After a delay, Orlando is now home to one of the world’s most unique JW Marriott resorts

The current pandemic has put a damper on Orlando’s tourism industry, but that hasn’t stopped Marriott from pressing forward with their plans for one of the region’s most anticipated new Disney-area hotels.

Originally scheduled to open in March, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa has finally officially opened at the edge of the Epcot Center Drive and Interstate 4 interchange, joining the Wyndham, Hilton, and Waldorf Astoria.

The company says the luxury flag JW Marriott is reserved for only its strongest markets, and Orlando hosts two of these elite resorts. Less than seven miles from the Grande Lakes JW Marriott Orlando, the new Bonnet Creek location will offer a dramatically different experience.
Access to Bonnet Creek requires entering Disney World property, so it should come as no surprise that the resort was planned to become their most family-focused one to date.

It’s the first among the JW Marriott group to have “family suites,” which were custom-designed for multi-generational groups. They have spa-like bathrooms, larger living areas, and lofted, kid-friendly beds. They feature fantastic views of Disney fireworks, too.

The resort is also home to expanded family activities like a rock-climbing wall, a rooftop 9-hole mini-golf course, and a kids conservatory with daily children’s activities. The tropical-themed outdoor pool area has a splash pad and a healthy-food-focused poolside café.

With more of a family-vacation focus, the new hotel will have much smaller event spaces. While Grande Lakes can offer nearly 145,000 square feet of event space, the Bonnet Creek resort will only have a third of that, to accommodate non-business events like weddings and family reunions.
For the grown-ups, the hotel has plenty of top-tier dining and amenities. A ninth-floor rooftop lounge, called “illume,” serves sushi and other seafood, Asian tapas and craft cocktails in a contemporary Japanese-inspired setting. It’s set up to accent the views into Disney World, making it an ideal but pricey spot to watch the nightly Epcot and Hollywood Studios firework shows — once they return.
UnReserved is a European-inspired food hall that offers all-day dining with a farm-to-table focus and a beer garden with rosé wines and local beer on tap. Sear + Sea is the resort’s signature restaurant, a wood-fire grill steakhouse with private dining and a chef’s table experience.
A 9,920-square-feet luxury spa boasts ten treatment rooms and express pods. Express treatments can be enjoyed in less than 15 minutes, meaning these are the perfect way to end a stressful theme park filled day. Treatments range from high-tech offerings, such as LED Light Therapy, to primitive, such as the organic healing balm and salt stones. Like the rest of the resort, the spa draws inspiration from nature.
While located just feet off one of the busiest interstates in the nation, the resort is situated to take advantage of the untouched natural beauty of its site. Indigenous woods, wicker, reeds, and stone features are found throughout the resort, which is filled with natural light thanks to expansive windows.  “The new JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa will bring a modern, luxurious and wellness-focused setting to our guests in Orlando,” said JW Marriott’s vice president and global brand leader, Mitzi Gaskins. The 516-room hotel is open now, and offering specials to get those beds filled. Reservations can be made on their website.

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This article appears in Mean People Suck.