably not. This lounge is just not that special and won’t add a lot to your stay other than offering an area with free food and drinks.
5. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is also within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you want to visit the other parks, there are free shuttles provided by the resort.
The rooms here have dark blue carpet and yellow and white stripes on the walls. The lobby’s decor is more interesting, with old-fashioned white pillars like something out of a cruise ship. There are intricate lamps and gold-mounted wall paintings above the reception, making the entranceway feel very authentic.
Highlights include multiple themed pools with a waterslide, the delicious Flying Fish Cafe, and a 1940’s Atlantic City vibe. This resort sparkles by night and by day. The way it crowds around the pool means that you can take advantage of vintage charm with great views of the pool if you choose one of these rooms.
Probably my favorite thing about this resort is the way you get to the Disney parks… You use the Disney Skyliner with its whimsical aerial gondolas. They say, “Glide across the sky and add an extra dash of pixie dust to your day. This grand, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot and links to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. The Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot is also conveniently located just a short stroll away from Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.”
And so to the club lounge at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. This club lounge is called “The Innkeepers club lounge”. It is on the 4th floor, and you need to swipe your Magic Band to get in. The seating is largely around dark wood, old-fashioned dining tables in this high ceilinged room. There are windows and the usual soft drinks and alcoholic drinks plus whole fruit like bananas throughout the day.
This lounge is fair and offers Continental Breakfast (oatmeal, cereal, cut fruit, cold cuts, very much a continental breakfast, then light snacks until the evening canapes and drinks followed by desserts, mainly muffins, and cookies.
Is it worth the $200 USD premium from a standard room at around $500 USD to a club room at $700 USD? Probably not. This lounge is just not that special and won’t add a lot to your stay other than offering an area with free food and drinks.
6. Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Stay in the Florida Keys whilst being next door to Disney World. Disney’s Old Key West Resort is minutes away from the best attractions in Orlando, and yet you feel like you are in the Florida Keys. This place even comes complete with a lighthouse!
Disney’s Old Key West Resort is just idyllic. It was the first Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property. This once small-scale timeshare program has since expanded into something huge. Victorian styling combines with pretty pastel colors and tropical vegetation giving it a great ambiance. The main meeting place is fronted by wooden balconies and pontoons that jut out into the lake. Surrounding this pretty clapboard resort are tropical palm trees and pristine golf fairways.
Check-in is located in the Hospitality House, which is along the dockside, where you can also enjoy Olivia’s Cafe, Conch Flats General Store, the Good Food To Go restaurant, the main pool, Gurgling Suitcase bar, and the marina. If you don’t like walking, stay close to Hospitality House as the resort is quite spread out.
The pools are particularly impressive here. There’s a sandcastle waterslide, a dry sauna at the base of a lighthouse, a whirlpool spa, and even a sandy beach, yes, really. Next to the beach is the children’s pool. In addition, there 3 all-ages quiet pools in the Old Turtle Pond, South Point, and Miller’s Road sections of the resort, each with a whirlpool spa.
Other facilities include a fitness facility. Take Disney’s Magical Express to and from the airport, saving you the expense of a rental car and offering a much more eco-friendly way to travel. To get to the parks, you can take a boat to Disney Springs or catch a bus to the parks.
The rooms here have pastel blue walls and sandy yellow carpets and have a lovely beach theme. Rooms have fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. Rooms here are the largest of all Disney Vacation Club resorts. For example, the standard studio room is 390 square feet, comparable to most standard Deluxe Resort rooms. Studios at other Disney Vacation Club resorts are around 300 square feet, so if room size matters, Disney’s Old Key West Resort is the one to pick.
While this is a great themed resort with large rooms, it does not seem to have a club lounge, so this is not the resort to pick if you want a Disney Resort with a club lounge.
7. Disney’s Contemporary Resort
This Disney resort has a completely different vibe from most other quaint and cute Disney resort hotels. Disney’s Contemporary Resort is an ultra-modern Disney Resort hotel with spectacular views and dazzling pools.
This resort is a modern highrise with an A-frame Contemporary tower and a nearby Garden Wing. To get to the parks, you can walk to Magic Kingdom’s main gate or catch the Resort Monorail as it stops at the tower. Inside, a 90-foot-tall mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair—responsible for the distinct look and feel of the “it’s a small world” attraction—celebrates the Grand Canyon and the American Southwest.
