# The most luxurious/nicest resort in Orlando?



## jdb0822 (Mar 27, 2008)

What is everyone's opinion on what is the most luxurious/nicest timeshare resort in Orlando?


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## Dave M (Mar 27, 2008)

For best overall vacation experience, I would choose one of the top Disney resorts (e.g., Old Key West, Boardwalk Villas or Wilderness Lodge) or one of the top Marriotts (Cypress Harbour or Grand Vista).


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## laxmom (Mar 27, 2008)

I have to agree with Dave.  DVC if you are doing WDW and the 2 Marriotts are closer to Universal and Sea World.  Can't go wrong with any of those.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 27, 2008)

Hiltons and Marriotts, all of them are great.


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## laxmom (Mar 27, 2008)

Cindy, is that a Hilton there are Sea World?  It has been a while since we stayed at Cypress Harbor.


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## krissydee (Mar 27, 2008)

Portafino Bay Hotel at Universal

Ritz Carlton

JW Marriott


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## gmarine (Mar 27, 2008)

krissydee said:


> Portafino Bay Hotel at Universal
> 
> Ritz Carlton
> 
> JW Marriott



None of these are timeshare resorts.

By far I would choose any of the DVC resorts over anything else.


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## barndweller (Mar 27, 2008)

I have only stayed in DVC in Orlando so can't really compare. But I can say that, in my opinion, DVC can not be called luxurious. Nice. Convenient. Clean. Comfortable. But very small units (except Old Key West) and not exceptional in terms of equipment or service. Surely there are more luxurious timeshares in Orlando among the seemingly endless choices!


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## timeos2 (Mar 27, 2008)

*DVC isn't in the top 10 in quality but it sure has location*



barndweller said:


> I have only stayed in DVC in Orlando so can't really compare. But I can say that, in my opinion, DVC can not be called luxurious. Nice. Convenient. Clean. Comfortable. But very small units (except Old Key West) and not exceptional in terms of equipment or service. Surely there are more luxurious timeshares in Orlando among the seemingly endless choices!



Agreed. Except for the monstrous unit(s) in OKW - the only "full sized" DVC timeshare, they shrunk them after that - none come close to the quality and luxury offered by many resorts not within the DVC.  DVC is nice, has the location, but cannot be called luxurious by any stretch.  There are much better timeshares, based on unit size, overall quality and resort features, in Orlando. On the other hand, except for Wyndham's Bonnet Creek, only DVC has the locations that, if you are a Disnatic, are "the" places to be. But it isn't for luxury.


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 27, 2008)

*HGVC Sea World & Sheraton Vistana Villages.*

HGVC Sea World was outstandingly spacious & luxurious when we stayed in a super-nice 3BR unit there on exchange in 2003. 

Ditto Vistana Villages when we stayed in a nice 2BR unit there via _Instant Exchange_ in 2007. 

The thing is, even the humbler Orlando timeshares we've stayed in (e.g., Silver Lake Resort Silver Points [2007] & Wyndham Cypress Palms [2008] ) were extremely nice places to vacation. 

Our home timeshares in Orlando -- Cypress Pointe Phase I & Phase II -- are middle-of-the-road luxury resorts that hardly anybody mentions in the same breath with Marriott & Sheraton (though that may change as the CP1 & CP2 upgrades & improvements keep on coming).  Even so, any time we've vacationed there we've felt like we were in the lap of luxury. 

I'm semi-surprised nobody has mentioned the BlueGreen Fountains timeshare that's right across the street from Vistana Villages.  The Fountains is in a nice neighborhood, has fantastic curb appeal, & looks super-nice in all the web site pictures.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## bnoble (Mar 27, 2008)

Agreed on DVC.  I love the location and perks, but would describe the unit quality in OKW as very-nice-but-not-stunning.  DVC is my first choice for exchanging into Orlando, but that's because we're there to visit the Mouse.  If we weren't there for the theme parks (more accurately, the _Disney_ theme parks) I'd rather exchange into one of the others mentioned here.

