Waldorf Astoria Orlando

If you're coming to Disney World and looking for upscale lodging, it doesn’t get much better than this. An 18-hole Rees Jones golf course sits right out back, and not only do you get access to the Waldorf Astoria's tranquil, beautiful pool, but you can also use the bustling pool and lazy river at the Hilton Bonnet Creek next door.

A spa, a variety of eateries, golf course and gorgeous pool area with cabanas and a lazy river are sure to keep you active throughout the day. Rooms are comfortable and the perfect place to unwind.

The first time the Waldorf expanded its brand outside of Manhattan it was in Orlando, and if the original's Upper East Side ethic has now been gilded with Florida's tropical colors, the service standard is noticeably higher than at most other Orlando luxury hotels. Between the Rees Jones-designed par 72 golf course, the formally arranged adults-only swimming pool, the high-end Bull & Bear steakhouse, and the sink-deeper-into-slumber beds, this is the best choice of all the Bonnet Creek properties.

While it can't duplicate the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, this Waldorf echoes the original with imagination and flair, from the iconic clock in the center of the circular lobby to tiny, black-and-white accent tiles on guest room floors. Rooms are decorated with understated elegance, using black-and-white highlights against rich beige-and-gold neutrals.

In a town known for kitschy family-oriented resorts, the Waldorf stands out as one of the only true luxury hotels in Orlando (with the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grand Lakes as perhaps its only real competition). The building is new as of 2009, but great pains were taken to make the design posh and classic, if perhaps with a Florida twist.