One of the best hotel near Walt Disney World was just honored with the prestigious AAA Five Diamond designation, a rare honor that has not been bestowed on any of the official Disney-owned resorts on either coast. This covers the award-winning accommodations, and shares photos & details from my stay at the property a couple weeks ago.

AAA Diamond designations are similar to Michelin stars for restaurants, right down to the odd fact that both were started by automotive enthusiasts. And like Michelin, AAA is considered the gold standard for hotel scoring. While Disney touts traveler choice and reader awards, the managers of AAA awards actually hang these recognitions in the lobby. This is because the bar for this award is higher and the standards are more rigorous and consistent.

For nearly 90 years, AAA’s professional inspectors have conducted in-person property evaluations. AAA is the only entity using comprehensive, on-site professional hotel and restaurant evaluations guided by member priorities. AAA’s inventory includes more than 28,000 Diamond (Five, Four, Three, and Approved) hotels and restaurants across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean.

Here are the Four Diamond Hotels on-site and around Walt Disney World:

• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (2023)
• Copper Creek Villas and Cabins (2018)
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas-Jambo House (2011)
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas-Kidani Village (2011)
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort (2003)
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn (2009)
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort (2007)
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (2019)
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (1989)
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (2007)
• Disney’s Riviera Resort (2022)
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (2013)
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (1991)
• Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (2002)
• Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (2010)
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando (2010)
• Walt Disney World Dolphin (2018)
• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve (2022)
• Walt Disney World Swan Resort (2008)
• Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek (2012)

The year next to the property name indicates the first year it received a current, consecutively maintained AAA Four Diamond designation. List based on Diamond designations received during last year’s inspections.

There are also a smaller handful of AAA Five Diamond hotels near Walt Disney World:

• Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort (2014)
• The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (2022)

That’s it. There are no other AAA Five Diamond hotels in Central Florida, nor are there any in Anaheim. While there are other AAA Five Diamond-designated properties throughout Florida and California, most states don’t have any such hotels. It’s an exceedingly rare designation that few luxury hotels in the United States attain.

Obviously just in going by the number of entries on the above lists, AAA Four Diamond is a much lower bar to clear. It’s like Michelin-recognized (Toledo) versus Michelin 3-star restaurants (not even Victoria & Alberts, which earned a single star).

Today’s news is that as of Fall 2025, the Conrad Orlando at Evermore has received the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation. This is the first time Conrad Orlando has attained this prestigious honor, and also the only property in Hilton’s Conrad portfolio to do so. The last portion of that line is most shocking to me–there are some superlative Conrads around the country.

Nestled on the north shore of Evermore Orlando Resort (the new $1.5 billion mega resort that opened last year), Conrad Orlando at Evermore is a world-class luxury hotel offering elevated design, attentive service, and distinctive amenities.

Along with upscale accommodations with breathtaking views, the 433-room luxury hotel offers exclusive access to Evermore Bay, Orlando’s first and only beach with 8 acres of crystal-clear water and 20 acres of soft white sand; wellness experiences at Conrad Spa Orlando; five on-site restaurants; programming and activities at Conrad Kids Club; a 24-hour fitness center and movement studio with specialty classes; access to highly acclaimed Grand Cypress Golf Club courses, and more.

Longtime Walt Disney World fans might be more familiar with the Grand Cypress area than Evermore, and mega-resort is essentially part of that. It’s east of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and the Four Seasons Orlando, and north of Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts. I could actually hear the Electrical Water Pageant one night from my room, and both Spaceship Earth and the Luminous fireworks were visible off in the distance.

“We are honored to receive the acclaimed Five Diamond designation from AAA,” said Sean McCarron, general manager, Conrad Orlando. “This award reflects the commitment of our staff and management to provide every guest with exceptional hospitality throughout their visit.”

Conrad Orlando is part of a select group representing the top tier of the hospitality industry in North America. Currently, there are roughly 145 Five Diamond hotels and 65 Five Diamond restaurants and roughly 1,750 Four Diamond hotels and 500 Four Diamond restaurants. (“Roughly” because new entries are added and removed on a monthly basis.)

Conrad Orlando is now just the third luxury hotel in Orlando and 12th in Florida to receive the AAA Five Diamond distinction. Hotels at this level, less than 1% of the nearly 23,000 AAA Diamond lodgings, are noted for world-class luxury and upscale amenities for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

To earn the distinctive AAA Five Diamond designation, resorts and restaurants must pass a rigorous evaluation that includes unannounced, in-person inspections and anonymous overnight stays for hotels, and a review by a panel of experts as a final step to ensure credibility. AAA Diamond Program hotels and restaurants are re-evaluated annually to ensure they provide the best experience for travelers and diners.

