Walt Disney World is home to over two-dozen great resorts and we love every single one of them for different reasons. Those hotels are arguably what distinguishes WDW from and elevates it above other Disney theme park complexes around the globe.
Despite this, not even Walt Disney World’s best Deluxe Resorts–whether that’s the flagship Grand Floridian, stately Yacht Club, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, etc–can compete with real world luxury hotels. Disney excels at immersive and transportive themed resorts, not luxurious ones.
Disney has great guest service, but it’s just fundamentally different from the caliber of attentiveness and amenities offered at real world luxury hotels. This is precisely why Walt Disney World struck a deal to “outsource” that to the Four Seasons Orlando. Nearly two decades later, a new challenger to the Four Seasons has debuted a stone’s throw away…
This new contender for the crown is the Conrad Orlando at Evermore, which was recently awarded the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation. It’s now one of only three Central Florida luxury hotels to earn this prestigious honor, with the others being the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grand Lakes and (unsurprisingly) the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.
Not only is the Conrad Orlando one of the best luxury hotels around Walt Disney World, it’s one of the best Conrads, period. In fact, the Conrad Orlando is the only property in Hilton’s Conrad portfolio to be awarded the AAA Five Diamond designation.
Nestled on the north shore of Evermore Orlando Resort (the new $1.5 billion mega resort that opened last year), Conrad Orlando at Evermore is a world-class luxury hotel offering elevated design, attentive service, and distinctive amenities.
Along with upscale accommodations with big views, the 433-room luxury hotel boasts exclusive access to Evermore Bay, which is Orlando’s only beach with 8 acres of crystal-clear water and 20 acres of soft white sand.
This is unquestionably the distinguishing feature of the Conrad Orlando and Evermore as a whole, and this bright blue lagoon is eye-catching and photogenic. This whole review might be superfluous; all you needed to sell you on the Conrad Orlando is seeing the first photo. (Although as pretty as the bay is at sunset, it arguably pops the most under a stormy sky.)
There are a bunch of other selling points and reasons the Conrad Orlando won the AAA Five Diamond award, including but not limited to the wellness experiences at Conrad Spa Orlando; five on-site restaurants; programming and activities at Conrad Kids Club; a 24-hour fitness center and movement studio with specialty classes; access to the Grand Cypress Golf Club courses, and more.
Longtime Walt Disney World fans might be more familiar with the Grand Cypress area than Evermore, and the Conrad Orlando is part of that. Evermore is situated around two golf courses, is home to its own restaurants and clubhouse, has daily aquatic activities, and a variety of villas and vacation homes around the beautiful blue lagoon called Evermore Bay.
Conrad Orlando guests have access to all of Evermore Resort’s amenities, but not all of the Conrad’s amenities (like the pool) are open to Evermore Resort guests. There’s a meandering waterfront walkway that circles this all, and I did my nightly walks around this.
The Conrad Orlando is east of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and the Four Seasons Orlando, and north of Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts. I could actually hear the Electrical Water Pageant one night from my room, and both Spaceship Earth and the Luminous fireworks were visible off in the distance.
Despite being near the Four Seasons Orlando and everything else, the Conrad Orlando is not an on-site. This means that, unlike some of the third party luxury hotels that are on-property, the Conrad Orlando is not eligible for Early Entry.
It’s also not eligible for Extended Evening Hours or early booking windows for Lightning Lanes or Advance Dining Reservations, but then again, neither are the vast majority of the non-Disney resorts, save for the Swan & Dolphin.
Upon arrival, you’re greeted by the clean modern architecture of the Conrad Orlando. The hotel’s exterior is not the most exciting, but the angular design and geometric patterns do make it sufficiently interesting.
It’s not going to win any design awards, but it looks fairly nice. Definitely better than the cookie-cutter big box hotels popping up around Central Florida.
Immediately upon entering the lobby, your eye is immediately drawn out the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, to the crystalline blue lagoon and white sand beaches of Evermore Bay.
The lobby itself is a clean and modern space with minimal seating around two murals of cranes, which give the area personality and warmth. These murals are reminiscent of Asian styles, but the birds give space a distinctly Floridian flair. There’s also a giant curving feature overhead, evoking the many paddleboards you’ll see out in the lagoon.
This is much more minimalist and chic than the JW Marriott, for example, which is cozy by comparison. Yet the Conrad still manages to feel warm and inviting as opposed to cold and sterile. It’s also chic without being trendy or stuffy. It threads the needle nicely on not making any guest feel uncomfortable.
