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The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Orlando, Florida, United States · Ritz-Carlton · Grand Luxury
In 2026 it became the first Forbes Five-Star hotel in Central Florida, one of only nine properties in the entire state to hold that distinction, set on 500 acres at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades with a James Beard Award–winning farm-to-table restaurant, Primo, run by chef Melissa Kelly.
- 582 rooms
- Opened 2003
- Neighborhood: Grande Lakes
- Rooms from 480 sq ft (45 m²)
About The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
- The resort's farm-to-table restaurant, Primo, is run by James Beard Award winner Melissa Kelly and draws from the property's own working farm.
- The 500-acre grounds sit at the headwaters of Shingle Creek, the northernmost tributary feeding the Everglades system, deliberately preserved rather than developed.
- In 2026 it became the first Forbes Five-Star hotel in Central Florida, one of only nine properties in the state to hold that distinction.
- The resort threads its own championship golf course through the surrounding cypress preserve.
History
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes sits at an address that would have puzzled most visitors to Central Florida a generation ago: the headwaters of Shingle Creek, the northernmost tributary of the Everglades system, on 500 acres of lake and cypress preserve inside the International Drive tourism corridor. The land is not ancient wilderness — Greater Orlando's landscape has been so thoroughly reshaped by drainage, agriculture, and development over the past century that the Shingle Creek preserve represents a deliberate act of ecological conservation rather than survival by oversight — but it carries genuine natural credentials unusual for a resort this deep in a theme-park market.
The hotel opened in 2003 alongside the sister JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, the two properties sharing grounds, pools, a golf course, and a spa complex of considerable scale. The pairing was designed to create a self-contained luxury destination capable of drawing both convention groups and leisure travelers who had no particular interest in the neighboring theme parks, and the 500-acre footprint gave the resort the physical breathing room to make that ambition credible.
The culinary anchor from the beginning has been Primo, a farm-to-table Italian restaurant operated by chef Melissa Kelly, who won her first James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast in 1999. Kelly's kitchen maintains an on-property organic garden and sources extensively from Florida growers, a philosophy that has given Primo a regional identity unusual for a resort restaurant and unusual for its city. The restaurant's longevity — two decades at the same address — is itself a form of distinction in an industry where signature restaurants turn over quickly.
In 2026, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes became the first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel in Central Florida, a recognition that placed it among only nine properties statewide to hold that distinction. The designation came alongside Forbes Five-Star recognition for the spa, making the resort a double Five-Star property. The recognition capped a two-decade arc during which the hotel had carried AAA Five Diamond status — a continuous validation that the Grande Lakes project, which seemed to many observers an unlikely luxury bet in a market dominated by mass tourism, had delivered what its designers promised.
The setting
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes presides over Central Florida Parkway at the headwaters of Shingle Creek, a protected Everglades tributary whose watershed flows through the resort's Audubon-certified golf course. The 15-story Tuscan-inspired tower opened alongside the adjacent JW Marriott on a 600-acre campus that transformed natural Florida landscape into Central Florida's premier luxury address, earning Forbes Travel Guide Five Stars, AAA Five Diamond, and one MICHELIN Key. Universal Epic Universe is 39 minutes by car, the Orange County Convention Center just five minutes away, and Gatorland roughly 44 minutes, while on-site kayaking and eco-tours along Shingle Creek offer rare nature immersion steps from a world-class resort.
Restaurants and bars
- Knife & Spoon — Restaurant · Seafood · Chef John Tesar
- Primo — Restaurant · Italian · Chef Melissa Kelly
Experiences
- Impact Experiences — On-property volunteer activities during breaks and receptions, such as assembling school supplies or emergency kits; signature off-site volunteering.
- Share in Nature's Bounty — Group guests join farmers Milton and Scott West to gather produce for community food organisations and learn the history of Florida citrus.
Amenities
- 40,000 sq ft full-service spa
- 3 pools
- 18-hole Greg Norman–designed championship golf course
- 10 tennis courts
- 126,500 sq ft meeting space
- Kids club
- Nature excursions on Lake Sheen
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Five Diamond (2026)
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
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