Enjoy Orlando's sophisticated side

By Clara Bosonetto Maerz

For ajc.com

Turn a trip down to Orlando into a sophisticated and elegant experience with a stay at one of the finest resorts in the region.

The Villas of Grand Cypress is a grand Floridian estate surrounded by expansive, manicured grounds and a 45-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. This AAA 4-Diamond resort is renowned for its golf school, Grand Cypress Academy.

Additionally, The Villas of Grand Cypress features seven restaurants, five lounges, a posh spa, a racquet club, two poolside snack bars, a marina and lake with water sports, two swimming pools with waterfalls and waterslides, a 24' rock climbing wall, a 9-hole Pitch-n-Putt course, resort bicycles and boats, catch-and-release fishing (select lakes), a picnic area, a kids' club, exercise room, scheduled shuttle transportation to Walt Disney World, Sea World and Universal Orlando.

Through Dec. 31, nightly rates start from $169 for a stay in an elegant Club Suite. Included is daily breakfast and a $50 per day activity credit.

Opt to upgrade to a one-bedroom villa for an additional $100 or to a two-bedroom villa for an extra $179 per night.

http://www.grandcypress.com/villas/