Speaking of which, the vibe of the Conrad Orlando is nice.
My first day at the Conrad Orlando was the last day for a large convention. As a result, there were a lot of stereotypical event attendees in and around the lobby, and at the bars and restaurants. There were disproportionately fewer at the pool and out in the bay. With 65,000 square feet of events space, this demographic is going to be a fixture of the Conrad Orlando.
During subsequent days of my stay, the conventioneers departed and families took their place. The pools and bay became busier, the bars less so. In both cases, the hotel’s spaces never felt overwhelmed or crowded.
Even as the demo shifted from conference attendees to vacationers, the atmosphere at the Conrad Orlando felt relaxed and light. The calming effect of that beautiful bay, which is almost always in view, seems nearly universal. It takes stress levels down about 10 points across the board, and makes for a breezy feeling–literally and figuratively.
The lower lobby lounge, Apéro, is particularly popular with convention clientele. On that evening of my stay, Apéro was slammed; on subsequent evenings, it was quiet.
In addition to bar seating, there are tables outdoors overlooking the bay and a variety of lounge chairs situated around the area. There’s also a lovely little water feature immediately outside the building.
Papaya Club is the waterfront lounge, serving up a Polynesian-inspired menu to go with big bay views.
This ended up being my favorite place to eat at the Conrad Orlando as a solo traveler. The setting is relaxed, there’s sufficient shade and nice breezes during the day and moody lighting at night. I could’ve sat here all day gazing off at Evermore Bay.
On the other side of the hotel’s lower level, also along the waterfront, is Sophia’s Trattoria.
This is a more traditional table service restaurant that combines Italian cooking styles, traditional recipes, and seasonal ingredients with coastal cuisine.
I had an incredible steak and pasta at Sophia’s, and likewise enjoyed eating al fresco here. I don’t think the atmosphere is as good as Papaya Club, but if want a less casual and informal meal without the full fine dining experience, this is the mid-tier option.
Back up in the lobby is Little Spoon, which is billed as a European café and market for gourmet grab-and-go options, day or night. Don’t take that “or night” part too literally–it currently closes at 8 pm. I really wanted to try the gelato and pastries here, but never had the chance because it wasn’t open late at night when I was ready for a fourth meal.
Speaking of restaurants I didn’t try, there’s the flagship Ceiba, which offers Magic Kingdom and EPCOT fireworks views from its rooftop deck. Ceiba purports to bridge traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisine, and is the marquee restaurant at Conrad Orlando. Unfortunately, it’s only open Wednesday through Sunday; I did not have the chance to dine here as a result.
Nestled to the side of the Conrad Orlando is the resort’s pool area. Palm trees, chaise lounges, daybeds, and private cabanas surround the large zero-entry pool and splash pad. You can also order drinks and snacks served to you poolside.
The pool area is shockingly nice. There’s nothing spectacular about it–there’s no waterslide, lazy river, or other fun feature–and it’s certainly not a headline amenity, but this pool is more than just serviceable and the whole area is fairly large.
Even on hot days, there was never much of a crowd here, presumably because everyone uses Evermore Bay. That is the main water feature of the resort, making the actual primary pool more like a de facto quiet or leisure pool. Through that lens, it’s quite nice–better than what you might expect for what could’ve been an afterthought amenity.
The Conrad Orlando has a few other features that are worth mentioning:
- Conrad Spa: Like any fancy hotel, the Conrad Orlando has a spa. It’s adjacent to the front entrance and elevator bay, and I’d assume some guests visit the Conrad just for the spa. I don’t know–I’m not a spa person. Conrad Spa features a water garden inspired by Florida’s many natural springs and surrounded by local flora, with a variety of treatments and massages.
- Arrival Departure Lounge: If you have an early arrival or late flight, this allows you to shower and change clothes. “Lounge” is probably a misnomer since you won’t actually want to hang out here. But it’s a good option for those without access to a guest room.
- Conrad Kids Club: For an additional fee, the Conrad offers full-day and hourly sessions for children that are focused on exploring Florida’s diverse landscapes, captivating wildlife, and rich history. Only registered guests of Conrad Orlando have access to the Kids Club.
- Kids Night Out: Like the above, but available on weekend nights so parents can enjoy a date night; themed to outer space, NASA, and astronauts.
