Best Romantic Hotels

Description:

• This picturesque 750-room hotel sits in the heart of Universal Orlando®, just a 10-minute walk or free water-taxi ride from Universal's theme parks and CityWalk®.
• Spacious, pastel-colored rooms have four-poster beds and armoires. The decorative bathroom tiles were handmade in Italy, and beds are swathed in all-white, Egyptian-cotton linens.
• Room keys at this upscale resort allow guests to skip the lines at most Universal theme-park rides and attractions. The hotel has three swimming pools, a spa and fitness center, shops, and eight dining options.

Description:

Located in Thornton Park, this inn near scenic Lake Eola is another option if you want to stay near downtown. Its four buildings date back to the early 1900s. All units (studios to suites) include private bathrooms and entrances; some have garden tubs, balconies, kitchenettes, and four-poster beds. A few of the nicer options include the Washington Suite, which sports a four-poster bed and a Jacuzzi, and the romantic Carriage Suite, which has a four-poster bed and antique claw-foot tub. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom Keylime Cottage ($169) sleeps four and has a full kitchen.

Description:

A favorite of honeymooners and those seeking a luxurious adult oasis, yet there's plenty here for families as well. This getaway's lobby has lush foliage from which macaws wave to passersby, with winding walkways and landscape lighting to add to the ambience. The 18-story atrium has inner and outer glass elevators (ride the outers to the roof for a panoramic rush). The rooms are beautifully decorated with a Laura Ashley flair and easily sleep four. If you find, however, you are in need of additional space, you can usually request a connecting room for a discounted price. The west-side rooms on floors seven and up have a distant view of Cinderella Castle and the Magic Kingdom's fireworks. (This vantage point also shows how much of WDW and the surrounding area still remain wooded.) To ensure the resort remains at the top of the A-list, extensive renovations, including the addition of a full-service spa, a complete overhaul of the guest rooms and suites, the addition of all new dining options, and a redesign of the lobby and check-in area are slated to begin in 2009. The Hyatt shares a golf club and academy, racquet club, and equestrian center with its sister property, Villas of Grand Cypress ; both offer excellent packages aimed at the sports set. The Hyatt's half-acre, 800,000-gallon pool is one of the best in Orlando and features caves, grottoes, waterfalls, a rope bridge, and a 45-foot water slide. A very nice child-care facility is also available. Hemingway's, its signature restaurant, has a Key West theme and a menu featuring fresh and innovative seafood. At the Chef's Table, guests can indulge in a unique and intimate dining experience -- perfect for a special night out.

Facilities: 4 restaurants; 4 lounges; large heated outdoor pool; 45 holes of golf; 12 tennis courts (5 lighted); 2 racquetball courts; health club; spa; watersports equipment; children's center; arcade; concierge; car-rental desk; free Disney shuttle; transportation to non-Disney parks for a fee; store; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; valet; concierge-level rooms; equestrian center

Description:

In downtown Orlando, this unique B&B Inn offers luxurious accommodations in 4 historic, distinctive buildings with tropical gardens. Orlando's oldest house, the Norment-Perry, has 6 charming Victorian rooms. The Wellborn has 15 one-bedroom suites in fabulous Art-Deco style. The antebellum style I.W. Phillips House has 3 opulent rooms. The most recent addition, The Dr. Phillips House has 6 rooms in grand Victorian style all including whirlpool tubs.

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Our Local Expert Says:

Great downtown location, with a cool jazz bar, a grand piano, and a boutique hotel feel, though it's owned by Westin

Description:

Downtown Orlando's jewel opened in spring 2001 (as a Westin property, now however it is part of the Kessler collection) with an early-20th-century Euro-Bohemian theme. It caters almost exclusively to the business and romance crowds, which means -- much to the satisfaction of the adult guests here -- you'll find almost no children on the premises. The comfortable and plush rooms have an Art Deco look with plenty of chrome and reds or purples. The upper floors on the east side overlook the pool; those on the north side face downtown. The classy hotel, which is entirely smoke-free, has more than 100 pieces of 19th- and 20th-century American fine art, and its lounge features a rare Imperial Grand Bosendorfer Piano -- one of only two in the world and valued at a cool quarter of a million. The downside: You'll have to pay for transportation to all of the theme parks.