Travel: Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate

With multiple pools, a lazy river, delicious restaurants and amenities galore, I am kicking myself for not staying a few more days at the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate. I first heard about the resort through a speaking opportunity at the Social Fresh East Conference, but I was so smitten that I know I’ll be back again. Until then, I hope you’ll enjoy reading about my stay!

The Arrival

I arrived at the Omni Orlando late on a Wednesday night – closer to midnight. Unfortunately, my flight had been delayed due to bad weather in Boston. Thankfully, the resort is about 25-30 minutes by car from the Orlando airport and there are plenty of car service, Uber X, or rental car options from the airport to get you there quickly. I ended up renting a car, which worked out well, although I did not leave the resort once!

Tip: Research what car rental companies and Hotwire charge and bid lower on Priceline to get a good deal. I ended up getting my rental car for $23/day + taxes, fees, etc. came to under $75 with Avis for two days/nights and a Friday evening drop off.

Upon arrival, a nice gentleman at the valet stand whisked away my car and I stepped into a perfectly air conditioned, gleaming lobby. Valet parking is slightly more expensive per day ($24/overnight), but there is also a self-parking option ($16/overnight).

The Room

Another kind employee checked me in and I was off to my room on the 9th floor. Although close to the elevator bank, I later found out that the room was amazingly quiet. As soon as I walked through the door and into my room, I was very happy with what I saw, from the over-sized room, to massive king-sized bed, flat screen TV and desk.

On the desk, much to my surprise (and delight!), there was a lovely welcome gift featuring all sorts of orange-flavored goodies!

The bathroom was also large and very comfortable, with special touches like towels wrapped in a satin ribbon.

Tip: Join Omni Select Guest for awesome perks! Before calling it a night, I made sure to pre-order my morning beverages. If you’re an Omni Select Guest member, on your second stay at participating Omni resorts, you can pre-order up to two free beverages per person per day, such as coffee, bottled water, milk, OJ, etc. All you have to do is fill out a card and hang it from your door with the time you would like the beverages to arrive. Times are listed within 15-minute increments. There is no charge to be part of the Omni Select loyalty program and the perks expand with your number of stays. For my stay, perks also included free wi-fi, two free pressings, and more. Click here for full-program rewards and to sign-up.

The Grounds & Amenities

Yes, I was at the resort for an event, but I did carve out a little “me time” to walk around and enjoy the property. With the warm Orlando weather, I immediately gravitated toward the pool areas, but it’s worth noting that this resort has an two golf courses, a basketball court, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a gym, jogging trails, evening fire pit and full-service spa. See why I needed more time? 🙂

Luckily, I did have time to explore the pool areas, which included one family-friendly pool with waterslide and nearby water playground.

There is also a slightly more luxe pool with private cabanas. Yup, that’s more my speed!

I also loved the 850-foot lazy river that is perfect for relaxing the day away.

Eating & Drinking

Trevi’s “Art of Breakfast” buffet

Anyone who has traveled with me knows that great meals out are part of the experience.

Although my daily lunches were provided by the conference, I did get to enjoy Trevi’s “Art of Breakfast” buffet with a friend one morning. In the buffet, every station was so well thought out, from multiple jams, almond butters and cream cheese options for toast and bagels, to a build-you-own oatmeal station with toppings from brown sugar to dried fruit and even shredded coconut. There was even a dedicated omelette or eggs station, complete with specialty eggs benedict offerings. Let’s just say that I was in brunch heaven. I opted for the (mostly) healthier route with over easy eggs, fruit, toast, but did add some scrumptious bacon and a delicious blueberry biscuit. Super fresh orange juice and coffee rounded out the meal.

Zen

We also tried Zen one night, which is a fantastic option for sushi and other Asian-inspired dishes. We had a large group and were given a private room complete with a round high top table and lazy Susan. We probably ordered half of the sushi menu and it was all delicious.

David’s Club

This was the place to be post-conference! A large yet cozy sports bar with a full-service bar and delicious food. I also ate one dinner here, where everyone ordered a range of food, from burgers, to fried chicken, ahi tuna, and more. I highly recommend the steak nachos – they are quite possibly the best I’ve ever had, with chips so good they must be homemade!

Final Thoughts

All in all, I genuinely enjoyed my time here. Before this trip, Orlando wasn’t high-up on my list of places to visit. However, the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate convinced this often solo traveler who prefers big cities to beaches that this would be a fun and relaxing place to spend a long weekend. With the large rooms and ample amenities, I could easily see myself trying to convince my extended family to sneak away for a long weekend. I could also see coming down with a group of girlfriends for a fun-in-the-sun and spa weekend. Add in Disney and plenty of outlet shopping nearby and there will be something for everyone in your group.

The SavvyBostonian was a guest of the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate from July 16-17. All opinions expressed in this blog post are her own.