First, I will explain that we expect the best when we travel. We always stay at the best hotels and are very demanding and we watch everything, from the service to the food, very carefully.
From the moment we arrived, the Ritz philosophy was in full force. Our daughter loved the lemonade beautifully arranged in the lobby. I was impressed by the friendly greeting and small talk from the bellman. My husband was glad the valets were so attentive. It is often a hotel's first impression that lasts the whole trip...and this hotel delivers. The room was fine...nothing special...but the view was lovely. Ask for a lake and pool view. The spa was terrific and ask for Joana, who was awesome. The kids had a blast in the little water playground and room service was really fast! Also, no mistakes with room sevrice, like many other hotels. It is the details that are so important, and I loved the presentation from the towels to the sheets.
The only weak link....Norman's restaurant. The service was so awful and condescending. Our friends wanted to inquire about a seasonal price-fixed menu and the waiter acted as if we were asking him for something beneath him. He was snooty and rude. One of the appetizers was apparantly forgotten and when I asked about it, he sniffed as if I shouldn't care that he forgot it...no apologies or anything. I honestly can't believe he was so awful. The service was so bad that we left without dessert; we couldn't take the wait or the attitude! I'm sure we spent at least a few hundred per guest, so the bill for 4 people was probably over $800 because we always order expensive wine and appetizers, but I think for the first time ever my husband left a 10 or 15 perecnt tip instead of 20 perecnt, or more. He shouldn't have left anything!
Dinner at the steak restaurant was fine, but nothing special.

We booked the Ritz in Orlando for a family vacation with my wife and 2 year old. The main reason we booked the hotel was to use the facilities at the adjacent JW Marriot, which was sold out. This was the first time we've stayed at a Ritz Carlton and we truly enjoyed the spoiling experience that only the Ritz staff can do right. The check-in went incredibly smoothly with the bell-hop providing a wide range of information about the hotel and the room. Speaking of the room, wow is all I can say. We could not guarantee a king when booking, but the front desk staff made it happen with no problem. We also checked in at noon instead of the standard check in of 3pm. Once again, no problem at all with the front desk staff. They didn't even question us showing 3 hours early. The room came with a crib for our daughter that was decked out with a gift bag for her (swim dypers, rubber ducky, etc.) and looked straight out of Pottery Barn. The king bed made the Westin heavenly bed look shameful. The bathroom was huge, with a lovely tub and separate stand up shower with private toilet area. The patio was nice with a lovely view of the adjacent Ritz Spa pool. Speaking of the pool, it was very nice. It was heated and huge. The JW Marriott facilities are open to the Ritz guests and their pools is out of this world. The lazy river is very long and very slow. They have a great grill and awesome staff as well. We ate at the Vineyard Grill at the Ritz and had roomservice for the other meals - all great. This goes without saying that you obviously will spend an incredible amount of money at this hotel; however, I did not feel like they nickle and dimed me the entire time. At the pool, bottle water, swim dypers and ice cream are free. The lobby has fruit and water for joggers with towels. Additionally, unlike other hotels, the business center was complimentary for internet/pc use.
Great hotel overall and I would recommend it to anyone staying in the Orlando area. Especially great if you want to get away from all the Disney paraphanalia floating around the Orlando area.

My family and I visited the Ritz over the President's Day Weekend. WOW! Were we were pleasantly surprised with the resort. The children (7 years old) enjoyed the warm pools, and thought the Marriot pools next door were too chilly to swim in. Beds comfortable, and the family rate package we had was great since we had two connecting rooms with one king, and two doubles. Definately made the stay more enjoyable.
PROS: The staff was attentive at the pool, we were greeted by friendly and helpful staff. Vineyard Grill-- great tasting food. Clean rooms, beautiful resort grounds....felt like a tropical paradise.
CONS: Pricey room service menu--, some cleanliness issues with bathroom, but only minor.

Since we had always stayed in a Disney Resort, we were a little hesistant at first staying far from the parks. But, we did not even venture out once from the resort ! The kids were having such a great time at the large pool. Fantastic!

If you are looking for a lowkey, self contained resort, this place is for you. The grounds are impeccable and remind you of Hawaii. (Of course without the beach) but the lake view is nice and there are little touches of rocking chairs, bike rentals, and even a small playground/spraypark for the younger guests. It is very large that you can find a place to sit and relax without people coming and going around you.
THe marriot next door was far more crowded, and not as relaxing as the RItz. We immediately felt the difference. However, since both properties are connected by an awesome walking path, you can enjoy both properties.

We look forward to coming again and enjoying the beautiful property.

I recently stayed at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes for a work conference. Upon check-in, I asked for a room that was fairly quiet. My room was wonderful. There were comfortable beds with down comforters. It's a bed that you'd expect from the Ritz. The bathroom was finished in marble with an enclosed toilet area, shower, bath and dual sinks. The housekeeping service was top-notch.

There were some odd things about this Ritz that sets it apart from the others. The furnishings and finishes inside the rooms and ballrooms were reminiscent of the Marriott hotel brand. Since they are owned by the same parent company, this was no surprise. In fact, the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton are separated by a breezway. I found the dining options at the Marriott to be more realistic for the typical business traveler. The Ritz's menus, both room service and the restaurants, were a bit overblown. However, if you are traveling seeking something outside the everyday, be assured that the Ritz has superb menus.

This hotel is not part of a pedestrian area or neighborhood. The resort is entirely self-contained. Note that it is not possible to obtain a taxi at this hotel. The front desk and bellman will always tell you that town cars are available. In fact, all the town cars are waiting outside. They take credit cards, but the town cars are noticeably more expensive than your standard cab. A trip to the Magic Kingdom cost $40 plus gratuity each-way.

The service at RC Grande Lakes was superb. Each employee was helpful and extremely attentive to our needs. Even at top hotels, scheduled dining events during conferences often offer sub-par food that has obviously be prepared in bulk. I can honestly say that each meal at the Ritz, whether prepared for in-room dining or the conference center, tasted made-to-order and was of the highest quality.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my stay. Should business ever take me back to Orlando, I will check the rates at the Ritz first.