The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott Offers Relaxation in the Heart of the Action
The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott offers visitors and locals alike a place to relax at Orlando World Center Marriott.
Now in its 40th year, Orlando World Center Marriott has gotten serious about being all things to all travelers, be they conferencegoers, leisure family travelers, “Disney” adults, or hardcore theme park enthusiasts headed to Epcot, LEGOLAND Florida, SeaWorld, or the members of the Universal Studios Florida multiverse (Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe, Volcano Bay).
It is a proverbial stone’s throw away from one’s “action” of choice. Even though the hotel itself is not attached to a specific theme park, management has upped its game to make it a place that multitasks either as a base camp for fun and adventure...or the antidote to it with everything needed for a destination trip in one place.
The largest Marriott property in world is also a magnet for all things MICE (as in “Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Expositions,” not Disney’s iconic character), with more than 500,000 square feet in event space and a culinary and beverage program incorporating several grown-up restaurants (Siro, Mikado, the lobby Sushi bar) and a well-loved breakfast buffet that can be worked into business gatherings of varying sizes and purposes.
The spa’s reception area.
All of it adds up to The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott’s raison d’être, serving as an intimate nature-inspired space that makes a big impact, especially with its intentional á propos placement next to the River Falls Water Park.
The 10,050-square-foot oasis was recently refreshed by Atlanta-based tvsdesign with down-to-earth elegance inspired by the Florida sandhill crane achieved through soft textiles and finishes, variegated earth tones, and linens and robes that are cool to the touch.
A set of doors at one end of the well-appointed fitness center gives way to a bright boutique area stocked with fragrant spa products such as Privei, Eminence, Pure Fiji, and a small mix of jewelry, candles, and gift items items that please the eye and also drive the eye on either side to the beauty products.
From the check-in desk into the locker room the mood created by the personnel is relaxed and welcoming while also being uncontrived.
The spa’s boutique is stocked with a variety of wellness and self-care brands.
After the woman at the counter checks me in, she leads me to the spa’s simple, spotless locker room area with one of the most user-friendly locker code systems I have encountered in recent memory. The robe is a lightweight cotton perfectly suited for the humid climate rather than a heavy terrycloth.
Rather than establish a personality for the spa, the décor and mood is a canvas that allows the individual personalities of the practitioners and technicians to shine.
No sooner am I led into the relaxation/waiting area and say a quick hello to my travel companions, I am greeted by Sonia for the spa’s signature Tropical Glow Facial, which is not only customized to me based on how I filled the sheet out but also what she happens to see in front of her.
The spa’s spacious waiting area.
Once Sonia guides me into the treatment room, I observe her application brushes, micro-current devices, gua sha tools, blackhead remover vacuum, and other necessities are impeccably laid out behind the treatment bed.
While I take note of the product lines on a shelf to my right, she mentions that Eminence Organic Skin Care is a personal favorite among the product lines. Her voice has a maternal quality that’s genuine...she tells you she will take good care of you, and you believe her.
Between my fellow writers, a couple of moms on a well-deserved break, and a trio of medical conference attendees I encounter before and after my facial, it’s easy to intuit the treatments are as customizable as the hotel’s activities yet as intimate and comforting as the property is larger than life.
Eminence Organic Skin Care is featured in many of the spa’s treatments.
Before I take my place on the bed for the facial, she goes through the spa’s list of facials add-ons and reviews my goals for the facial and skin care in general (under eye depuffing, a more toned jaw line, and attention to some dark spots that haven’t quite emerged yet).
It reveals she’s the kind of technician who can anticipate a client’s needs before she or he says something. Once under the covers, she instinctively adjusts the back and leg sections to conform to my body.
Like other facials, this one is a multi-step process where texture and application of the products tell me whats going on, from cleansing, to hydration, to different kinds of exfoliation. Rather than ask what’s happening, I let Sonia do her thing until we get to the blackhead removal phase when she explains she’s clarifying the pores to let the skin breathe.
About three quarters into the 50-minute service, she provides a shoulder and arm massage that I did not realize I needed until she dug deep into my shoulder joint and worked her way down my arm. I am completely relaxed in the final cleansing and moisturization, so much so that when a chime announces the completion of the facial, she mentions I drifted off for a few minutes.
A relaxing sitting area in the spa’s locker room.
Back in the waiting lounge, enhanced with a fountain, I prepare myself a Teavana tea and chat with my friends, who ask about my treatment, and ask some of the conferencegoers what treatments they are having.
Intermittently, two massage therapists on duty check in to see if their respective clients arrived and joke about how the sheer size of the resort often makes clients a few minutes late.
Later in the evening, one of them who chose to do both a facial and a massage at the last minute raved about Sonia’s approach, while the other adored her massage and admitted she drifted off for a few minutes.
A corner of the relaxation lounge.
Rather than have the overarching feel of a large hotel spa, The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott felt more like a friendly neighborhood spa where both the customers and practitioners were free to be themselves.
As I checked out, I learned it was also popular with local residents for the very same reasons, where simple but well-thought-out pleasures are prioritized over splash and glamour.
It makes perfect sense as an oasis of calm built into a destination built on pop-culture fantasy and buzzy conference amenities.
For more information about The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott, visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @thespaatworldcenter
The Spa at Orlando World Center Marriott is located at 8701 World Center Drive — West Tower, Orlando FL 32821. (407) 238-8705
[Photos by Elyse Glickman]
Elyse Glickman is a Los Angeles-based freelance travel journalist for consumer and trade magazines, websites, social media, and marketing/public relations projects.
She has visited 70 countries on assignment in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australasia, and the Middle East.
You can see her complete portfolio at ElyseGlickman.com.