At the entrance of one Ritz-Carlton in Florida, glass doors open to sweeping Moorish arches and glistening chandeliers. Beyond a vast marble lobby, palm trees and cerulean skies peek through floor-to-ceiling windows, and gilded sleeping chambers are tucked into either wing.
Not exactly the first place you’d imagine hopping to for a warm-weather getaway with kids in tow—but that, as we found on a recent visit, is exactly the Ritz-Carlton touch.
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes is situated on a one-of-a-kind Floridian estate shared with the JW Marriott, comprising a whopping 500 acres of landscaped lands, eco-focused gardens, and the headwaters of the Florida Everglades known as Shingle Creek. So as pleasantly surprised as we were at how truly family-friendly the property is, it does make a lot of sense—kids certainly have no shortage of space to run around here. With pools, lazy rivers, fishing rivers, tennis courts, and even its very own ropes course, the grounds are primed for all-ages active fun.
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Don’t get us wrong. For well-traveled moms and dads, this property has all the dressings of a classic Ritz-Carlton experience, from tastefully appointed and spacious rooms to luxurious Asprey amenities (our favorite grown-up hotel perk) to attentive and helpful staff. But the Ritz-Carlton also goes out of its way to welcome the littlest guests to the scene, not least of which is the in-room camping package for executive suites—complete with a tent, battery-operated lamp, book, and s’mores pastry—that incorporates every child’s favorite nighttime play pretend game into a lovely vacation.
For daytime, the two-hour Shingle Creek eco-tour is an adventurous little explorer’s dream. In an intimate tour of no more than 15, families paddle among the cypress trees and wetlands along the waterway, with opportunities for spotting for slimy slug skins and alligators aplenty. There’s also fly fishing, golf lessons, and simply walking around to enjoy the gorgeous fountains and green lawns sprawled throughout the property.
Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the Ritz Kids program, whose home base is outfitted with a reading nook, crafts station, and even small animal tanks with creatures to observe and play with. The space is open daily for 11 hours, during which children can play freely or partake in supervised physical, creative, and environmental learning programs. It’s the perfect place for kids while parents steal away for some tee time at the Greg Norman-designed 18-hole, or a luxurious treatment at the newly reimagined spa. (We recommend channeling the Floridian spirit through the Grande Citrus Escape, a highly restorative 105-minute journey involving a body scrub and mask, oil hair treatment, and hot stone massage that’s well worth the splurge.)
Signing up for Club Lounge passes is a good deal for families who intend on spending most of their time on-site. $50 per person gets you unlimited access to breakfast, lunch, and dinner spreads—in addition to a media room, children’s corner, and fantastic outdoor balcony views of the entire estate. That said, we’d still suggest setting aside a meal or two at Highball & Harvest restaurant, serving Southern-inspired cuisine, or the Whisper Creek Farm kitchen and brewery — where 28 gallons of brews in five styles are brought in weekly (for grown-ups, we suggest starting with Surplus, the flagship beer with an infusion of honey sourced right onsite). Both kitchens will give families a taste of local flavor, with fresh dishes using ingredients from the Grande Lakes’ 7,000-square-ft onsite farm.
With this welcoming mix of pampering and warmth, of relaxation and recreation, we couldn’t think of anything more we’d want out of a family vacation—except perhaps a magic wand that would enable us to stay forever.
To learn more, visit ritzcarlton.com!
