JW Marriott Bonnet Creek vs. Grande Lakes: Which i...

Whether or not you are a dyed-in-the-wool theme park fan or a enterprise traveler headed to any variety of conventions within the space, many Marriott Bonvoy loyalists discover themselves in Orlando on a reasonably common foundation. You’ll be spoiled for selection relating to deciding on lodging. From cost-effective manufacturers like 4 Factors by Sheraton to top-of-the-line luxurious choices, equivalent to The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott has one thing that is the appropriate match for each traveler visiting “The Theme Park Capital of the World.”

I favor premium inns like these throughout the JW Marriott model, which gives quite a lot of room classes and on-site facilities starting from a number of eating venues to golf programs, swimming pools and even water parks.

Associated: 30 best Marriott hotels in the world

Two JW Marriott properties put you inside placing distance of Orlando’s theme parks: JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. I’ve stayed at each. Let’s focus on how one can choose the appropriate one to your journey.

Location

Which resort location you choose to your Orlando trip — Bonnet Creek or Grande Lakes — will probably be dictated by which theme parks and different websites you propose to go to.

Associated: The best hotels near Disney World you can book with points

Drive time to standard vacationer spots

Notice: Orlando visitors may be intense. These drive instances are estimates offered by Google Maps.

In the event you’re a hard-core Disney fan with plans to hit all of the parks from rope drop to closing time, JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek — which is flanked by Disney property on three sides — will, at first blush, appear to be your greatest guess for the reason that commute to Disney parks is shorter.

Nonetheless, if Universal and SeaWorld are in your dance card, JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes would imply much less driving.

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There are lots of different elements to think about, although, and we’ll focus on them now.

Resort footprints

Regardless of being a part of the JW Marriott model, the 2 inns are fairly completely different size-wise.

Bonnet Creek, which opened in 2020, is a smaller constructing with 16 flooring and 596 rooms (80 of that are suites).

In the meantime, JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes — which shares many facilities with The Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes subsequent door — has almost twice as many rooms (1,010) unfold throughout 26 flooring. Grand Lakes additionally gives 60 suites (48 government suites, seven studio suites, 5 grande suites and 4 presidential suites). It opened in 2003 and was renovated in 2023.

Each inns cater to conferences and conventions, with a bit extra space dedicated to that facet of the enterprise at Grande Lakes. We’ll speak about this later, however since Grande Lakes encompasses two inns, there are extra facilities to reap the benefits of there than at Bonnet Creek (a stand-alone property).

Setting apart the query of facilities, I favor the extra intimate setting of Bonnet Creek. Nonetheless, if I deliberate on internet hosting a big gathering or touring with household (particularly kids), Grande Lakes would sway me because of the facilities, which I will focus on beneath.

Rooms and suites

As talked about above, Bonnet Creek has roughly half the variety of rooms as Grande Lakes, and the design and decor are fairly completely different.

My private fashion hedges extra towards Bonnet Creek. The rooms really feel mild and ethereal. Los Angeles-based design agency Kay Lang + Associates achieved this by liberally incorporating pure wooden, wicker, reeds and vegetation as decor. Most of the textures and patterns that catch your eye had been based mostly on the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s basketry art work from bygone days.

I stayed in a collection at Bonnet Creek, whereas my home-away-from-home at Grande Lakes was an entry-level king visitor room. Your mileage might fluctuate relying on which room sort you guide at both resort.

The suites at Bonnet Creek are additionally a few of my favorites of any Orlando resort (although the Waldorf Astoria Orlando suites rival them).

In the event you select Bonnet Creek, you may guide loft household suites. Youngsters have a tendency to like this selection.

The rooms at Grand Lakes are a bit extra conventional, and whereas the resort says its inside design was impressed by the pure setting and colours proper exterior its door, the room I used to be assigned nonetheless felt darker than these at Bonnet Creek.

For households at Grande Lakes, there are two- and three-bedroom household suites (with bunk beds) that may make all of the distinction for a cushty keep when you could have a giant crew. A particular prearrival VIP course of features a concierge who will create an age-appropriate itinerary for your loved ones journey. The perfect half? A nightly in-room amenity — like milk and cookies and in-suite toys — is a practice your kids will stay up for.

If cash isn’t any object, take a look at the lately renovated presidential suites at Grande Lakes. They’re gorgeous.

The Bonnet Creek location gives complimentary shuttle service to Disney Springs and the Disney parks, whereas Grande Lakes gives transportation to SeaWorld, Walt Disney World and Common Studios.

Swimming pools

For anybody vacationing with kids and those that love a good lazy river, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes wins — hands-down — concerning which resort has higher water-centric play areas.

Grande Lakes Waterpark is huge. There are three swimming pools, three slides, a lazy river, a “sanctuary” zone, a VIP space, cabanas and a splash play exercise space.

If waterslides are your factor, there are three of them:

• The Present: average pace for single riders (top requirement: 40 inches)
• The Rapids: medium-speed tube slide for single or tandem riders (top requirement: 42 inches)
• The Chute: quick slide for single riders (top requirement: 48 inches)

AquaVenture is one other space of the complicated that encourages youngsters to climb bridges and traverse steadiness beams which can be suspended about 4 ft above the bottom — all whereas water sprays, shoots and dumps from all angles.

Moreover, the water park has different attention-grabbing areas, together with the Sanctuary on the very middle and the Oasis VIP lounge space with a fireplace pit.

Various kinds of for-fee daybeds and cabanas can be found throughout the water park:

• Lagoon daybed (from $125; most of two visitors)
• Oasis trellis daybed (from $150; most of two visitors)
• Swim-up daybed (from $250; most of two visitors)
• Bespoke cabana (from $375; most of two visitors)
• Splash Cove cabana (from $550 and consists of some meals and drinks; most of eight visitors)
• Sanctuary cabana (from $675 and consists of some meals and drinks; most of eight visitors)
• Oasis Grande cabana (from $875 and consists of some meals and drinks; most of eight visitors)

Nonetheless, there are some cases when the swimming pools at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek are a greater possibility. The resort gives a household pool and an adults-only pool.

