Liana Lozada

Because Orlando is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, you may think accommodations in Orlando consist only of expensive rooms near the theme parks of rooms in luxe high-rise hotels. This isn't true—in fact, Orlando has plenty of budget-friendly options for travelers who don’t want to break the bank. Curious where they are? We’ve rounded up our top picks for the 14 best cheap hotels in Orlando, whether you’re looking to stay near the theme parks or in one of the cute neighborhoods closer to downtown. And don’t worry, I’m picky about hotels too, so none of these are in questionable areas with just as questionable amenities. Keep reading to find out where you will want to stay on your next trip to the City Beautiful. RECOMMENDED: 🎢 The best theme parks in Orlando🏖️ The best beaches near Orlando🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Orlando Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Orlando knows a thing or two about going over-the-top: It’s the epicenter for larger-than-life experiences, and the country’s reigning tourist capital, home to some of the best attractions and best amusement parks in America. And yes, it has the large, luxury, all-amenities-and-then-some hotels and resorts to match. The best hotels in Orlando supersede overnight expectations with unique amenities, park perks and stunning designs. Whether you're traveling solo or with the whole family, you need to rest your head in style and in close proximity to the best things to do in Orlando. We've got you covered. RECOMMENDED:📍Check out these cool things to do in Orlando🛏The best Airbnbs in Orlando This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Living in Miami means regularly fielding texts from old friends asking the same thing: They’re staying on South Beach and do we know what’s good? Though we have a list of go-tos at the ready for most major Miami neighborhoods, South Beach needs follow-ups. Like, what’s the budget? Are they packing an LBD or do they prefer to stumble into a place in their beach coverup? Basically, are you like many out-of-towners looking for the clubbiest of clubstaurants, or is your goal to experience an amazing meal? Below, we’ve included both of those things (and they’re not always mutually exclusive) in our guide to the best restaurants in South Beach. Save this page and send it to your friend visiting Miami next time they ask for instant clout. RECOMMENDED: The best bars in South Beach, ranked

There’s really no bad time to eat a breakfast sandwich. In Miami, BEC sammies make sense post South Beach club binger as much as they do hanging at a Miami Beach pool party. Morning, noon and night, we’re down for any kind of combination of bread and eggs. Fortunately, the Miami restaurant scene has expanded to include plenty of all-day breakfast joints that serve up a wide variety of morning-inspired sandwiches. So whether you’re late to go to bed, a late riser or an early bird who wants their eggs for lunch, you’ll want to try every single one of our picks for best breakfast sandwiches in Miami.

Watering holes come and go in South Florida—blame it on South Beach’s snowbird population or Coral Gables’ college crowds. Yet locals know that the oldest bars in Miami are really the places to go when you’re in the mood for a drink, not the nearest Miami club. The reason? The pubs that prevail are an anomaly—quirky, charming and each boasting a unique backstory. And while some bars have had the occasional name swap, sale or facelift (it is Miami, after all) the location itself has stood the test of time. 

Champagne wishing and caviar dreaming in Miami? We suggest living out those fantasies in a South Beach nightclub. For a city experience closer to real life (and real wallets), one that includes amazing culture at one of the best museums in Miami, good eats, great cocktails (and not just during your typical happy hour deal in Miami) and exciting things to do on the cheap, consider our guide to the best cheap things to do in Miami. We’ll have you exploring unknown parts and indulging in great deals on experiences you’d written off as too expensive (Oysters at lunch? Don’t mind if we do!), for a week that promises more than just modest fun.

This Coral Gables watering hole is well into its 70s (it was established in 1946), but you couldn’t tell its age by the crowd. Bar regulars are your typical millennial and Gen-Xers the area is known for, especially during happy hour when crowds stand shoulder to shoulder just to take advantage of two-for-one drink specials—and free drinks for ladies on Fridays. Despite its size, the Bar has become the neighborhood’s prime destination for holidays (expect lines out the door on St. Patrick’s Day!) and weeknight live music.

No one does boho-chic better than the Standard Spa and its mainstay eatery. The buzzy, breezy outdoor restaurant went from veg-forward to Japanese, recently offering an izakaya residency with all new recipes by chef Daniel Herget. The delicious options include the kurobuta pork chop, kimchi fried rice and a funky take on disco fries, called okonomiyaki—it’s all topped with bonito flakes and just $7 during the weekday happy hour.

After seven years in the Gale Hotel’s tiny back lobby, the spot that heralded a new wave in Miami’s cocktail scene now occupies the property’s former nightclub. The massive relaunch doubled the Regent’s size, expanded its stage (where soulful jazz performances take place) and introduced Miami-inspired cocktails by the Bar Lab folks, including a maduro-flavored old fashioned. The refreshed Regent 2.0 is more tropical and better suited for lounging.

A five-day fete that honors Haitian culture, the 25th annual Haitian Compas Festival climaxes on May 20 with 13 acts at Bayfront Park headlined by Miami rapper Kodak Black. Compas is the island’s signature sound and dance.

Decked out in Victorian style, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa sits at the top of Walt Disney World Resort’s food chain. Its classic red and white facade is reminiscent of San Diego’s Hotel Del Coronado, and the tiered Grand Lobby oozes old-school elegance. The offerings match the waterside locale: Guests can book cruises on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, and the kiddos can venture off on a pirate sail. But the exterior charms don’t carry into the room design, which are lathered in beige. Still, the Disney amenities outweigh the snoozy quarters:  The famed Disney monorail passes by the property, as does the electric water pageant. There’s also a spa, waterfall pool, arcade and campfire activities.

