Orlando Golf Resort Maintains Prestigious Award for 4th Consecutive Year

The Woodlands, TX, March 2017… BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, announces that Villas of Grand Cypress has been honored by Forbes Travel Guide as a Four Star hotel for 2017. The ranking places the resort in an elite group of only three Orlando properties to earn the Four Star rating. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Villas of Grand Cypress, part of BENCHMARK’s Gemstone Collection, has been recognized with this prestigious award. It also follows other recent accolades for the resort, including the 2017 U.S. News & World Report Gold Badge Award in the “Best Hotel in the USA” category. The awards recognize the Villas’ commitment to outstanding guest service and experience, a key part of Benchmark’s Be The Difference guest service culture. Benchmark’s general manager for Villas of Grand Cypress, Mark Cox, made the announcement.

“It is an honor that Forbes Travel Guide has chosen to again recognize the Villas of Grand Cypress with their Four Star Award,” said Mr. Cox. “Our resort team takes great pride in delivering an unwavering guest experience that consistently exceeds expectations, and this recognition is a marker of our success in achieving that.”

Villas of Grand Cypress is a hidden oasis tucked away in Orlando’s Lake Buena Vista neighborhood (adjacent to Walt Disney World®) where theme park-goers and city explorers can find a respite from the swift pace of the world just outside the resort’s gate. Presenting a consistent experience unique to the area, the Villas offers oversized accommodations that deliver all the familiar luxuries of home: 146 suites and villas that feature up to four bedrooms and 2,800 square-feet of space to comfortably accommodate families and groups of varying sizes; full kitchens, living and dining areas that cater to those looking for a causal night in; large bathrooms with free-standing tubs that act as a perfect venue to wash away the day’s mental clutter; and extended patios for welcoming outdoor gatherings, BBQ grilling, or simply doing nothing at all.

Tree lined roads weave through this 1,500-acre retreat that offers a rare perspective of Orlando: a serene landscape painted with glass-like waterways and golf greens manicured with an expert level of precision, and back porches of guest villas throughout, reminding golfers and other passers-by of the Villas’ intent to offer a getaway from it all.

A strong emphasis on luxury service culture adds to the Villas’ inimitable accommodations and location, and a comprehensive roster of amenities rival that of a large-scale resort. Golf enthusiasts can perfect their swing with state-of-the-art learning technologies at the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf or challenge a friend on the resort’s 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf. Non-golfers can explore an abundance of other offerings such as in-room spa services, a swimming pool, bicycle rentals, fitness center, fishing, and access to the Grand Cypress Racquet Club, jogging and walking trails, as well as watersports on Lake Windsong.

“We are delighted to recognize the 2017 Star Rating recipients, an exceptional collection of hotels, restaurants and spas that demonstrates a strong culture of service,” said Gerard J. Inzerillo, chief executive officer of Forbes Travel Guide.

“In an online environment of confusion and clutter, Forbes Travel Guide is the most trusted source of information to assist guests in making informed decisions,” Mr. Inzerillo said. “These properties, the largest and most global group in the company’s history, achieve an impeccable standard of excellence in hospitality, underscoring our overall mission of positively contributing to the international tourism industry as well as individual hotel experience. We are proud to congratulate everyone associated with these prestigious properties.”