Edited to add: however, the verandas at OKW are really lovely, and despite being unscreened aren't terribly buggy.  With the right unit, that's a nice nice spot to while away some time.


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## barndweller (Mar 27, 2008)

We have booked Lighthouse Key for a week preceeding our Disney Cruise in the fall. It looks pretty hotsy totsy on the website and we got a 4 (yes, folks, that's FOUR) bedroom unit in exchange for our 1 bedroom. Couldn't pass it up and took a chance on an unreviewed new place. We hope to snag a DVC to use for our after-cruise week but there's no way we'll get more than a 1 bedroom and more likely a studio. I've used some Diamond points to book a 3 bedroom at Cypress Pointe as a backup plan. Sometimes space is just more important than being surrounded 24/7 with The Mouse.


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## littlestar (Mar 27, 2008)

For luxurious, I would probably have to say Grande Vista or Cypress Harbour - the bedding, furniture, grounds, etc. are very nice. But DVC has the location and theming.

I haven't stayed at Hilton so I can't say on them.


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## sandcastles (Mar 27, 2008)

I prefer any of the DVC resorts, especially BWV or BCV.  Next would be Marriotts Cypress Harbour.  I also like Grande Vista and either of the Hiltons.
I have never stayed at Horizons but I think I have been at all of the other major time shares in Orlando.  For me there is a big gap in quality between the ones I have listed and all the rest, whether it is unit, location or hospitality.

I did forget about Bonnet Creek.  I've never stayed there but I have visited friends for the day and it seemed good.


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## Sandy VDH (Mar 27, 2008)

Presidential Units at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek are awesome.  4 BR Penthouse units.  They are upscale.  

Non Presidentials are just a nice unit at a nice resort.


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## arlene22 (Mar 27, 2008)

I've not stayed there (yet!) but I would imagine the concierge level of the DVC Animal Kingdom Lodge would have to be high on the list.


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## Bernie8245 (Mar 28, 2008)

We stayed at the Houses at Summer Bay last year and it was really nice having your own pool and a garage. 2 of the 3 bedrooms were master bedrooms with jacuzzi tubs too.

Bernie


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## gjw007 (Mar 28, 2008)

jdb0822 said:


> What is everyone's opinion on what is the most luxurious/nicest timeshare resort in Orlando?



You have gotten different answers to this depending on what everyone considers luxurious and what they are looking for.  Personally, I don't think any of the resorts that were listed whether Hilton, DVC, etc. would be considered luxurious to someone who would have no problem spending $5,000 or more per night for a unit but for those with smaller budgets, there are many nice resorts including those listed and several others as well.  I would be interested to see how Four Seasons fractional ownership units compares with the the other timeshares when it open in roughly 2010.


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## pwrshift (Mar 28, 2008)

Not a timeshare, but a nice destination club affiliated with the Omni Orlando on a good golf course.  

http://www.highcountryclub.com/destinations/Orlando.asp

If it must be a timeshare I'd suggest Marriott Grand Vista.

The Ritz and JW at Grand Lakes are superb hotel resorts -- and one day will have timeshares and private residence clubs ... but the suite daily rates are pricey right now.

Brian


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## travelguy (Mar 29, 2008)

pwrshift said:


> Not a timeshare, but a nice destination club affiliated with the Omni Orlando on a good golf course.
> 
> http://www.highcountryclub.com/destinations/Orlando.asp



I was just about to post about the High Country Club property at the Omni.  We stayed there last year and it crushed the Orlando Hiltons and Marriotts that we've stayed at previously.  And if it's golf you're interested in ... this place is totally top-end with the Leadbetter golf academy, two world class courses, par-3, etc.  Almost worth the price of a High Country Club membership alone if you're a golf nut!


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## bnoble (Mar 29, 2008)

The new property going into the NE corner of WDW should be interesting, too.


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