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Deciding where to stay in Orlando can be challenging. Let’s take a look at the best hotels to stay at in Orlando, Florida before exploring some of the best neighborhoods and places to stay in Orlando!

Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

The Four Seasons Orlando makes a dramatic entrance. Hidden behind the gate of Disney’s upscale Golden Oak neighborhood, the 17-story building towers in the distance as you wind through the well-manicured streets. Inside, you’re greeted with fireworks; more than 30,000 crystals hang from a chandelier, forming a dozen bursts of light. The spacious one-bedroom suites feature absurdly comfortable beds, abundant closet and drawer space, and two full bathrooms. The bedside tablet can be used to order room service or connect with hotel staff. One huge perk? The concierge desk is staffed by a Disney Cast Member who will assist with park tickets, dining reservations, and any other questions.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando

The bright and airy lobby sets the tone at Sapphire Falls. A playful chandelier, composed of what looks like dozens of wicker beach balls, draws your gaze up and toward the picture window overlooking the resort. The pool area is the gem of this Caribbean-inspired resort, with a sand beach, water slide, fire pit, and rentable cabanas. This is one of the newer hotels at Universal Orlando Resort, which has been rapidly expanding. It falls toward the middle of Universal’s price spectrum, but its dining and amenities—think, the Strong Water Tavern, which stocks more than 60 rums of various regions—set it above the competition.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

From the live jazz orchestra on the balcony of the soaring, Victorian-inspired lobby to the scent of green clover and aloe that wafts from its doors, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa knows how to make an impression. As Disney World’s flagship resort, the Grand Floridian is its most opulent—and most expensive. Club-level rooms, which are stocked with fresh flowers and super-plush spa robes, also offer access to a private concierge desk and a lounge with a continental breakfast and snacks throughout the day, and wine and beer in the evenings. If you can, take advantage of the Grand Floridian’s waterfront location and rent a boat on Seven Seas Lagoon. There are several options for self-piloted water adventures, or you can charter Disney World’s only 52-foot yacht—including a personal captain and deckhand—for an even more luxurious experience.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

The warm glow of tiki torches welcome you to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, where the landscape overflows with lush tropical plants and hidden lagoons that recall the South Pacific. This was one of Disney World’s first hotels to open, in 1971, and it has hung on to its campy tiki vibes ever since. Best to put on a flower lei, grab a pineapple Dole Whip, and lean into it. The Polynesian is home to one of Disney World’s most-talked about breakfast dishes—after Mickey waffles, that is. Tonga Toast is two pieces of thick-sliced sourdough stuffed with banana, then deep fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar. You can get it at Captain Cook’s, the resort’s quick-service dining spot, but order from Kona Cafe or the room service menu, and you'll get it with strawberry compote to drizzle on top.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando

The Waldorf Astoria Orlando echos the elegance of its under-renovation New York counterpart, with casual elegance suited to its Central Florida setting. The black-and-white marble floor and iconic clock tower in the center of the lobby rotunda contrast with a bright blue mural. Guest rooms have plush bedding and dark wood furniture with accents of yellow, teal, and tangerine, and bathrooms are spacious and well-designed, with separate walk-in showers and soaking tubs—a plus for families with young children—plush spa robes, and Ferragamo Tuscan Soul toiletries. Get outside to enjoy the 18-hole championship golf course, designed by acclaimed course architect Rees Jones, or the serene, cabana-lined pool, where attendants are on hand with prosecco popsicles. Want a night out without the kids? Astoria After Dark provides dinner and activities on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Alfond Inn

The terracotta roof and Mediterranean-style architecture of The Alfond Inn is quintessentially Florida, and the airy, light-filled lobby showcases a rotating collection from The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, which guests can take a guided tour of every Sunday at 1 p.m. (Owned by Rollins College, the hotel was partially funded by a grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation and its profits are used to endow a scholarship fund at the school.) The hotel is on the former site of the Langford Inn, which hosted high-profile guests including Eleanor Roosevelt, June Carter Cash, and Nancy and Ronald Reagan, who celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary here.