Few places scream family vacation louder than Orlando, Florida, otherwise known as the “Theme Park Capital of the World.” The city’s amusement parks manage to pack in so much fun per square foot that they feel both walkable and never-ending in their thrills. But family vacations aren’t built on rides, rollercoasters, and shows alone. There’s also the perennial question of where to stay to maximize happy memories and minimize complaints for everyone involved.
Photo: Villatel Orlando Resort
For Big Families, This Resort in the 'Theme Park Capital' Means Big Fun
I should know. I’m the head travel planner for a family of four that includes a husband whose primary love language is golf and two children (ages 7 and 14) who’ve already visited more than two dozen countries (and have come home with strong and varied opinions on each one). That’s where Villatel’s newest resort comes in.
While many family vacations are a mixed bag of joys and complaints, I didn’t hear a single objection from family during our three-day stay at Villatel Orlando Resort. I’d like to say this was due to my children’s (and husband’s) temperaments, but Villatel gets all the credit for providing us with a vacation base that was designed to make both children and adults happy. Here’s a look inside.
Villas so decked out your family may never want to leave
Photos: Villatel Orlando Resort
Our excitement began the minute we unlocked the front door of our vacation rental after a long travel day. It was a streamlined process that required no formal check-in, just a simple code delivered via email. My family opted for one of the larger villas on the newly built property — a seven-bedroom property aptly named The Grandiose — whose size puts it squarely in the mid-range of Villatel’s offerings. The resort’s range of accommodation options include both four- to nine-bedroom villas and two- to three-bedroom Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy.
Inside our villa, the screaming started immediately. The kids shrieked when they discovered a private arcade complete with hoop basketball, Pac-Man and its extended family tree of classic games, and Villatel’s own proprietary arcade machine — all sitting directly across from the chef’s kitchen. They yelped again when they ran upstairs to find another game room complete with a shuffleboard, poker table, giant wall-mounted Scrabble, Xbox, and additional arcade cabinet.
My husband headed straight to the private spa pool and jacuzzi while I perused the kitchen cabinets as we’d decided to stay in for dinner — or rather, the house made it impossible to want to leave, even in the name of food. The cabinets were stocked extensively with all the dishware, cookware, bakeware, and barware needed to make all of our meals and drinks. As I debated whether to use the stove, oven, or outdoor grill for steaks, I could hear my younger son upstairs debating which themed room he wanted: Bricktopia or Petting Zoo. In the end, he opted for the former because it had a slide that made the descent from the upper bunk beds an adventure.
Photo: Villatel Orlando Resort
That’s just one small example of the many ways that Villatel Orlando Resort showcases its thoughtful attention to detail, from the modern furniture designed in-house to the custom 3D-printed art designed by local artists (Immersive Scenic Studios). Bigger details — like the inclusion of a laundry room, oversized dining table, and matching kitchen island — make villas like The Grandiose a perfect choice for larger groups, such as a family reunion.
Though The Grandiose is larger than some of the other villas at just over 3,543 square feet and with enough beds to sleep 18 people, tours I took of the other villas (which number 270 in total) and the Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy (a collection of 256 units) revealed a similarly expansive feel thanks to open floor plans and common amenities like the arcades and themed bedrooms. I was particularly impressed by how the apartments managed to capture the same elevated feeling of the larger villas, each with nice views of the lakes and the on-site water park.
Endless amusement right outside your door (literally and figuratively)
Photos: Christine Ma-Kellams
At a property as well-curated as Villatel Resort Orlando, the hardest choice you might have to make is whether to take advantage of the prime location (just minutes from Orlando’s iconic attractions) or spend your time at the resort’s own water park.
Across 200,000 square feet, Aqua Bay has everything you’d expect of an attraction of its kind, minus the long lines and lockers. Multiple full-scale water slides (Blue Blaster, Violet Vortex, Emerald Rush) tower next to a wet playground (Splash Cove) while a lazy river (cleverly called the Lazy Loop) snakes between them. A resort pool, complete with its own bar and grill, provides more low-key lounging. For those who can’t relax without working up a sweat, there are multiple pickleball and basketball courts, a fitness center, and a Topgolf Swing Suite.
Of everything Villatel offers, one of the amenities my children couldn’t resist was the complimentary access to Dezerland Park, an amusement center that bills itself as “Florida’s largest indoor attraction.” By day two of our stay, they were clamoring to walk over with the preloaded play cards that were included with our stay. (Dezerland Park is about a 10-minute walk from Villatel Resort Orlando, but all of the city’s major theme parks are within a short driving distance away.) A dozen rounds of pinball, claw machines, milk jug tosses, and coin drops later, we walked away with points for enough candy and prizes to convince both of my sons that their favorite days of the year were not Halloween or Christmas but the ones they spent at Villatel.
For my husband and me, the standout amenity was the private chef’s dinner, an add-on that includes a six-course meal complete with wine for the adults and drinks for the kids. Spinach artichoke dip with crostini, red snapper ceviche, butternut squash soup with fried beets, burrata atop tomatoes, steak with mashed yucca, and a pavlova with mixed berries and lemon custard to finish — these were the dishes whose immaculate plating and expert preparation made it feel like we were having a fine-dining experience within the comforts of our home (with kid-friendly options like fried chicken and waffles or brownies a la mode for our kids, of course).
Getting to Villatel Resort Orlando and its neighboring theme parks
Villatel Resort Orland is about a 20-minute drive from the Orlando airport (MCO). Major theme parks like Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, Walt Disney World, Seaworld, Aquatica, and the coming-soon Epic Universe are all within a short driving distance of the resort, as well. Daily free shuttles run between the resort and both Universal Studios and Disney, making the city’s two most popular attractions supremely convenient to visit. In our case, we made it to Aquatica and Universal Studios in less time than it typically takes me to find parking at Costco. 