The 10 best Orlando hotels for large families
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As families grow, there can come a time when a standard hotel room with two queen beds just isn't going to cut it. Large families – or those traveling with extended family – need more beds, more storage and, let's face it, more privacy.
If a visit to Orlando is on the horizon for your family, and you need — or want — more space than a standard hotel room can provide, there are certain properties that will better suit your needs than others. Whether you are visiting the theme park capital of the world to embark on a magical Disney World or Universal Orlando vacation, or you want to experience everything else Orlando has to offer, these hotels will keep you comfortable and close to the fun.
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Best budget-friendly Orlando hotels for large families
Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites
Occupancy limits: Up to eight adults.
Cost: Average cash rates begin around $95 per night for a two-bedroom suite, before taxes and fees. The Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites participates in the IHG Rewards Club and rewards nights begin pricing at 11,000 points per night or (6,000 points per night plus $38 cash). Based on TPG's valuation of IHG points at .5 cents each, you'd be getting a value of .96 cents per point when you include the taxes and fees with the cash rate. Cash and points rates do not include a $49 nightly amenity fee.
What makes it a great choice: It's located only a few minutes from the famous archway that marks the official entrance to Walt Disney World, but you may not be in any hurry to leave the hotel. Orlando has the water park resort game on lock and the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites is just one of many fine examples of that.
The on-site water park has a lagoon-style pool, water play structure, slides for big kids of all sizes, a separate splash area for toddlers and plenty of seating throughout. The hotel also hosts daily activities and offers a complimentary shuttle to Disney World.
The resort has one-, two-, and three-bedroom kids' suites. The two-bedroom suites sleep six adults and the three-bedroom suites sleep eight. Both room types have a bedroom with bunk beds for the kids and a separate living, dining and kitchen area. The biggest downside here is that your family will have to share just one bathroom, even in the three-bedroom suite.
Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Occupancy limits: Up to 6 adults.
Cost: Cash rates begin around $172 per night for a family suite. All of Universal Orlando's hotels are available to book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or Chase Freedom Flex card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem points for anywhere between 1 and 1.5 cents per point, depending on which card you have.
What makes it a great choice: Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort is one of Universal's Prime Value hotels, one tier higher than Endless Summer Resort. This retro resort's family suites are a bit pricier, but the extra cost comes with perks like more dining locations, a bowling alley, a lazy river and waterslide in the pool areas, and closer proximity to Universal's theme parks.
You enter the family suites into the shared living and dining area. There is a small kitchenette, dining counter with two bar stools, TV and dresser and a pull-out sofa bed.
A sliding privacy partition separates this area from a bedroom with two queen beds and a full bathroom. The vanity area is in the center, with a door leading to the shower on one side and a door to the toilet on the other. That's a lot of doors, but it also means multiple people can get ready at once so you can get to the parks.
In addition to bus transportation, you can walk to the theme parks or to Universal's Volcano Bay water park from the hotel.
Universal's Endless Summer Resort
Occupancy limits: Up to six adults.
Cost: Cash rates begin at around $136 per night for a family suite. All of Universal Orlando's hotels are available to book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, among other options such as through Capital One's travel portal and more.
What makes it a great choice: Universal's Endless Summer Resort is made up of two properties – Surfside Inn & Suites and Dockside Inn & Suites. Together, they are Universal's first-ever Value hotels, and both are big on space for travelers on a smaller budget.
The suites open up to the main living area which has two queen beds, a kitchenette and a picnic table where families can gather for a meal. There is a second bedroom with one queen bed and a shared bathroom with separate bath and vanity areas.
Both also have a laid-back, surf-style vibe, food court, Starbucks available in the lobby and complimentary bus transportation to Universal's theme parks. Dockside edges out Surfside with its lobby bar and two pools. Surfside has only one pool, though both locations have the all-important poolside bar.
Related: Guide to visiting Universal Orlando
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Occupancy limits: Up to 12 adults.
Cost: Cash rates begin around $147 per night for a one-bedroom villa. Sheraton Vistana Villages is bookable using Marriott Bonvoy points, beginning at 45,000 points per night for a one-bedroom villa, though keep in mind that this could change with Marriott's move to more dynamic pricing. TPG currently values Marriott Bonvoy points at .8 cents per point.
