Waldorf Astoria Orlando
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality, Tourism |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Headquarters | Lake Buena Vista , United States |
Area served | Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| Products | Hotels, timeshare accommodations, convention center, golf course |
The Bonnet Creek Resort is a privately held resort complex situated next to the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Although it is surrounded on three sides by land owned by Disney and bordered on the fourth side by Interstate 4, the resort functions independently of The Walt Disney Company. Its name is derived from the nearby Bonnet Creek, and access is provided via East Buena Vista Drive close to Disney's Riviera Resort.
Facilities
This resort encompasses a collection of upscale hotels, timeshare accommodations, and a wide range of amenities, featuring prominent brands such as:
- Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek, an upscale timeshare property with 1,149 units
- Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, a luxury hotel offering 400 guest rooms
- Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, a high-end hotel with 1,000 rooms along with a convention center
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando, a premium hotel comprising 497 rooms and an 18-hole golf course
- JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, a luxury hotel featuring 516 rooms
The convention center space is jointly utilized by the Hilton and Waldorf Astoria hotels. The Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, inaugurated in 2009, provides a public 18-hole course designed by Rees Jones.
As of 2024, one parcel within the resort remains undeveloped.
History
Covering roughly , the land that now hosts Bonnet Creek Resort was initially purchased in 1962 by World Union Industrial Corp., a company based in Hong Kong with connections to the Cayman Islands. During its expansions, The Walt Disney Company made unsuccessful attempts to acquire this property.
For many years, the site was largely undeveloped until approximately 2000 when proposals surfaced to build up to 3,000 hotel rooms, 1,600 timeshare units, a conference center, and a golf course. Access to the property was arranged through an easement agreement with Disney linking it to Lake Buena Vista Drive.
Ling Kai Kung, who passed away in 1992, was identified as the original purchaser; he acquired the land as a speculative investment unrelated to his association with former Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek.
Development commenced in 2002 when Fairfield Resorts (now Travel + Leisure Co.) announced plans for a timeshare resort consisting of 1,149 units. Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek opened its doors in 2004 as one of the largest timeshare developments in the region. Subsequently, Wyndham expanded by adding a 400-room hotel and spa adjacent to the timeshare property, which launched in 2011.
In 2006, Hilton Worldwide revealed plans for a development that included both a 1,000-room Signia by Hilton hotel and a 497-room Waldorf Astoria hotel, alongside a convention center and golf course. These amenities became operational in 2009.
By 2008, developers designated approximately around Bonnet Creek as a nature preserve aimed at protecting wetlands and wildlife habitats.
Additional growth included the announcement of the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa with 516 rooms in 2017; this property opened in 2020.
As of 2024, one plot located north of the JW Marriott remains undeveloped.
References