Want to see what $2,000 a night will get you at a Disney property? Set your search to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort—specifically, the private, eight-person, over-the-water Bungalow. Here, a private lake deck with plunge pool, full kitchen, two beds and a sleepy lead to the hefty price tag. The property is a AAA 4-Diamond resort, so expect extras like park water taxis, grocery services, a luau-themed dinner feast and mail services. Lilo’s Playhouse entertains kids 3-12 whenever parents need an escape, and the Polynesian’s two distinct pools offer something for everyone. These rooms also have a little more “oomph” than the nearby Grand Floridian, thanks to high, two-tone headboards, textured palm prints and thematic details.

There are some properties that proudly carry a dedicated returning clientele, and Orlando’s Villas at Grand Cypress is that kind of place. Guests return year after year with wedding and warm weather golf stories in tow: They come back to their beloved spacious quarters (the villas don up to four bedrooms) to remake family memories. Villas has that all-American vacation feel thanks to its unmatched recreational offerings. There’s a golf academy and club, a racquet club, and even a rock wall. To boot, spa treatments can be in done in the privacy of one’s room and kids can stay busy at the game room or waterslide donning pool. While there’s plenty to do at Villas, there isn’t much to eat: Villas only houses a pool bar, golf club restaurant and in-room dining, so be prepared to go off-site for any culinary explorations.

The Bohemian Celebration is ideal for intimate, kid-free vacations thanks to its mere 115 guest rooms and suites. This Autograph Collection Hotel is decked out in old-world inspirations, creating an ambiance that feels part luxe Safari lodge and part Floridian enclave. The rooms are accented with forest green walls and natural elements like gold dipped branches. Only a restaurant and pool live onsite, but the Celebration Health Fitness Centre & Day Spa and Salon 720 Beauty and Body Spa lay nearby.

The picturesque edifices of the Italian Riviera land stateside at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. While the crystal blue Mediterranean waters are missed, the red, orange and peach hotel still makes heads turn. The Portofino Bay Hotel fearures replicas of Italy’s stone streets, actual Cypress trees, and even a Musica della Notte show. There’s enough pasta on property to fuel a theme-park marathon—and, as an official Universal hub, guests get Universal Expresss Unlimited ride access and early access to the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Portofino's rooms swap the sun tones found outside for cool blues, seafoam greens and off-whites. We wish the Despicable Me Kids’ Suites had an adult version: Who doesn’t love being amongst Minions?

Since opening in 2013, the Alfond Inn in Winter Park has earned plenty of cred, including AAA Four Diamond status. The 112-room building blends romantic elements with contemporary touches: Wooden beams add warmth and arched windows give way to natural light that splashes off the white-washed walls. The Inn displays the Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art for Rollins College (part of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum), and is within arm’s reach of local attractions. While chic, the Inn is also pet-friendly, and boasts a pool, fitness center, and meeting spaces.

The good times roll at the Hard Rock Hotel Orlando, which has a casual coolness that caters to a younger, energetic clientele. Take the rooms, for instance: They come with spunky checkered curtains and vinyl decor punched up with message pillows and popcorn tray delivery. Club Level rooms give exclusive access to the Rock Royalty lounge, and the sprawling suites tone down the funkiness for a more refined, VIP feel (The Graceland Suite flaunts a Baby Grand Piano and an oversized tub). Grab a bite at one of the five food and beverage outlets, or take time to listen to music underwater at the main pool. And because it’s the Hard Rock, guests can browse a menu of 20 different lender Fender® guitars and have them delivered to their rooms.

Spread across 500 acres, Grand Lakes Orlando is a two-for-one property experience worth dishing out the dollars for. Two sister properties flank the premise: The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott, equating to hundreds of rooms, six Presidential Suites, more than a dozen food and beverage outlets, and access to a 18-hole par-72 Greg Norman Signature Golf Course. Grande Lakes also features bocce ball, tennis courts, heated pools, sand volleyball and a spa. Over at the Ritz, patrons can order in-room dining 24/7. At JW, little ones can request an in-room overnight camping experience. And no matter which theme park or hotel you choose, you can arrange shuttle transportation with the hotel concierges.

Bona fide boozehounds know the best drinking happens on weeknights, when beverage-industry pros make their rounds to the best local watering holes. Why party on a school night? Smaller crowds, better service and the chance to try whatever new cocktail the bartender is testing. Look left: You might even bump into your favorite barkeep from around town.  Monday 27 Restaurant & Bar The Broken Shaker may get all the nightlife love, but it’s the adjacent restaurant and bar that insiders adore. The second-floor spot is kitschy and cozy and provides just the right amount of dim light for those looking to keep their Monday-night carousing under wraps. Feeling daring? Try the bartender’s choice, which is whatever head honcho Randy Perez dreams up.  Tuesday  Beaker & Gray Even bartenders who avoid the hard stuff when they’re off the clock can’t pass up a spirit-forward drink at Beaker & Gray, where bar manager Ben Potts makes one of the most balanced tipples in town: In-the-know guests favor the Lavagave, which blends tequila, mescal, vanilla bitters, citrus and egg glair. Tuesday is the best night to visit, as it’s when crowds are light and the typically brunch-only Wagyu burger is available upon special request. Wednesday  Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Company The industry loves Sweet Liberty, which earned the title of Best New American Cocktail Bar at 2016’s Tales of the Cocktail festival; so expect to find acclaimed bartenders, such as co-owner John Lermayer, making drinks. One Wed