Why JW Marriott Grande Lakes?
JW Marriott Grande Lakes is a luxury resort located on 500-acres and shares the property with the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes. It is about 25 minutes from Disney so it is close enough to the Orlando attractions to enjoy a park day but with such a beautiful property and so many on-site amenities, you will want to spend a lot of time on property as well. They have modern rooms with various accommodation options, a lazy river, water slides, and cabanas. You can also venture to the Ritz-Carlton if you would like to explore that resort as well.
We stayed here in May 2025 after school got out to celebrate the start of summer. I had been wanting to try this hotel, and I was not disappointed. There was so much for us to do, and we never left the property.
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Rooms & Pricing
The rooms at this resort are very nice. They are comfortable and I love the finishes. Our room did not have a balcony but there are room options that do.
Pricing will vary based on what room option you choose and when you go. March and April will be high prices due to spring break and so will major holidays such as New Year’s Eve, Easter, and 4th of July. Below I include base line pricing but please note, these rates are as of the time I reviewed. Resort pricing fluctuates and is always subject to change. Marriott, as well as many other resorts, lets you view pricing in a calendar format. So, if you are flexible on your dates, be sure to look at the price by day. For the amenities that this resort offers, you can really find some great deals if you look.
JW Marriott Grande Lakes is also a part of Marriott. So, if you are a points person, make sure you check out availability to use your points to stay here.
Let’s talk through room and pricing options.
- Standard Rooms: The standard Guest Rooms are a king bed with a sofa bed or two queens. You can choose the resort view or lakefront (lakefront will be a premium).
- Price Range: Most nights are in the $280 – $500/night range, with some higher priced nights getting closer to $1,000/night.
- One-bedroom Suite: The lakefront executive suite is a one-bedroom suite that has a king bed in the room and a sofa bed in the living room. They have a pool view and there are options with a balcony. In the living room is a sofa, TV, and small table with seating options.
- Price Range: $700+/night with some of the higher priced nights going as high as $1,500/night
- Two-bedroom Suite: The two-bedroom family suite has a king bed in one room and then a king bed plus twin bunk beds in the second room. There is also a sofa bed in the living room. So, this option provides plenty of space for the whole family. In the living room is a sofa, TV, and small table with seating options.
- Price Range: $1,500+night with some of the higher priced nights going as high as $2,800
Pool
The pool is what drew me to this resort and why I wanted to stay here. And I loved it! There is a large zero entry part of the pool that is perfect for littles, a lazy river, and plenty of other areas to just swim. Going down the lazy river, I loved the rocks and the lights hanging from the trees. It felt like a tropical oasis. We did not reserve a cabana while we were there, and we had no issues finding lounge chairs. There were plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas available around the pool.
They have three large water slides for kids (or adults) to enjoy as well. Two of them are for single riders and one of them can be for single or tandem riders.
- The Current: Moderate speed for single rides, height requirement is 40”
- The Rapids: Moderate speed tube slide that can be for single or tandem riders, height requirement is 42”
- The Chute: The fastest slide for single riders, height requirement is 48”
Splash Cove is the area at the pool with the AquaVenture aqua course and PlayVenture playground. We did not do either of these, but they are a great option for kids.
We spent all our time at the JW pool, but you are also able to use the pool on the Ritz-Carlton side. So that is a perk for this property, JW and Ritz-Carlton guests can both use the amenities of the other resort.
Other Activities
In addition to the pool, this resort offers so many other activities for families as well. My kids loved the playground. This is located right by the zero-entry part of the pool area and within the gate. So, my kids would run on the playground for a little bit and then want to go back to the pool.
Close to the playground but on the other side of the gate is an area with games and activities for the kids. On the outside, there is a pool table, foosball table, and connect four. Inside there are tables with plain white paper covering them and markers so the kids can color. There are also a ping pong table and a screen that has a bunch of games you could play.
At night, the resort had a fireworks show and it was so good. The kids went down in their pajamas and loved running around while the fireworks went off. It was a perfect way to end the night. There were mosquitoes though so I wish I had bug spray with me.
Between the JW and the Ritz-Carlton, there are several outdoor activities such as a kayak eco-tour through shingle creek, a two-mile mountain bike trail, fishing, a sunrise safari on a golf cart to see wildlife, archery, falconry, and tennis. Some of these you have to reserve spots for, and you can find that information here.
The resort offers a magic show (this is at ticketed event) with a magician who was a finalist on America’s Got Talent. I would love to do this! We could not make it work when we were there but would like to try it in the future.
There is an escape room on property that would be a fun activity for the family. This is a ticketed event so you would need to reserve your date and time.
