GlobeNewswire Inc | Nov 2, 2020 10:00AM EST

November 02, 2020

ORLANDO, Fla. , Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grande Lakes Orlando, the sprawling 500-acre resort, home to The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes is welcoming guests this holiday season with a series of intimate events, family-friendly offerings, and festive traditions throughout November and December. Guests can explore, learn and celebrate with an array of activities taking place all season long.

The all-new roster of holiday merriment is designed for families, couples, and beyond. Festivities at The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott range from culinary feasts, immersive arts & crafts, wellness-focused amenities, and more, with highlights below.

New This Season

-- Sparkling Lakeside: The perfect photo opportunity along Grande Lake with a Vignette by the Water and a stroll of with glistening trees and luminaries. -- Grande Lakes Express: Inspired by popular holiday movies, Grande Lakes Orlando will offer children a ride on the Grande Lakes Express, traveling throughout the resort during the month of December. -- Seasonal Bar Carts: Situated throughout Grande Lakes, guests can imbibe with cold weather classics, signature spikes, adult milk & cookies, and more. -- Spirits of The Holidays Bar Takeover: Decked our lobby bars and mixologists whipping up a menu of holiday-inspired concoctions.

Autumn-Centric Activities

-- Fall on the Farm: Held every Saturday and Sunday at Whisper Creek Farm, an 18,000 square-foot farm located on-property, Fall on the Farm features autumn activities including a hayride, pumpkin picking, and pumpkin carving and painting workshops, and more. -- Thanksgiving Family Fun at The Ritz-Carlton: Kids will create hand turkeys, fall beaded jewelry, turkey headbands and grow their own Harvest. Families can also join a Thanksgiving story-hour complete with a holiday-themed smores kits. Upon check-in, kids will also receive a paper leaf to write what they are thankful for and place it on the resorts Thankful Tree for all guests to enjoy. -- Gobbler 5K: Walk, run, gobble and wobble a 5K course on Thanksgiving Day. Hosted by The Ritz-Carlton Spa, the annual Gobbler 5K will be held Thanksgiving Day with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Childrens Miracle Network. -- Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade: Guests will enjoy crafts and snacks while viewing a festive favorite at the JW Lobby Lounge on Thanksgiving Day morning. -- Thanksgiving Celebrations: Enjoy lunch or dinner on Thanksgiving Day at one of Grande Lakes Orlandos award-winning restaurants including the newly-debuted Knife & Spoon and Highball & Harvest at The Ritz-Carlton, or Primo and Citron at JW Marriott. -- Turkey To-Go: For local visitors celebrating Turkey Day at home, The Ritz-Carlton is offering a complete holiday dinner for up to six people. Guests will enjoy a festive meal with all of the fixings with dishes prepared with a selection of ingredients from Grande Lakes Orlandos Whisper Creek Farm.

Holiday Amenities

-- Gingerbread School: Guests will build and assemble their own creation at Santas Workshop at The Ritz-Carlton. One of Grande Lake Orlandos most beloved and tastiest holiday activities, Gingerbread School will be held select dates from November 28 through December. -- Santa Claus at Grande Lakes: Santa Claus will an appearance during Santas Teddy Bear Tea, a family-friendly traditional tea at The Ritz-Carlton throughout December. Kids will also be treated to holiday cookies at Story Time with Mrs. Claus and a stocking filled with toys, treats and a special visit from Santa will be offered on Christmas Eve. -- Christmas Celebrations: Grande Lakes will host dinners on both Christmas Eve Christmas Day at award-winning restaurants including the newly-debuted Knife & Spoon and Highball & Harvest at The Ritz-Carlton, or Primo and Citron at JW Marriott.

New Years Eve Offerings

-- Kids Night Out: Kids can ring in the new year at Ritz Kids with dinner, arts and crafts, games and movies, while parents enjoy an evening at the resort. -- Family Festivities: Families will enjoy games, music, and a New Years Eve buffet dinner at The Ritz-Carlton Tuscany Ballroom, complete with a fireworks show at midnight. -- New Years Eve Celebrations: Grande Lakes will host dinners at the award-winning restaurants including Highball & Harvest at The Ritz-Carlton, or Primo and Citron at JW Marriott.

For more information and for a full schedule of offerings, please visit www.grandelakes.com.

Grande Lakes Orlando is committed to providing guests with a clean environment that aligns with expert protocols aligned with CDC, Florida, and Orlando guidelines.

About Grande Lakes Orlando

The 500-acre Grande Lakes Orlando estate features a 582-room Ritz-Carlton and 1,000-room JW Marriott hotel situated at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. Guests at both hotels can enjoy all the facilities and services at Grande Lakes Orlando, including an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course and the 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa as well as three pools including the winding lazy river at JW Marriott and the new AquaCourse 360 interactive water feature. Experience a wealth of dining options throughout Grande Lakes Orlando, where the cuisine is as diverse as the resort.

Twelve outlets to choose from featuring a brand new steak and seafood restaurant, Knife & Spoon led by award-winning chef John Tesar, southern-inspired cuisine at Highball & Harvest and Mediterranean Italian at PRIMO led by multiple time James Beard award-winning chef Melissa Kelly, a leader in the citys farm-to-fork movement. The resort sources ingredients from its on-site apiaries and 18,000-square-foot Whisper Creek Farm. On-property activities include Grande Lakes Sports Experiences offering kayaking, eco-tours on Shingle Creek, falconry, mountain biking and fishing school. Conference and meeting attendees have their pick of a selection of meeting space options located across 150,000 square feet that connects the two properties plus more than 100,000 square feet of outdoor space.

Grande Lakes is located 15 minutes from the Orlando International Airport, five minutes from the Orange County Convention Center and minutes from the major theme parks. Follow Grande Lakes Orlando on Twitter at @RC_Orlando and @JW_Orlando, Instagram @ritzcarltonorlando and jwmorlando and Facebook ritzcarltonorlando and jwmarriottorlando. For more information about Grande Lakes Orlando, visit www.grandelakes.com.

About JW Marriott JW Marriott is part of Marriott Internationals luxury portfolio of brands and consists of beautiful properties and distinctive resort locations around the world. The impressive array of award-winning hotels cater to sophisticated, mindful travelers seekingThe JW Treatment the brand's philosophy that true luxury is created by people who are passionate about what they do. These experiences help guests to be fully present, foster connections and feed the soul.Inspired by the principles of mindfulness, JW Marriott is a haven designed to allow guests to focus on feeling whole present in mind, nourished in body, and revitalized in spirit through programs and offerings that encourage them to come together, act with intention and experience every moment to the fullest. Today there are over 80 JW Marriott hotels in more than 25 countries and territories.Visit JW Marriottonline,and onInstagramandFacebook. JW Marriott is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriotts travel program replacing Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, andStarwood Preferred Guest(SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visitMarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.

About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, MD., currently operates more than 90 hotels in over 30 countries and territories. More than 40 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. The Ritz-Carlton is proud to offer The Ritz-Carlton Rewards in which members can link accounts with Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest for instant elite status matching and unlimited points transfer. For more information or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com, for the latest company updates, visit news.ritzcarlton.com and to join the live conversation, use #RCMemories. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR).

CONTACT:Alissa PerezDirector of Public Relations407-393-4110Alissa.perez@ritzcarlton.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c3fa7d9-b2c5-421a-b2cb-8efa0faf3b97