I visited Evermore Orlando, the $1.5 billion mega-resort near Disney with its own private lagoon and beaches. It's a must-stay spot for any big group.
Carly Caramanna
- I visited Evermore Orlando, a new $1.5 billion mega-resort next to Disney World.
- The expansive resort is centered on a huge crystal lagoon and has private beaches.
I recently visited Evermore Orlando Resort, a $1.5 billion luxury spot that officially opened in January.
The 1,100-acre property took over five years to build and is located next to Disney World, adjacent to the Golden Oak gated community and Four Seasons Resort Orlando.
The resort is designed to be a luxury beach paradise that's especially great for big groups, with villas, flats, and massive homes available to rent.
Here's what it's like and what makes it so special.
It's a twist on the traditional vacation rental resort.
Evermore is an alternative to traditional vacation rentals because it offers rental homes and villas for big groups but operates like a hotel.
It's a great find, especially as short-term rentals are in demand, but many guests are turning away from Airbnbs that can come with strict rules and steep cleaning fees.
The Evermore can house a big group — up to 32 people — while offering hotel perks, like on-site housekeeping, security, and access to amenities.
Plus, the resort has multiple pools, a championship golf course, a food hall, a spa, and a Peloton studio.
Evermore has multi-bedroom flats, villas, and houses available to rent.
The resort is made up of luxury vacation rentals ranging from two-bedroom villas up to 11-bedroom homes that feature the amenities of vacation homes.
Prices vary, but the smallest option, two-bedroom villas, start at about $275 a night. The largest option, 11-bedroom vacation homes, start at just under $3,000 a night.
Evermore is centered on a crystal lagoon.
The property is centered on Evermore Bay, an expansive 8-acre crystal lagoon.
It's open year-round for guests, who can swim in it or participate in activities like paddleboarding and kayaking.
The bay is surrounded by white-sand beaches with fire pits, lounge chairs, and bars.
The resort has a strong tropical feel.
Although located in central Florida, the resort really made me feel like I was visiting a tropical destination, like the Caribbean.
Palm trees, sand, and lounge chairs were everywhere.
The lagoon even has bungalows similar to what you'd see in tropical resorts abroad.
The lagoon has private cabanas and over-the-water bungalows similar to those found in the Maldives and Bali.
Located along a boardwalk, the property's flats are in an upscale building.
Connected to a boardwalk that wraps around Evermore Bay, the flats are housed in what resembles an upscale apartment building.
Each four-bedroom, four-bathroom flat offers up to 1,950 square feet of space and can sleep up to 11 guests.
The flats have great views of Evermore Bay.
Situated along Evermore Bay, many of the flats offer views of the crystal lagoon.
The homes are located along streets that mimic a beachy residential community.
Evermore's home rentals are lined along streets with lush landscaping and palm trees that mimic that of a beachside residential community.
There are 69 homes, and they have from five to 11 bedrooms.
Evermore has 69 homes that have between five and 11 bedrooms and sleep from 15 to 32 guests.
The largest accommodations at the Evermore are targeted toward large travel parties and multigenerational family vacations.
Each home has several living areas, private outdoor space, and professional-looking kitchens. They also have oversized great rooms for entertaining and separate game rooms.
The kitchens are fully outfitted with high-end appliances.
The homes have kitchens designed similarly to professional ones with state-of-the-art appliances suitable for cooking full meals.
Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom.
A unique feature of these vacation homes is that each bedroom features an en-suite bathroom.
Nine-bedroom houses have 10 bathrooms, for example.
The bathrooms are large, too.
Each style of accommodation has large bathrooms, complete with large mirrors, spacious rain showers, and modern tile work.
The furnishings are more luxury hotel than vacation home.
Each unit is outfitted with furnishing typically found in a luxury hotel, like Stearns and Fosters mattresses and hotel-quality linens.
The children's spaces are well-themed.
Each home features themed spaces for kids. Some include arcade games, separate living rooms and entertainment centers for children, and bean-bag chairs.
Some homes come with a private movie theater, too.
Movie-theater rooms can be found in some of the rental homes, and they come with a range of seating and walls lined with movie posters.
Every home has a private outdoor space.
Each home has a private backyard that includes a dining table, relaxation spaces, and games.
Homes also come with saltwater pools.
The private saltwater pools are heated and the surrounding areas have lounge chairs and other seating available.
Eleven-bedroom homes have a slide between floors.
The 11-bedroom homes feature an entire third floor designed for children. Guests can travel between floors via twisty slide.
On-site dining options include a food hall and full-service restaurants.
There are 12 dining options on the property, including full-service restaurants, bars, and quick-service spots in a food hall.
Guests can get pizzas, wraps, breakfast, and more without leaving Evermore.
Evermore also has an on-site hotel that could be good for smaller groups of travelers.
Situated along Evermore Bay is Conrad Orlando, a Hilton luxury hotel. The 433-room hotel houses a spa, kids club, zero-entry pool exclusive to hotel guests, and five restaurants.
Guests of the Conrad can still access the crystal lagoon and visit Evermore's dining locations.
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