By the time we arrived at Villas of Grand Cypress we’d been traveling for over a week and needed some serious downtime. When I arranged our reservation, I only had one night in mind before heading back home. That all changed within the first hour, and I immediately modified it to two nights and a late departure.

If you’ve stayed in Orlando you know that the whole atmosphere of the area is action-packed either with a Walt Disney marathon, or Seaworld, or simply enjoying the tons of Orlando attractions that are around.  But even more so, most of the resorts in Orlando flow in the same direction as the activities which are usually packed with tons of things to do, overcrowded and rowdy. It’s great to have activities, but tranquility is even better.

We chose Villas of Grand Cypress because it was a luxury Golf Resort. We are not golfers, but whenever we stay at a Golf Resort they are super calm, never crowded, and have lots of open spaces. Villas of Grand Cypress reminded me of an oasis in the midst of chaos. Even though the place was over 85% filled, we felt like it belonged to us.

Villas of Grand Cypress Review

Why Villas of Grand Cypress is one of the Best Luxury Resorts in Orlando Florida

When you drive up to the entrance, you pass a small welcome gate and then get on to the actual property. It is a good few minutes of driving through open pastures and green areas before you see the first sign of life. Immediately, your pulse slows down, and you take a deep breath without realizing it. So great to leave all the eat-all-you-can buffets, fast food chains, theme restaurants and be in tranquility. And this is literally less than five minutes away from it all.

We pulled into the reception area and were greeted by the front desk people who seem to be as calm as you started feeling. And the best part, while you wait (which is super short) you have access to a full bar. I wish I had an actual reason to attack it, but didn’t find any excuse to give my family why I’m taking so long at the reception desk.

Our villa was past the golf course and overlooking the canal. I so wish we could simply move in forever.

We had the two-bedroom master suite, a two-floor villa. Basically, it is two exactly the same master suites with all the same amenities. Except the one downstairs (our room) had access to our porch where you can sit for hours watching the birds fish, swim, and sleep on the small pond.

We had plenty of wine time out here.

What To Do While Staying at Villas of Grand Cypress

Even though the actual resort that we stayed at was tranquil, they offered tons of activities. But the most fun was that they have a relationship with the Hyatt that is less than five minutes away, on the other side of the road which offers all the activities resorts have, yet far enough to completely not affect our environment.

From our villa, we were able to walk to a pool, which also had free bikes to take out for the day. The bikes were new and came in all sizes. My nine-year-old got a bike, and we took our bikes, one with a baby seat.

Dining Out 

You don’t need to leave the resort for yummy food. You can either have room service and enjoy the food on your porch. Or do what we did eating breakfast at Nine 18, the main restaurant at the Golf Club. Nothing beats great food while sitting outside with great views.

And you can get here by bike.

Resort Amenities at the Hyatt

When you check in to Grand Cypress, you need to pay a modest fee of $22 for the resort fee. This gives you access to everything on both properties.

To get to the Hyatt you can either drive (you have free parking being a Grand Cypress guest) or you can call a free shuttle that will pick you up at your villa and also do the same to come back.

There was so much to do

Paddle boat rentals – with two kids it’s a bit hard, so we only lasted about fifteen minutes. But watching adults do it, you know you can enjoy it for hours.

Beach time

Pools – this was our biggest hit. We ended up spending most of our time here.

The pools had caves, waterfalls, and water slides.

In all honesty, we were loving our villa and biked around the golf course so much, that we only made it to the pools in the late afternoon. A sure sign, the kids were enjoying the doing-nothing time as much as we did.

Video Fun

Villas of Grand Cypress

Golfing at Villas of Grand Cypress

Even though only 35% of the people that stay at the Villas golf, it is considered one of the top golf courses in the United States.

Fun Info about the Golf Course and Golf Academy

Designer: Jack Nicklaus (Signature)

Opened: 1984 (North, South) and 1986 (East)

• Grand Cypress Golf Club offers three nine-hole combinations (North, South, and East Courses).

• There is also an 18-hole Scottish links-style course.

• The original North-South combination, marked by sharply ledged fairways, tall shaggy mounds, and plateau greens perched above water or sand, is a demanding, target-style test.

• The sportier, more wooded East Nine is more generous, with less bunkering allowing for more run-up shots.

• Although the North, South, and East Nines have their own distinct qualities, they complement each other beautifully to make three different 18-hole combinations.

• In 2007 and 2008, the original North-South Course was renovated and redesigned. Jack Nicklaus came back to Grand Cypress to change play on several of the holes. The end result is a longer course.

• The New Course adds another dimension of play to the Orlando golf course scene, with steeper and more challenging bunkers and slopes. (1988)

Fred Griffin

The Academy is world-class with instructors that are at the top of their game. I had the pleasure to meet Fred Griffin.

There are many great and experienced instructors here, but Fred Griffin is one of the top. He was recognized by GOLF Magazine as one of the 50 best golf instructors in America and is responsible for the development of all golf instructional programs at the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf. Fred is also a PGA Class A professional with over 20 years of teaching experience, Griffin has served as the Director of the Academy since it opened in 1986.

Because he is a superb teacher, Fred was honored as Teacher of the Year for the North Florida Section of the PGA. An instruction advisor for several golf publications and a frequent speaker at the PGA educational programs, Griffin currently coaches several PGA and LPGA Tour players.

Design and layout of our Villa

Our visit fell at a perfect time. It was right after they had a huge renovation and everything was practically new. With the latest and coolest gadgets.

This was the best sleep I’ve had in a really long time.

We had a sunk-in living room. And the secret to the carpet design is that it is the topography of the golf course.

Full kitchen – it had an automatic light that came on every time you entered. You never know how much you need something until you experience it.

I am a full-on tea lover and my husband is a coffee addict, so this nifty machine was probably used more than anything else in the house. I know that in the US this is standard, but it is not at all used in Guatemala, so we were loving it.

Our Dining room – we mainly used it for our computers since we loved eating at Nine 18 so much.

The shower – how awesome is this one? It has three jets coming out of it.

And in all honesty, the bathroom was where I spent way too much pampering time. First the shower, and then the bath. I am not a bath person, but it was so awesome. It gave me a chance to have my hubby babysit, while I relaxed and watched a bit of TV.

My son hogged my robe and slippers.

And since we need three beds because my sons don’t share, the living room had an awesome pull-out couch (almost as amazing as the beds).

Information for Visiting Grand Cypress

This was our most favorite place to stay on our trip through Northern and Central Florida. Splurging on this resort is so worth every penny. We were literally ten minutes from ALL the major attractions but felt like the resort was completely remote from civilization. The best combo you can possibly experience.

Address: One North Jacaranda, Orlando, Florida 32836

Phone: (407) 239-4700

Type of villas offered

• Elegant Club suites

• Luxury Guest Villas

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