What makes it a great choice: If you would happily trade being on-property at one of Disney's theme parks for condo-style accommodations with all the comforts of home, look no further than Sheraton Vistana Villages. It's located on International Drive, less than 20 minutes from all of Orlando's major theme parks and only a short drive to other area attractions such as Icon Park and Fun Spot America.
Guests can choose from one-, two- or three-bedroom villas, each with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, open living and dining area with pull-out sofa bed, multiple bathrooms and a furnished balcony. The fully-equipped kitchen has everything you need to cook your own meals, but the hotel also has a restaurant, pool bar and a marketplace that serves Starbucks coffee.
Related: The best points hotels near Disney World
The resort is fairly large, and there are three pools so you are never too far from a place to cool off. If you are traveling with young kids, you might want to request a room near the St. Augustine pool. The pool has a pirate ship play structure and waterslide that can provide your kids with hours of outdoor fun. Back on dry land, the resort also has a playground and sports courts available for guest use.
The Grove Resort & Water Park
Occupancy limits: Up to eight adults.
Cost: Cash rates begin around $200 per night. You can book a stay at The Grove Resort and Spa using points through the American Express Travel portal, though booking through Amex's travel portal isn't usually the best value for your Membership Rewards points.
What makes it a great choice: The Grove Resort & Water Park is located less than 15 minutes from Disney World, but the mostly residential area feels secluded and quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the theme parks.
The Grove Resort offers condo-style villas in two- and three-bedroom configurations. The two-bedroom villas sleep six people and the three-bedroom villas sleep eight. The villas are quite large, with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, dining table and chairs, multiple bathrooms and a furnished, screened-in balcony.
More importantly, each villa comes with access to the resort's Surfari Water Park for every member of your party. You can also visit the pool that overlooks Lake Austin or stop by the Lake Austin pier for fishing and boating. The Grove Resort also has an on-site restaurant, a marketplace serving Illy coffee, and a bar and grill at the water park.
The resort does offer complimentary Disney World shuttle transportation, but there is only one pick-up and drop-off time each day, which may be inconvenient for some guests.
Best moderate-priced Orlando hotels for large families
Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek
Occupancy limits: Up to 14 adults.
Cost: Average cash rates begin at $329 per night, depending on room type. Rewards availability can be hard to come by, but according to Wyndham's award chart, you can book a room at Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek beginning at 30,000 points per night — which is on par with TPG's current valuation of Wyndham points at 1.1 cents each.
What makes it a great choice: Though not technically a Disney Resort hotel, Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek is otherwise located as close to Disney as you can get, not far from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
This resort has suites with one to four bedrooms – a two-bedroom sleeps up to eight guests, a three-bedroom sleeps up to 10 and a four-bedroom sleeps up to 14. Each suite has a full kitchen, washer and dryer, spacious living and dining areas, multiple bathrooms and a furnished balcony.
Though you may spend most of your time at Disney World (a paid shuttle to the parks is available), the resort has an on-site restaurant, coffee shop, playground and pool area with lazy rivers, waterslides, hot tubs and splash pads for kids.
Westgate Town Center Resort
Occupancy limits: Up to 16 adults.
Cost: Average cash rates begin around $300 per night for a two-bedroom villa. In our tests, you can book a stay at Westgate Town Center Resort using points through the American Express Travel portal, though booking through Amex's travel portal isn't usually the best value for your Amex Membership Rewards points.
What makes it a great choice: Westgate Town Center Resort is located just outside of Orlando in Kissimmee, Florida. It's less than 15 miles from all of Orlando's theme parks and has a full roster of on-site amenities and restaurants when you need a break from said parks.
Access to the resort's Shipwreck Island Water Park is not included with your stay, but day passes are available and kids under 3 are free. There's a pirate-themed splash area for kids, a lazy river, a large pool and a few taller slides that even adults will enjoy. There are also sports courts, bicycle rentals, water sports, mini-golf and more.
The resort has villas with as many four bedrooms that sleep up to 16 guests. All villas are fully equipped with a washer and dryer, kitchen, dining area, living room, furnished screened-in balcony and a jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom.
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Occupancy limits: Sleeps up to six adults.
Cost: Average cash rates are around $350 per night. Unfortunately, the only real way you can use your points to pay for Disney resorts is by using miles from your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. You can redeem miles at 1 cent each as a statement credit for eligible travel purchases.