This resort has excellent seasonal activities. As a local, their Easter and winter activities have been on my radar for a few years. They have their season activities broken out by spring, summer, fall, and winter. So, make sure you check out this listing to see what they may have planned when you are there.
Dining
The JW Marriott Grande Lakes features a variety of dining options.
- Primo: This is an Italian restaurant that is open every day from 5:30pm – 10pm.
- Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen: This is a farm to table dining experience and is open from 12pm to 1pm. They have the prettiest garden outside by the restaurant and we loved walking through it.
- Knife Burger: This is the poolside restaurant serving food and drinks. We enjoyed our lunches by the pool while we were there. I want to note though that a pina colada was $22 so it adds up quickly. This is the price I have seen at many resorts now so it is not only the JW that is high. The non-alcoholic pina coladas though come in a big cup so pro tip, order one and get a second cup and split it if you have two kids.
- Citron: This restaurant is open for breakfast daily from 7am to 11am.
- Starbucks: They have an onsite Starbucks that is open from 6am to 6pm daily.
- Café Bodega: This has an assortment of ready-to-go items such as pastries, salads, sandwiches, and snacks.
Golf & Spa
We do not play golf so I can’t speak to the course but for those interested, the resort has an 18-hole championship golf course that features a clubhouse, restaurant, and lessons for both adults and kids.
The spa on the other hand is very much my speed, and it is beautiful. The spa is 40,000 sq feet, offers a variety of spa services, has a full salon, an adult only lap pool to enjoy in between services, and food available at their Spa Café, Vitale.
Cabanas
While we did not reserve a cabana during our stay, there are lots of great options to choose from.
Oasis Grande Cabana: This is great for large parties and features a sofa, mini fridge, personal safe, floor fan, 55” TV and plunge pool. It includes 18 non-alcoholic beverages, fruit platter, chips and salsa, 2 additional pool floats, and a cabana host. It is available from 9am to 6pm.
On select days, they also offer an option to have the Oasis Grande Cabana during the fireworks show. On these days, you have the cabana from 9am to 9pm.
Sanctuary & Splash Cove Cabana: The sanctuary cabana is along the lazy river, and the splash cove cabana is near the zero-entry part of the pool, AquaVenture and PlayVenture. Both options feature a sofa, lounge chair, mini fridge, personal safe, fan, and 55” TV. And they include 18 non-alcoholic beverages, fruit platter, chips and salsa, 2 additional pool floats, and a cabana host. It is available from 9am to 6pm.
If you are interested in a reserved seating option without having to pay for a full cabana, they also have an oasis trellis day bed, lagoon day bed, bespoke cabana, and swim up day bed.
The prices vary and depend on the day and availability. I have seen the oasis grande cabana as low as $550 but also as high as $1,400. If you’re there on the 4th of July and want the oasis grande cabana with fireworks, I imagine that will be the highest price point for it. The sanctuary and splash cove cabanas are less expensive than the oasis grande cabana and I have seen them range from $500 to $1,100. I have seen the day beds range from $125 to $350. Please note, these prices are based on my research and experiences, but these are always subject to change and they are based on the pricing set by the resort.
Overall Feedback & FAQs
We loved this resort and would recommend it to anyone interested. The pool area was beautiful, they have water slides, the fireworks at night were the perfect way to end the day, there are so many activities for kids of all ages, and the various dining and accommodation options allow families to choose what works best for them. You are able to make your way to the Ritz-Carlton side and explore their options or you can spend all of your time at the JW (like we did).
The pricing though is something to keep in mind. You can find good deals on the room cost if you are flexible on when you go. I recommend checking their pricing by day using the calendar to explore the prices. But the cost of food and drinks will add up quickly, especially for a family. So, make sure you are factoring that into your expenses when planning for the trip.
- Is the resort family friendly? Absolutely. There are lots of families at this resort.
- What accommodation options do they have? There are standard rooms with the option of either two queens or a king bed with sofa bed. There are also suites available for a larger room.
- Is the pool heated? Yes. The pool is heated so you do not need to consider that when choosing this resort.
- What on-site activities do they have for kids? There are so many to choose from for kids of all ages. There are water slides, a playground, an activity building with games, playground, escape room, magic show, and more.
- How far is Disney? About 25 minutes
- Where can I get coffee? Starbucks or Café Bodega
- Is there a kids club? Yes, the Ritz-Carlton has Ritz Kids
- What is the cost? That will depend on when you go and what accommodation option you choose. The rooms and pricing section at the beginning of this post provides additional details.
- Does parking cost extra? Yes, on-site parking is $42 and valet is $58
- Is the balcony large enough to enjoy it? We did not have a balcony. And I don’t see standard rooms with a balcony listed but they do have suites with a balcony.