We've stayed at Lakeshore Reserve twice, both times in the 3BR townhouse. It always felt quite spacious and open (see photo link at bottom). The kitchen seemed slightly smaller, but that's only because it had cabinets and appliances on both sides, with an additional window wall, meaning 3 walls. That means it didn't have the most common arrangement of a granite countertop which visually opens into a dining area like most resorts. That makes the Lakeshore Reserve kitchen seem sort of "closed off", but not necessarily a lot smaller. Most resorts have a 2-walled kitchen; Lakeshore has a 3-walled kitchen----no big deal. I suspect the square footage is similar. If you could imagine closing in another wall in any other resort's kitchen, it would be very small too.
The dining area still was very open to the living room (nothing in-between), and frankly had a huge long table, a lot more appropriate for a larger crowd, imho. The living room space was great, and since the dining area was more than adequate, we at no time felt cramped. In fact, the townhouse has an extra perk----it has a nice patio outside the glass doors off the living room, and that adds an extra "living space", if you wish to count that, and both visually and practically it does make a huge difference, as you can enjoy that space as an extension of the living room, especially for morning coffee or afternoon wine. The stairs to the second level was no big deal; rather, it made the living quarters seem much more private between the master BR and the other BRs.
Below please take a good look at the large pool complex at Lakeshore. Notice the big wrap-around layout, which makes for private non-crowded areas---a lazy river, a huge zero-entry area, a deeper area, a large and fun SLIDE for kids (look on right side in picture). It's all mixed in with bridges, gorgeous palm trees and foliage, and it's probably one of the most beautiful pools in the Marriott system (it's among my top 5)...... All of this only steps away from the villas.
Below, THIS is where you'll be spending your time, not in your kitchen.
Please
MINIMIZE the box on
upper left by clicking on the arrow next to the box, allowing a full view of the map you need to see.
https://goo.gl/maps/czYK1zXhmCw
Which brings me to my other point. Take a look at Imperial Palms' proximity to the World Center Hotel's pool complex.
Well, you'll notice the proximity is NOT so good!!! It's a long hike through the parking lot and up the slight incline.
https://goo.gl/maps/FJSTUXgPH1w
If you think that hotel pool complex is private, think again---it's very crowded! You have access to it, but most of the clientele is from the hotel. Yes, it's attractive, but it still doesn't compare to LR's, imho. There will be gazebos everywhere, and bodies scattered all over. And your friends/companions will all be walking up there separately and at different times, and also taking the long walks back to the villas if they need a nap or a lunch break, etc. It becomes tedious.
All in all, Lakeshore is far superior. It's in a class above most other Marriott resorts, while the Palms is in the mid-to-lower tier in MY opinion, for OUR family and its needs and preferences. The Palms unit interior layouts are non-typical in a good way, indeed slightly larger, and also spacious, BUT those facts do not supersede in importance the many plusses of the upscale, impressive, luxurious nature of Lakeshore Reserve. I think it's a no-brainer to stay at LR. Not many ever accomplish a trade into a 3BR villa there. In fact, I am giving one to a dear friend of ours later this year for his family (kids' ages 5,8,11), and he has no clue how gorgeous it will be. I'm letting it remain a surprise. There's a reason it's located adjacent to the Ritz & the JW Marriott Hotel----all 3 are top shelf.
A quick note on Grande Vista, since it was also mentioned: We've stayed there several times, and we love it. It's a very nice resort, great pools, great amenities. But, it's also one of the largest resorts in the Marriott family, and because of the vast number of buildings, you might be assigned to a building which requires a DRIVE to the big pool, or at least a long walk. There are only a few buildings close to the 2 big pools, and owners typically get those. It's definitely not as intimate or luxurious a resort as LR, and not close to LR's higher eschelon.
All of this begs my questions:
What type of group do you actually have?
Will your group actually be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, such that its specs would dictate a resort choice, over the other advantages of the alternative?
I'm hoping you will spend most of your time around the gorgeous pool and grounds. And don't forget the beautiful open-air "den"/lounge area which is part of the Lakeshore clubhouse, which has multiple sofas & chairs, large TVs, etc., etc.
See multiple photos on this site, for example:
(Click on FIRST thumbnail picture on bottom left, and then use advance arrow)
http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/mar...um=photo;utm_term=hotel-282915_photo-74845397