Although Michelin stars are seemingly taken more seriously by restaurants, culinary teams, and consumers, it would seem that AAA has a more rigorous standard for reviewing resorts and restaurants than does the tire company. There are controversies about both, naturally, as this is the internet, but there is not credible criticism about comprehensiveness nor is there about conflict of interest. (Personally, I think both are tremendous honors and the cynicism is overblown. Plus, what better organizations to honor hotels and restaurants than automotive organizations?!)

“AAA is pleased to recognize Conrad Orlando with the Five Diamond designation, meaning its unwavering attention to both service and surroundings has placed it into the upper echelon of AAA’s Diamond Program,” said Stacey Barber, AAA Travel Vice President. “To maintain the exceptional standards required for this designation on a daily basis is an outstanding achievement. Five Diamond hotels and restaurants consistently exceed expectations to provide their guests a highly personalized, memorable experience.”

Conrad Orlando at Evermore features bold design, curated comforts, and outdoor aquatic adventures. From a sun-drenched lagoon and white-sand beach to indulgent spa offerings, the resort offers an award-winning blend of luxurious relaxation and escape. Inspired by Florida’s many natural springs and surrounded by local flora, Conrad Spa Orlando was named one of the Top 100 Spas in the Americas (by who, I don’t know–I didn’t use the spa).

The property’s dining features a harmony of flavors with five vibrant venues, from elevated rooftop dining featuring a fusion of traditional and contemporary authentic Mexican cuisine at Ceiba to a beachfront culinary experience at the Polynesian-inspired Papaya Club. I had one of the best burgers of my life at Papaya Club despite it “only” being a waterfront bar; Sophia’s Trattoria served up a life-changing steak, a term I don’t use lightly (although I ate a two-person 24 ounce ribeye by myself, so perhaps it was life-changing in both a positive and negative way).

Golfers can tee off beside emerald fairways at two acclaimed PGA courses. There are also shuttles around Evermore Bay, which is also entirely walkable and has its own slate of amenities, dining and more. Theme park enthusiasts can take advantage of the luxury complimentary shuttle to Walt Disney World, located right next door.

My Experience at the Conrad Orlando

I’m not surprised in the least that the Conrad Orlando earned AAA Five Diamond honors. During my recent stay, I was blown away by the resort itself and property as a whole. I went in expecting something like the Bonnet Creek resorts, which are very good to great; in actuality, it was more like the Four Seasons Orlando offering unrivaled attention to detail, a luxurious hotel stay, and unique appeal thanks to the larger resort complex.

We’ve stayed at several AAA Five Diamond award-winners throughout the United States and experienced others. A couple that we routinely recommend for Southern California stays are the Montage Laguna Beach and Waldorf Astoria in Dana Point. The Conrad Orlando is easily on par with all of those. Each have their own distinct features and selling points (oceanfront locations, in the SoCal cases), so comparisons are difficult.

The comparison is a bit easier to the Four Seasons Orlando, which is more or less adjacent to the Conrad Orlando. Throughout my stay at the latter, I found myself thinking “this is better than the Four Seasons.” I’m not quite confident that assessment is accurate. It’s been 5 years since our last stay at the Four Seasons, and there’s obviously an element of recency bias when you’re actually at a hotel enjoying beautiful sunsets and breathtaking burgers. Still, I didn’t even expect them to be in the same conversation prior to the stay, especially considering the respective pricepoints.

We’ll have a full review of the Conrad Orlando somewhat soon, but with a backlog of almost a dozen hotel reviews, I felt like this might be worth quickly sharing now. Conrad Orlando earns our highest recommendation, and to my tastes (setting aside pretenses of objectivity), it’s a more enjoyable resort experience than the Four Seasons (or at least, than that was at Christmas 2020 when the world was a bit, ahem, different). I’d enthusiastically recommend the Conrad Orlando if you’re looking for a resort-centric stay near Walt Disney World.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Have you stayed at the Conrad Orlando? Think it’s worthy of the rare AAA Five Diamond designation? What do you think of Evermore Orlando Resort as a whole? Will you consider staying here on a future trip, or is it not for you? Do you like more options on the larger and luxury end of the accommodations ledger? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of Conrad Orlando? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!