Rates here vary wildly from around $800 USD for a snazzy Main Tower club level room to a standard garden wing room, which can come in at under $500 USD per night. If you are planning to stay in the garden wing, the club lounge is not worth the upgrade, but if you are planning to book a theme park view room in the Main Tower, then you are only looking at around $100 USD more for the club lounge which seems well worth it. Of note, Theme Park View rooms ARE worth paying more for. The other side of the resort offers Bay Lake views overlooking the Bay Lake Tower hotel. Theme park views mean you can watch the fireworks and other events from your room.
There are two club lounge level floors here. The Atrium level offers the standard rooms on the 12th floor, and the Tower level on the 14th floor also has suites.
The Atrium Club lounge itself is smart and large (although much smaller than the Universal hotel club lounges), with what feels like slightly art deco decor with diagonal dividers, marble floors, and three balconies overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. This is a great place to watch both the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant. Bear in mind that, while this is a brilliant view for these events, during the day, the car park in front also makes up much of this view, so the resort feels quite urban.
This club lounge is one of the most stylish executive levels across Disney’s resort hotels. Although I don’t much like the modern look of this hotel from the outside, from the inside, the classy interiors and fittings make this one of the most luxurious resort hotels in Disney, with one of the best club lounges.
The lounge itself is open 24 hours as it has an open location, but you can only get service from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm. You can order or self-serve complimentary alcoholic drinks; beer, wine, champagne, coffee, tea, and cold drinks. There are also nuts, crisps, cookies, gummy bears, and whole fruit, etc., available throughout the day for grazing on.
Breakfast is also fairly decent here with juices, chocolate milk, pastries, toast, cut fruit, delicious apple muffins, cereals, oatmeal with dried fruit. But no eggs or hot dishes like bacon and sausages.
Evening food is things like shrimp, steak, veggies, rolls, crab cakes, cold cuts, rolls, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly jars, beef, and potatoes dish. Nice but high-calorie finger foods that could substitute for a full-on meal. Puddings are mouses and mini cakes.
8. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is a New England-style yacht club on the lakeside. It is elegant and nautical, and you can actually rent boats from Bayside Marina. It shares many amenities with its pastel-toned sister, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and is walking distance to Epcot and a convenient boat ride to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Probably my favorite thing about this resort is the way you get to the Disney parks… You use the Disney Skyliner with its whimsical aerial gondolas. They say, “Glide across the sky and add an extra dash of pixie dust to your day. This grand, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot and links to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. The Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot is also conveniently located just a short stroll away from Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.”
The club lounge is formal, looking in blue, navy, and white hues. The lounge offers service from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm. You can order or self-serve complimentary alcoholic drinks; beer, wine, champagne, coffee, tea, and cold drinks. There are also nuts, crisps, raisins, and whole fruit, etc., available throughout the day for grazing on.
Breakfast is also fairly decent here with juices, chocolate milk, pastries, toast, cut fruit, cereals, oatmeal with dried fruit. But no eggs or hot dishes like bacon and sausages.
Evening food is things like veggies and cold cuts. Nice but high-calorie finger foods rather than a full-on meal. Puddings are mini cakes etc. Not enough to fill you up, unfortunately, more of an extended snack.
9. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando
Our top choice at Universal Orlando is the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal followed by the Hard Rock and the Royal Pacific which both come in second for different reasons. Book any of these hotels via our luxury travel concierge for a better deal.
Crucially, the rooms at the Loews Portofino Bay are 335 square feet and the largest of the three hotels, with the Hard Rock coming in at the middle. The rooms at the Lowes Royal Pacific are almost 120 square feet smaller.
Nestled along the picturesque bay at Universal Orlando Resort, this luxurious hotel recreates the charm and romance of the famed seaside village of Portofino, Italy, right down to the cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes.
This AAA Four Diamond Award-winning hotel features 750 guest rooms, including 45 spacious suites. Each room offers elegance with authentic Italian furnishings and marble accents. The rooms at all the hotels aren’t noteworthy. You get what you pay for, so the ones at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel have the edge on the other two hotels being significantly larger and nicer with a double sink and larger bathroom (those at the Royal Pacific only have a single sink).
Expect all the usual amenities: flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi, coffee maker, fridge, and a safe. The rooms at all three hotels are decent but not amazing. Staying here is all about the parks. However, the beds are comfortable although, be warned, adjoining doors aren’t very well soundproofed at any of these three hotels, so bring your earplugs.
