Sunfinder Vacations

What to expect: This unique Lake Buena Vista resort is reminiscent of a wildlife-reserve lodge on the African savannah. Arriving guests are greeted in a three-story lobby with a crackling fireplace, hand-carved wood furniture, and authentic African artifacts. As the sun sets, two outdoor patios flanking the lobby provide close-up views of exotic animals, including giraffes, ostriches, impalas, and zebras.

Amenity highlights: Simba's Clubhouse provides supervised children's activities for ages 4-12 (surcharge), while the resort also has a children's pool, playground, and game arcade. The Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center has exercise equipment, a sauna and steam room, and offers additional spa services (surcharge). The resort also offers a zero-entry outdoor pool, which has a 67-foot-long slide and two spa tubs. Two restaurants provide African-inspired multi-cultural cuisine.

Insider tip: Public viewing areas in the early morning and just before sunsets allow guests to watch the animals of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge gathering to graze on the savannah. Guest services provides advice on the best times for wildlife viewing.

A homage to Atlantic City circa 1940,

Palm-shaded courtyards and Spanish-style haciendas set the tone at

Inspired by vintage New England yacht clubs, this lakeside resort has a lighthouse that welcomes arriving leisure travelers and families. Beamed-wood ceilings, wood floors, comfortable seating areas, nautical accents, and miniature ships on display grace the busy two-story lobby. Beyond French doors are lush, landscaped grounds and the resort’s dock on the 25-acre Crescent Lake.

Featuring a 10-story A-frame hotel,

Evoking an Eastern Seaboard seaside resort from the early 20th century,

The fishing village of Portofino, Italy was the inspiration for this five- and six-story Mediterranean-style hotel. The lobby, with its huge columns, domed ceiling, and Italian-influenced furnishings welcomes business and leisure travelers. Guests shop and dine in the cobblestoned village piazza overlooking the gondola-filled harbor.

One of the original

With its signature five-story Greek dolphins and 27-story pyramid,

Both the 12-story

Understated opulence starts with bell-service attendants in pastels, white shoes, and knickers. The beautiful lobby reaches five stories to a Victorian ceiling adorned with three illuminated stained-glass domes, ornate chandeliers, and metal scrolls.

A comfortable, intimate lobby with bookshelves and seating areas greets families and other vacationers at this resort. Modeled after a small, turn-of-the-20th-century Key West town, the resort is nestled among tropical plants, palm trees, and waterways. The atmosphere is one of relaxed island living.

Brightly colored “villages” are themed in five distinct Caribbean styles inspired by and named after the Caribbean islands of Trinidad, Martinique, Barbados, Aruba, and Jamaica. Each of the five villages is made up of clusters of two-story buildings that blend cool pastel walls, white-wood railings, and vividly colored metal roofs. Each village has its own swimming pool and playground, and offers chaise lounges, cabanas, and hammocks for relaxing on the white-sand shore of Barefoot Bay.

Just two miles from

Modeled after the California Mission-style hotel popularized in the Eagles song

The family-friendly Sheraton Vistana Villages - Villas on International Drive is set amidst palm trees and landscaped grounds. Arriving leisure travelers pass through a gated entry and check in at a Mediterranean-style reception center. Overlooking the outdoor pool complex, the circular lobby has rich wood accents, brick floors, and wrought-iron furnishings.

Set on 135 acres of lush landscaping accented by ponds and swaying palm trees, the Sheraton Vistana Resort - Villas in Lake Buena Vista is within nine miles of

Located in the resort-like Marriott Village hotel complex, this five-story Orlando hotel is within six miles of several theme parks, including SeaWorld,

A freeform splash pool set among towering palm trees creates a tropical feel at this all-suite Orlando hotel. A favorite of vacationers and families, the hotel is central to area attractions. A scheduled shuttle to

A lush, tropical ambience greets guests entering the lobby, which has a panoramic view of a cascading waterfall high above the outdoor pool. Set on 45 acres, this 1,338-suite resort and convention center in three 10-story towers is 6 miles from the Orlando/Orange County Convention Center and 1.5 miles from

Close to all the theme parks, the 197-room Clarion maintains a quiet, family-friendly ambience. The pond, which can be seen from most of the rooms, contains a high-spouting fountain.

What to expect: Ideal for both business travelers and families, this Courtyard by Marriott is situated on 13 green acres along a quiet street across from a shopping center. The hotel is completely non-smoking.

Amenity highlights: This Orlando hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. The hotel's heated outdoor pool with spa tub is open year-round. A playground, a video-game room, and a 24-hour fitness facility are also on site. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas and guestrooms.

Insider tip: Love to shop for bargains? The Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores outlet mall is a great place to buy clothes for the family at budget-friendly prices. You can even pick up some Disney gifts and souvenirs. The mall provides complimentary scheduled shuttle service to and from the hotel.

What to expect: A New Orleans–style train station welcomes arriving guests to this distinct resort reminiscent of the historic French Quarter. Beautiful gardens and lush greenery capture the spirit and romance of the area, surrounding seven attractive, pastel-colored buildings with intricate balcony railings that dot the resort.

