The Concierge

1br> We of course provide our group guests with personal service and attention, as if they are here individually and not as part of a group. For group guests staying with their families, we can offer detailed information about the area, as well as secure their theme park tickets.

What are your group restaurant recommendations?
If our guests are requesting a private dining room, some of our top suggestions are Norman’s or Primo (both on location at Grande Lakes), Christini’s, Season’s 52, Roy’s, Vito’s Italian Chophouse, Moonfish, Samba Room, or Morton’s of Chicago Steakhouse. We can also supply our guests with a list of various local restaurants, as well as menus for each.

What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
For a relaxed atmosphere, we always recommend The Ritz-Carlton Lobby Lounge. For active nightlife, our guests can move from club to club at Universal Citywalk, Disney’s Pleasure Island and in downtown Orlando. For a trendy atmosphere, The Blue Martini and The Exchange Lounge are excellent choices, as well as various nightclub options located in the downtown Orlando area, such as Club Paris, Antigua and Chiller’s.

Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
The Grande Lakes resort is the perfect place for a stroll. With the path meandering around the lake and gardens, our guests will be refreshed and surrounded by nature’s beauty. We can also recommend the towns of Celebration, Winter Park and Mount Dora. Celebration is a small town located outside of Disney World. Winter Park is approximately 30 minutes from our resort and offers a park setting and cobblestone streets with various boutique and consignment shops, the Morse Museum, sidewalk cafes, and art shops. Mount Dora is a 45-minute drive, where our guests will delight in various antique shops.

Are there any quirky places we should check out?
In the downtown Orlando area, we suggest Lake Ivanhoe, with its Bohemian atmosphere, offering a grand array of antique shops. If our guests are looking for something more child-oriented, we can recommend DisneyQuest (an interactive and virtual reality indoor theme park), the Titanic Museum and Exhibit, or the WonderWorks Museum (offering a hands-on interactive exhibit display). Gatorland is also a traditional roadside attraction.

If we only have an hour or two, what should we definitely check out nearby?
I would first suggest staying on property and taking advantage of the spa, golf course, afternoon tea, or a bike ride. Orlando also offers fantastic shopping, such as Mall at Millenia, Florida Mall, Prime Outlets, and Premium Outlets. We might also suggest an airboat ride on the Everglades.

What is an unusual request from a group?
We have had several requests for a team-building event, specifically a cooking class with one of our chefs, or an eco-tour or fly-fishing seminar at Grande Lakes, or an afternoon of beauty at our spa. I’ve also had a request from a gentleman who wanted to “get away” from the large group he was with; I set up a small cocktail party for him and 15 others in our Fairways restaurant.

A party of 12 wants to have dinner right away. What restaurant can accommodate last-minute requests of this size?
We would first recommend our restaurants, which are always willing to accommodate our guests: The Vineyard Grill, Norman’s, Primo, and Citron. For area restaurants, we would suggest Christini’s, Moonfish, Capital Grille, or Maggiano’s.

What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
Several times a year The Grande Lakes property offers a Concert Series, with live music, barbecue and fireworks, as well as the Makes and Models magazine car show, in which various cars are situated on the grounds of the property.