Hotel guests enjoy impeccable and attentive service, an opulent spa, three themed swimming pools, and exceptional dining… plus an exclusive package of theme park benefits, including:
Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required).
Free Universal Express℠ Unlimited ride access to skip the regular lines in both theme parks all day, a benefit worth up to $125.00 USD per person, per day (valid theme park admission required)…”
We really like this hotel. It is your best luxury hotel choice at Universal Orlando. It is also the most expensive, with the Hard Rock and the Royal Pacific coming in cheaper. All three hotels are on-site at Universal, and the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is an easy 20-minute stroll to City Walk and the park entrances.
The Portofino Bay has the best onsite hotel pools at Universal. There are three. One is very peaceful, and another has a slide and daily activities with prizes. It is not usually difficult to find a lounger around these pools, either, which is a blessing when compared to your other options, making this an oasis of peace in the otherwise frenetic Universal Orlando.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is probably the furthest of the three premium hotels from the parks. The landscaping around the whole Universal complex is fantastic, so the walk is delightful. If you can’t face walking, complimentary water taxis are also available.
The club lounge at Portofino Bay has a better food quality than the lounges at the other two hotels. Breakfast includes warm eggs and bacon or sausage, so it is not continental like the breakfast at the other hotels. Snacks also include vegetables and hummus. Dinner in the club always includes a salad and then an entree with two sides. The food quality and quantity is excellent, as are the desserts, and their cookies are usually a hit with the kids. Crucially, there is plenty of room and plenty of seating and no queues out of the door at mealtimes like at the Hard Rock! You can also enjoy free beer, wine, spirits, and prosecco in the lounges, making a significant saving to your drinks bill.
The Portofino Bay is undoubtedly the best of these three onsite hotels. Still, they do not have the level of luxury offered by the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, which is one of our offsite hotels, which we have reviewed below and is also our top choice and the best hotel with a club lounge in Orlando.
10. The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes
The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando is a great luxury hotel choice and is, in fact, probably the most luxurious hotel base for Universal Orlando Parks. It is also well located for Disney World resorts. It is no on-site at either Universal or Disney but is not far away.
The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes is located in the Grande Lakes part of the city, within a short free shuttle ride to Disney and Universal (included with the resort fee of $35 USD per day). The resort fee also includes Wi-Fi, phone calls, the driving range, some kids’ activities, access to and floaties at the JW Marriott lazy river, and shuttle transport to Disney and SeaWorld (reservation required at least 24 hours in advance) and a one-hour bike rental.
The hotel is next door to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Orlando Airport (MCO), and parking fees are around $40 USD per night if you have driven to the hotel.
I would choose this hotel because it offers luxury near theme parks and an excellent club lounge. It also has three wonderful pools, a Ritz-Carlton Spa, a Greg Norman-designed golf course, and 11 dining options. You can also use the lazy river next door at the JW Marriott, which kids and the young at heart will love. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is also not to be missed, with its 40 treatment rooms, salon, private heated lap pool, and healthy spa café. Of note, the JW Marriott does not have a club lounge. Hence, you do better booking into a Club Room at the Ritz-Carlton and then taking advantage of the magnificent lazy river at the JW Marriott during your stay whilst retaining access to the RC club lounge.
The foyer is a mass of marble, and the rooms have been recently refurbished and are spacious and stylish. The rooms, including the club level, feature balconies with spectacular views of the resort’s gardens, lakes, or golf course.
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is ideal for families, providing convenient access to nearby Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios attractions; plus, the Ritz Kids program is a favorite, and special excursions like kayaking, fishing instruction, and eco-tours allow for adventures while remaining in this 500-acre resort.
The highlight for me here is the pool, both here and next door at the JW Marriott with their lazy river and the incredible views of the resort holiday fireworks from the club lounge balcony.
The club lounge is on the 14th floor and is classic in design with orange and cream tones, mainly orange soft furnishings and creamy marbles. The long thin room is shuttered to one side with windows. The buffet here is delicious and filling. You can take a tour via the video on the Ritz-Carlton website.
The club lounge’s veranda overlooks the pool connects to the main club offering a great view of the Disney fireworks in the distance, a huge highlight, and great outdoor seating if you want to enjoy a bite and a drink alfresco as the sun goes down.
There is also a complimentary Ritz Kids Day Time Programming for children (ages 4-12), up to three per room, as well as a media room with movies and classic family games.
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