An Inside Look at Marriott’s Largest Property: The Orlando World Center Marriott

What’s it like to stay at the world’s largest Marriott?  With 28 floors, 2,010 rooms, 500,000 square feet of convention space, two swimming pools, seven water slides, 8 food and beverage outlets, a fitness center, a spa, and an 18-hole golf course, all spread over a 200-acre property, the Orlando World Center Marriott is a vast resort that can both feel comfortable and homey– or a bit intimidating, depending on your perspective.

The Orlando World Center is located conveniently just off Highway 536 in the center of the Orlando-area theme park region, making it a good base for a holiday exploring multiple parks—especially because the hotel has free shuttle service to all four Disney Parks. Epcot is a five-mile drive from the resort, and six miles to Sea World, Disney’s Magic Kingdom is 9 miles away, and Universal Studios has a 12-mile highway commute.  It’s 18 miles to the Orlando International Airport. Nearby food and shopping opportunities are plentiful.

Arriving at this Marriott can seem chaotic, particularly if your visit happens to coincide with a large convention, but the staff is well-versed in dealing with crowds. Four lanes of traffic are guided to the lobby entrance, with staff helping to unload cars, keep the drop-off flow moving, and load shuttle vans and buses. Valet parking is available at $47 daily (plus tax) while self-parking is $29/day (plus tax). The self-parking can be a bit of a chore, as the four-story self-parking lot is a good 10-minute walk from the lobby or a wait for a shuttle van to drop you at the bottom level.   

Lobby check-in at the Orlando World Center is run by about a dozen clerks at desk stations, which was very smooth for my mid-week arrival before a convention, but guests have reported long lines during peak periods.  It can be a journey to reach your room, particularly if you’re not in the main building towers, but elevators are plentiful and quick, managing the arrivals well.

Rooms are bright and modern, recently re-designed, and well-appointed for this four-star hotel. Most rooms are either one king bed or two queens, while 121 suites are also available, including one and two-bedroom options. Almost all rooms have private balconies, an excellent option for viewing both the nightly pool laser light shows, action at the pool, and even fireworks above the Disney parks, depending on the angle of your room. Ask specifically to book these view rooms, which come at a higher price.  

Room rates vary widely by season and convention bookings. The lowest currently listed base rates begin at $167 per night for a Standard King, but add in the annoying $42 “resort fee” and taxes, and the resort’s lowest rate adds up to about $235 per night. Rates can rise dramatically during busy periods. Before making a booking decision, make sure all fees and taxes are accounted for!  

The resort pools and water park are great resort features at the Marriott. The five-story tall main waterslide tower provides enough thrills for kids and adults, while smaller slides are available for the tykes. Those eschewing slides can float on innertubes along the 575-foot-long lazy river feature connected to one of the pools. Hundreds of lawn chairs line the pools, all with food and beverage service, some prime daybed spots are reserved, as are cabanas.

You won’t need to go far within the Marriott to find food or drink, with eight different outlets providing options from grab-and-go to luxury dining at what the hotel says is Orlando’s top steakhouse, the Mikado. The resort also features Italian dining, Southern cooking, a friendly sports bar & grill, along with a lobby bar, pool bar & grill, and a central pantry store. The lobby Starbucks is outrageously priced, and don’t expect to find deals at any of the vendors here given that the resort caters to the expense-account guests attending conventions.

For events, meetings, and conventions the resort is well-suited for groups of any size—from mega-conventions to small weddings. The 500,000-square-foot convention center includes capability for 104 different breakout rooms, 286,000 square feet of exhibit space, and a capacity for 10,000 people. The area is vast enough that despite a large convention taking place during my visit, the resort still didn’t feel crowded.

The resort is also well-suited for vacationers. The Marriott organizes activities daily, from arts and crafts for the kids, to exercise programs for the adults. Outdoor play areas have cornhole and other games free to play. The Marriott’s 4,000-square-foot fitness center is a good call for exercise on hot humid days, while and outdoor 1.5-mile tracks help keep you fit on cool mornings.

Overall, for its large size, the Orlando World Center Marriott delivers a good stay and service for both business and leisure travelers. While it’s certainly not a quiet, relaxed boutique hotel to get away from it all, guests looking for a lively, well-resourced, and well-located resort will be satisfied.