- 24-hour Fitness Center: Stay fit with cardio and strength training equipment, certified personal trainers, and a wide range of electronic classes, as well as the waterside classes, are exclusively available to registered hotel guests. The fitness center is spacious and, unsurprisingly, all of the equipment is brand new (including several Pelotons). I was in here a lot–partly to exercise off everything I was eating, but mostly for the free fruit–and there were seldom more than a couple people in the entire space.
The Conrad Orlando also has a ton of daily programming and activities.
The Conrad Orlando has a variety of guest room options with different view tiers, ranging from a standard king room to suites with lagoon views. Rooms start out at a spacious 440 square feet, with most standard rooms maxing out at 505 square feet.
At the lower end of the spectrum, the rooms at the Conrad Orlando do not have balconies. The pool and lagoon view rooms do, however. I’m a big balcony proponent, and spent most of my time “in” the Conrad room on the balcony, overlooking the lagoon.
This room category is subjectively superior not just for the better and more unique bay view, but also because the morning sun is going to be aimed directly at those balconies. Sunset will be better, obviously, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to make a coffee an enjoy that on the balcony in the morning, the more sheltered lagoon view will be the optimal option.
My room was a Lagoon View King with Balcony.
Like the resort as a whole, the guest rooms feature earthy tones punctuated by cool aquatic colors. The watercolor-esque feature wall behind the sofa and bed is the perfect mix of sophisticated style and fun design. Likewise, there’s just enough color in the throw rug, fixtures, furniture, and furnishings.
The room feels both playful and elegant, and the aesthetics fit for a waterfront resort with a big blue body of water ‘looming’ off in the distance. As is the case when you step inside the resort, that’s also the focal point when stepping into the room, assuming you have an Evermore Bay view.
The guest rooms are well-appointed, with a spacious interior that features a table and chairs, comfy couch (technical a sofa sleeper, but I never put this to the test), Nespresso machines, minibar, safe, and 55-inch smart TV.
I’m a huge sucker for Nespresso. A hotel can go a long ways towards convincing me that it’s luxurious simply by offering one of these machines. I made an embarrassing number of espressos in-room, but thankfully, housekeeping kept me stocked with capsules during daily service and nightly turndown.
The bedding was incredibly comfortable and upscale, with fluffy pillows, a plush mattress, and high thread count sheets. It was like sleeping on clouds.
The lighting around the room is customizable with buttons as opposed to traditional switches. As a sucker for indirect and moody lighting, I appreciated the granular control.
Depending upon your preferences and priorities, the highlight of the room is arguably the bathroom, which the Conrad Orlando itself describes as “spa-like.”
That might be a bit of a stretch, but I’m not sure. Like I said, I didn’t use the spa. This bathroom is seriously nice, though. It features a walk-in rain shower as well as a separate room for the toilet.
The vanity is large, lighting abundant, and finishings are high end. Lots to like about this space. The bathroom is stocked with high-quality towels, as well as Byredo Mojave Ghost products. This same brand is used at another Conrad we frequent, and the ‘scent nostalgia’ instantly transported me to that hotel, thousands of miles away.
Guests have the option for traditional room keys or bracelets, kind of like the Conrad’s version of a MagicBand. This is a thoughtful feature, giving kids or adults a wearable that is more conducive to the active and aquatic nature of the resort.
Finally, each guest room has a bright orange rabbit on the balcony. I’m not sure what the actual purpose of this is, but I was amused by the way these little fellas looked sitting on the balconies. They actually added nice pops of color and visual interest to an otherwise straightforward exterior, which may very well be the point. Then again, I haven’t brushed up on Conrad N. Hilton history; perhaps he was an avid cuniculturist.
As for the style of the room itself, that’s going to be a matter of personal preference. The decor is sophisticated, with smart use of woods, stones, and textures to convey a clean-but-elevated aesthetic. As with the hotel as a whole, it feels more laid back, modern, and (again, for lack of a better term) breezy than its counterparts in the area.
Other luxury resorts near Walt Disney World have more of a classical or Mediterranean style, which are more obviously opulent and upscale. For those who want a look that screams “traditionally luxurious,” that might be more appealing.
Personally, I prefer the style of the Conrad Orlando. The room is crisp and luxurious, with features and design flourishes that suit its higher-tier status in Hilton’s portfolio while also being true to its location at Evermore and its Floridian setting.