At any time when we have visited this property, we have had the primary pool almost all to ourselves. So when you favor having loads of house to your group and are not concerned with climbing atop an interior tube to drift the day away on a lazy river, Bonnet Creek is the place for you.

The for-fee cabanas and daybeds had been additionally a bit cheaper at Bonnet Creek than Grande Lakes:

• Household commonplace cabana ($200; most of six visitors)
• Household poolside suite ($350; most of six visitors)
• Household premium ($250; most of 4 visitors)
• Grownup suite cabana ($350; most of six visitors)
• Grownup premium cabana ($250; most of 4 visitors)
• Daybed ($125; most of three visitors)

All however the daybed consists of some meals and drinks within the value.

That stated, the cabanas and daybeds at Bonnet Creek’s fundamental pool do not fairly have the identical zing because the choices at Grande Lakes.

Spa and health

Grande Lakes has a bigger spa facility that measures 40,000 sq. ft and consists of 40 therapy rooms, a salon and a barbershop. The power additionally has a health middle and tennis and pickleball courts.

However Bonnet Creek additionally gives a spa, salon companies and a health middle.

Youngsters membership

Each properties have youngsters golf equipment and age-appropriate actions.

There is a enjoyable “exercise backyard” proper exterior the Bonnet Creek youngsters membership that anybody can go to. It consists of miniature golf, wellness lessons, a jungle fitness center and a for-fee climbing wall.

Grande Lakes additionally has loads of kid-friendly exercise areas, together with jungle gyms and desk tennis.

Golf

There isn’t a golf course on the Bonnet Creek property, however you may play (or take classes) at Grande Lakes on the Greg Norman-designed course at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Membership.

Further experiences

Grande Lakes bests Bonnet Creek relating to add-on paid experiences. Listed below are just some issues you may take pleasure in at Grande Lakes:

• Falconry
• Archery
• Fishing
• Bocce ball
• Wakeboarding
• Pedal-boat leases
• Mountain biking
• Eco excursions and dawn safaris

Eating

Though the Bonnet Creek location has fewer eating places, I’ve had higher eating experiences there than at Grande Lakes. One in all our favourite eating places in Orlando is Sea + Sear Woodfire Grill (open for dinner solely). The menu focuses on prime meats and seafood.

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Branzino with crispy quinoa. ANDREA ROTONDO/THE POINTS GUY

Unreserved Meals Bazaar is a much less formal restaurant with indoor eating for breakfast and lunch and a enjoyable out of doors beer backyard (open from 11 a.m. to five p.m.).

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Tacos at Unreserved Beer Backyard. ANDREA ROTONDO/THE POINTS GUY

We particularly loved the beer backyard.

We’ve not dined at Bonnet Creek’s Japanese restaurant, Illume, but it surely will get rave opinions and has a stunning out of doors terrace with views of Walt Disney World within the distance.

You may additionally discover a grab-and-go deli, a pool grill and in-room eating.

The standout meal we had over at Grande Lakes was at chef John Tesar’s Knife Burger, the out of doors restaurant by the pool. My Mediterranean bowl was incredible, and my husband loved The Magic burger, served on an English muffin.

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Mediterranean bowl at Knife Burger. ANDREA ROTONDO/THE POINTS GUY

I needed to like the resort’s Italian restaurant, Primo, however we had an underwhelming dinner right here. Nonetheless, breakfast at Citron, a brasserie, was scrumptious.

Different eating venues embrace a grab-and-go store, a Starbucks and Whisper Creek Farm for farm-to-table eating. If these choices aren’t sufficient, simply stroll subsequent door to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Lakes for the steakhouse Knife + Spoon, Highball & Harvest and the Vitale spa cafe.

You’ll be able to earn these certificates at every account renewal with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Plus, you will earn one other free night time award after you spend $60,000 on purchases along with your Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise Amex in a calendar 12 months.

Associated: How to earn and use a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate

Paying money

There is a bit extra of a ramification if paying money. The bottom price for an entry-level room at Bonnet Creek was $319 (together with a $50 per night time resort charge) and $234 at Grande Lakes (together with a $53 per night time resort charge). The best value we discovered for those self same rooms was $760 and $838, respectively.

Each Bonnet Creek and Grande Lakes take part in American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts. In the event you’re paying money, verify charges through Amex to get complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit score and extra perks.

Resort charges and inclusions

I discussed these pesky resort charges. You get extra to your cash at Grande Lakes.

JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes

The $53 nightly resort charge consists of:

• Mountain bike rental (two bikes for one hour per day, per room)
• Tennis courtroom entry for 2 visitors (one hour per day, per room; tennis rackets and balls are included)
• Pickleball courtroom entry for 2 visitors (one hour per day, per room; pickleball paddles and balls are included)
• Entry to on-property waterslides
• Entry to the resort’s AquaVenture water park
• Shuttle transportation to SeaWorld, Walt Disney World and Common Studios

JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek

The $50 nightly resort charge covers:

• Shuttle service to Disney Springs and Disney parks
• Resort-wide enhanced web, together with in visitor rooms (although any Marriott Bonvoy member already will get free Wi-Fi entry)
• Entry to the resort’s miniature golf course and mountaineering wall

Parking

Frankly, contemplating how a lot wide-open house stays in Florida, I discover these parking charges outrageous. It prices the identical to park at each of those inns.

• Valet: $54 plus tax per night time
• Self-parking: $38 plus tax per night time