Amenity highlights: A colorful Jester sets the tone for Doubloon Lagoon, a water playground with alligator fountains and a huge, Mardi Gras–inspired, dragon waterslide. Additional recreational options include a children’s pool, playground, bike rentals, a game arcade, and watercraft rentals.

Insider tip: Guests at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter share amenities with the neighboring Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, a Louisiana-style resort inspired by Mark Twain and the golden days of riverboats. A must-visit for the whole family is Ol’ Man Island, a 3.5-acre, old-fashioned water hole with slides.

Guests at

Designed for families visiting

Exceptionally child-friendly, Doubletree Guest Suites supplies warm chocolate-chip cookies at check-in, features a large aviary and Disney murals in the two-story lobby, and provides children with their own check-in desk, where they can sign in, receive gifts and balloons, and borrow books and board games. Adjacent to the hotel's restaurant is a kids' club that shows movies and children's television channels.

Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando features two mirrored towers, l8 and l9 stories high. The lobby creates a cool welcome, as does a bank of windows from floor to ceiling overlooking a patio with cascading outdoor fountain. Busy registration and activities desks and on-site shops add to the bustling atmosphere.

A tropical, six-story atrium with giant palm trees and cascading waterfalls provides an island-style welcome at the family-friendly Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista Resort. A busy energy pervades the atrium as guests heading to and from area attractions catch a quick bite or stop at the gift shop for souvenirs.

Popular with both leisure and business travelers, the Embassy Suites provides a theatrical but serene ambience created by a pink-marble-floored lobby, glass elevators, and a skylighted atrium with plants, waterfalls, and a pond. The atrium is the site for daily complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts and evening appetizer-and-beverage receptions.

Located a half-mile from

Located across from

A waterfall tumbles from a covered portico, which leads to a two-story lobby with a fountain, palms, and tropical aquariums. Located on 23 landscaped acres within the

An oasis within a mile of the

What to expect: Beautifully manicured grounds, brightly colored flowers, and tall trees line the long, curved road leading to this Spanish-style Marriott hotel. Brick walkways connect the hotel to The Ritz-Carlton Resort, where guests have access to all amenities. The lobby lounge is a popular gathering place for business travelers, couples, and families at the end of a busy day.

Amenity highlights: This Florida resort’s wide lazy river flows through caves and under waterfalls, emptying into a heated pool. Guests have privileges at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, as well as a 40,000-square-foot health spa with complimentary fitness center.

Insider tip: Just outside the hotel, guests can see the chef’s organic garden planted with herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and other produce used in the Primo restaurant.

The Grande Pines Golf Course surrounds the winding entryway to this condominium-style hotel in Orlando. Complimentary coffee awaits arriving guests, who primarily consist of families and leisure travelers drawn to the hotel for its proximity to area theme parks and attractions.

Guests arrive first at the Premier Vacation Homes headquarters for check-in. Luxury and executive homes are located in residential Orlando-area neighborhoods, many of which include playgrounds, community pools, and tennis courts. Vacation home guests primarily include leisure travelers and families.

What to expect: Because it's just one mile from Walt Disney World® Resort, and offers complimentary theme-park shuttle service, this hotel is a popular choice for families. Redesigned in December 2007, Royale Parc Suites offers a New Orleans theme with wrought-iron railings and a garden atrium, which houses the heated freeform swimming pool, spa tub, play area, and children's pool.

Amenity highlights: Complimentary amenities include a manager's reception held each evening, a complimentary breakfast buffet each morning, and daily newspapers. Wireless Internet access is also complimentary. The Royale Parc Suites also offers a mini-market, a fitness center, a poolside bar, and a 24-hour café serving gourmet coffee.

Located on 27 acres of lush Florida landscape, this 10-story resort is located across the street from SeaWorld Orlando and adjacent to Discovery Cove. An expansive lobby features a soaring 10-story atrium with contemporary oceanic decor. Arriving business travelers and vacationers are welcomed with a complimentary glass of champagne.

The South Pacific is the theme of this seven-story resort with Bali-influenced styling, lotus lagoon, and footbridge overlooking streams and waterfalls. The lobby, which surrounds an open-air court filled with brilliantly colored orchids, stone statues, and hand-painted panels, provides an island welcome to business and vacationing guests.

Located in Kissimmee east of

Although the resort is located along the busy International Drive corridor, the 28-acre International Plaza Resort & Spa features natural buffers such as palm trees and flowering gardens to absorb the noise. A five-story, sky-lit lobby is paneled in raw wood and includes seating areas amid palm trees, flower gardens, and Indonesian-style ceiling fans. This Orlando hotel serves both as a major convention hotel and a tranquil resort for leisure travelers.

Rising majestically 14 stories and overlooking lakes, exquisitely manicured lawns, and an 18-hole golf course, the hotel welcomes a clientele of primarily leisure guests. An ornate yet intimate lobby, with soaring columns, sparkling chandeliers, and intricately designed wood ceilings, evokes grand Italian palazzos of yesteryear.

One mile from

Located on busy International Drive, this 42-acre resort provides a secluded getaway with landscaped grounds that include pools, ponds, fountains, and gardens. The hotel attracts families and leisure travelers with its location within three miles of SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and other attractions. Business travelers and conventioneers appreciate the extensive on-site meeting space, as well as the resort's proximity to the Orange County Convention Center, one mile away.