The pops of color and design features make these rooms far more interesting than any of the Bonnet Creek options (JW Marriott, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, or Wyndham).
Nightly rates at the Conrad Orlando start at around $400/night on off-season weekdays, increasing to over $800 per night for weekends and holidays. There are also package booking incentives for bonus points and/or resort credits.
On top of that, valet parking is $50 and there is no self parking. There’s also a mandatory, nightly $50 resort fee. As regular readers know, we hate the anti-consumer practice of resort fees. They’re pretty much unavoidable at higher-end third party hotels in Orlando, unfortunately. At least they’re now displayed in the upfront total.
The resort fee at the Conrad Orlando actually includes added-value things, such as kayak and paddleboard rentals on Evermore Bay, daily bottled water, shuttle service to Walt Disney World, trolley bus service around Evermore, discounts on golf and spa service, and other things I’m probably forgetting.
Because Conrad Orlando a Hilton hotel, you can also use free night certificates or redeem 90,000 Hilton Honors points per night for a standard room. Of course, this requires room inventory, which isn’t always available for point bookings (at least, not at the 90k level).
Keep those added costs in mind when looking at the relatively attractive base rate, which is in line with the lower tier Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World, such as Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom or Wilderness Lodges, or even the Contemporary’s Garden Wing.
Given the quality of the hotel, even the total rates aren’t bad, as the Conrad Orlando is superior to a Deluxe Resort at Walt Disney World in nearly every regard aside from theme, proximity to the parks, and on-site perks.
With that said, I probably would not recommend the Conrad Orlando for a Walt Disney World vacation. Even though it’s a stone’s throw from being on property, the lack of on-site perks (extra hours and Lightning Lane booking windows) makes strategic challenging, and transportation from the third party hotels is always subpar.
More importantly, the Conrad Orlando is best treated as a self-contained resort. The best way to enjoy any hotel is, obviously, by being at the hotel. But properties like the Conrad Orlando take that to another level, as the main selling point here is actively enjoying that brilliant blue lagoon. You can’t do that when you’re at a theme park from opening to closing.
In my view, the Conrad Orlando is best enjoyed as part of a split stay. I’d even be inclined to pair it with a cheaper on-site resort; even one of the Value Resorts is better suited to actually doing Walt Disney World thanks to the perks and comparative ease of transportation.
This is precisely what I did, with a stay at the Conrad Orlando as the ‘decompression days’ wedged between stays at Universal Orlando’s Helios Grand, the in-park hotel at Epic Universe, and Coronado Springs Resort. Lounging around, enjoying Evermore Bay, and eating my way around the resort was a welcome reprieve from 20,000+ step days in the parks.
In the interest of full disclosure, my stay at the Conrad Orlando was comped. You can judge for yourself whether that impacts the credibility of my assessments. That’ll change soon enough, as Sarah is already insisting that we book a return stay here next year on cash or points.
Since Sarah has Hilton Diamond status, we’d receive free upgrades, a daily food & beverage credit, and the ability to earn points. That makes the nightly cost a bit more palatable, and closer to on par with what we’d pay at Disney Deluxe Resorts after AP discounts. We tend to conserve points for 5th night free stays at higher-priced hotels overseas, so I doubt we’d redeem here.
Our optimal stay at the Conrad Orlando is probably 2 nights. That’s what we’re already eyeing next year, with a 4-night DVC stay at Walt Disney World followed by a couple of nights here and two more for Epic Universe.
Ultimately, the Conrad Orlando ranks as one of our top on-site hotels at Walt Disney World. A big part of this is because it appeals to our tastes more than its counterparts, with a breezy beachfront style and modern design.
The hotel is fully deserving of its AAA Five Diamond designation, and despite being one of the top 3 luxury hotels in Central Florida, it’s not even remotely stuffy; this is a hotel without pretension, and I have a hard time envisioning a guest type that would not like it. Well, aside those with aquaphobia, who should steer clear.
The Conrad Orlando is luxurious and offers a formidable slate of amenities that should make it appealing to anyone from solo business travelers to families to locals looking for a fun Florida “staycation.” There’s universal appeal in Evermore Bay, and this marquee feature should put the Conrad Orlando on the shortlist of anyone wanting a unique destination resort with world-class amenities.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at the Conrad Orlando at Evermore Resort? What did you think of the hotel? Highlights and/or lowlights? Doe the accommodations look appealing to you, or is this not to your tastes, preferences, or needs? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