What makes it a great choice: The one-bedroom family suites at Disney's All-Star Music Resort have a queen bed in the bedroom, along with a dining table and a couch that both convert to queen beds in the living room. There are also two bathrooms, a kitchenette and musical Disney-themed touches throughout the room. On-site amenities include a large food court, two swimming pools (one with a splash area for kids), on-site laundry facilities, daily games and crafts for kids, and nighttime movies by the pool. Like all Disney hotels, guests have access to complimentary theme park transportation and early theme park entry.
If you have a slightly bigger budget, Disney's Art of Animation Resort has family suites themed to Cars, Lion King and Finding Nemo that are more richly themed and offer easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios using the Disney Skyliner.
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
Occupancy limits: Sleeps up to six adults.
Cost: Average cash rates vary but can also run around $470 per night. Unfortunately, there aren't tons of ways to use points to book true Disney resorts. However, you can pay for Disney resorts by using miles from a card such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. You can redeem those miles at 1 cent each as a statement credit for eligible travel purchases.
What makes it a great choice: Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort has two sections – one with campsites where you can bring your own tent or RV and one with log cabins. The resort is situated in a serene, wooded area, and each cabin has rustic charm with modern amenities. It's kind of like the Disney version of roughing it.
Inside the cabin, there's a bedroom with a queen bed and twin bunk beds, a living area with a pull-out sleeper sofa, one full bathroom, a small dining area and a kitchen that's fully stocked with everything you need for cooking and dining. Outside, you'll find a private, furnished patio with a charcoal grill.
The resort offers family-friendly amenities including pony rides, archery, swimming, bike and boat rentals, and more. Thanks to its close proximity to The Magic Kingdom, you can utilize bus transportation or a water taxi to Disney World's original park and view the nightly Electrical Water Pageant from the resort's shoreline.
Related: Room for 6 in Disney's Great Outdoors: The Cabins at Fort Wilderness
Best luxury Orlando hotels for large families
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
Occupancy limits: Up to eight adults.
Cost: Average cash rates begin at around $615 per night for a two-bedroom villa. The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is part of the Omni Select Guest program. After 20 qualifying stays, members earn one free night certificate.
What makes it a great choice: Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate is located less than 20 minutes from Disney World and about 30 minutes from Universal. ChampionsGate is practically an attraction in itself: a small community with golfing, shopping, dining and resorts like the Omni.
The Villas at ChampionsGate is where you will find luxurious, spacious accommodations for large families. Two- and three-bedroom villas are available and they sleep six or eight guests, respectively. Both room types have a full kitchen, an open living and dining area, multiple bathrooms and a private terrace or balcony.
The resort has eight on-site restaurants and multiple pools, including an adult-only pool, a lazy river, kids' splash area, waterslides and a wave pool. Guests can take advantage of complimentary Disney World shuttle transportation (although it must be reserved in advance).
Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Occupancy limits: Up to eight adults.
Cost: OK this one is really on the pricey side. Average cash rates begin around $2,400 per night if booked directly through Disney. You may also be able to save some if you rent Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points for around $19 per point (sometimes less through individuals). The Copper Creek Cabins run around 110 points per night (which amounts to about $2,090 per night at $19 per rented point), but availability is limited.
What makes it a great choice: The rustic feel of Disney's Fort Wilderness Cabins is nowhere to be found at the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Built in 2017, the cabins have a clean, modern design with cathedral ceilings, wood floors, granite countertops and floor-to-ceiling windows that let you enjoy the spectacular views of Bay Lake and the secluded, wooded grounds of the resort.
Each cabin has two bedrooms, one with a king bed and one with a queen bed and a pull-down, child-sized bed. The primary bathroom has a stand-alone shower, double vanity and Jacuzzi-style soaking tub, and the second bathroom has a tub/shower combination with a door separating it from the toilet and sink area.
The open concept living and dining area includes a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a breakfast bar, dining table, washer and dryer, and seating area with a fireplace, queen-size sleeper sofa and twin-size sleeper chair. On the patio, you'll find a large gas grill and picnic tables. There's also a screened-in porch area with a picnic table and hot tub where the music from the evening fireworks is piped in so you can enjoy the show without leaving your back porch.
Bottom line
There are plenty of Orlando hotels to choose from, no matter your budget or family size. Luckily, there are so many great choices out there for all types of travelers — even those whose groups don't fit comfortably into standard hotel rooms.