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by
Rachel
L. Miller "Do
not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a
trail." Ralph
Waldo Emerson's quote, printed on cream card stock and emblazoned with the royal
blue Ritz-Carlton logo, was waiting for me when I finally made it back to my room
after a day of relaxation and pampering in the resort's spa.  | The
Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes.
photo
courtesy of Ritz-Carlton |
The
quote card was just one small part of the spectacular turndown service provided
by Ritz-Carlton Orlando, a 524-room property that just opened in July 2003 as
part of the $600-million Grande Lakes resort. An oasis of undeniable (and oftentimes
tangible) luxury situated on a meticulously landscaped 500 acres, Grande Lakes
is home away from home for those with old money, those with new money, and those
who aspire to one day amass a small fortune. And then there are people like my
friend and I - two old girlfriends determined to splurge for a few days in a place
where no request is denied. It's
a place that greets returning guests in the evening with a pair of cushy slippers
positioned carefully by the bed and the radio turned to a soothing jazz station.
Not to mention a few chocolates, which I nibbled on while sitting on my balcony
after sunset, clad in my signature Ritz-Carlton robe and enjoying a view of the
pool and its surrounding palm trees. It
really was the life. And
really, the turndown service is just one of the many ways guests are made to feel
special and welcome at this posh resort. Of the property's 1,200 employees, it
seems a respectable number are on staff to merely smile graciously, hold open
doors and greet you as if you're a bona fide superstar (and not just a B-List
celebrity like those kids from the boy band O-Town). And if it weren't for my
sprained ankle, which resulted in unladylike limping, I would've felt like Sophia
Loren sauntering into my Italian palazzo (which, by the way, the Ritz is designed
to resemble).
(CONTINUE...)
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