If you don’t immediately whip out your phone to snap pics upon stepping into the living room–style lobby of the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, then, honestly, you’re no fun. It’s hard to know where to look first—artwork climbs the bookshelf walls and whimsical touches abound, like a statue of an astronaut carrying an umbrella and a flipped-over couch that doubles as a chair. It’s a perfect intro to the hotel’s playful personality, with surprises at every turn.
Lake Nona Wave Hotel is truly off the beaten path, nestled among pastures and fields in the quickly-growing Lake Nona community, which is centered on technology and health innovation. The hotel mirrors this vibe, with guest rooms tricked out in high-tech features and access to a performance club that boasts all the latest gadgets for longevity and wellness.
Why stay at Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
This light-hearted hotel is the antithesis of a typical Orlando stay—one for the creatives, the tech savvy, wellness junkies, and those who don’t mind being 45-minutes from the theme parks. Yet it’s only fifteen minutes from the Orlando airport. So close that you’ll see the planes coming in for a landing.
And who needs theme parks when your hotel is its own bundle of fun? The lobby is a true communal living room, where you’ll see kids and adults playing table games, friends sipping cocktails from the bar in private cubbies, and guests reading or hanging out on the stadium-style bleachers anchored by an Instagram-worthy flowering tree.
More than 500 pieces of art are sprinkled throughout the property, and one of the hotel’s best features is the sculpture garden, dotted with hulking art like Arturo di Modica’s renowned “Charging Bull” statue, also seen on Wall Street in New York City. The garden is also where you can join yoga in the mornings, watch a movie on the lawn, or take part in one of their seasonal pop-up bars.
The hotel also boasts two standout restaurants that draw a foodie-focused crowd from all over the state, plus nightlife options like the Champagne-fueled The Nectar Room.
What are the rooms like at Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
A tech lover’s—and lazy person’s—dream. Rooms are spacious and decked out with innovative amenities like Toto Neorest toilets (with heated seats that warm your bum), automated controls for blackout shades and lights, and smart-tinted windows that block UV rays. Not to harp on the toilets, but an unexpected warm seat after a long day of travel is pure decadence.
I’ve stayed at this hotel twice, in both a regular king room and a swanky one-bedroom suite, and both times I had an excellent night’s sleep, but if you can spring for the suite with a freestanding tub and separate living room, it’s worth it.
You might hear some street noise or planes flying overhead in certain rooms—I did, during the day in my king room—but it never disturbed my sleep.
What are the best things to eat and drink at Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
For a hotel that’s plopped in the middle of nowhere, the Lake Nona Wave Hotel boasts one of the strongest restaurant lineups in Orlando—maybe even in all of Florida.
The Michelin-recommended Bacán is easy on the eyes with oversized murals and dangling lights, and serves solid Latin American cuisine, but my heart (and stomach) belongs to Nami, a contemporary Japanese restaurant that’s discreetly tucked away in the back of the hotel. The dimly lit dining room—with its towering Japanese maple trees, undulating wood ceilings, and plush furnishings—sets the mood for a sultry date night or a memorable celebration.
I booked the Chef’s Counter experience, where I cozied up to a 10-seat counter in a private back room and watched Chef Jason and his small team orchestrate an 18-plus course culinary performance. This isn’t your standard omakase with different fish yet the same overall taste, nor a pretentious molecular food experiment that leaves you wondering what you just ate. Over three hours, the chef masterfully crafted small bites layered in unexpected flavors and influences from around the world, explaining how to eat each one. We kept calling each dish our “favorite” until the next one arrived and stole the title.
Everything from luxurious morsels like a beer-battered corn dog crowned with a half-ounce of caviar, to a Krug Champagne bathed ramen (king trumpet mushroom noodles), a tiny wagyu cheeseburger with a copy-cat In-N-Out sauce that was served in a paper box, and a foie gras cake pop on a stick. At $220 per person, it was worth every penny, especially if it’s for a special occasion—I sat next to a couple celebrating their anniversary who drove more than two hours from Tampa to enjoy the experience.
What is the service like at Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
Friendly and helpful. I had to ask the front desk several times for directions, and they were always helpful—even with funny anecdotes like “follow the red brick road” (which does, in fact, lead to the nearby gym at the Lake Nona Performance Club).
What are the gym and pool like at Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
The rooftop pool is bright and playful, with turquoise palm tree sculptures and colorful cabanas that you can rent to escape the sun. The day I was there, it was chilled with mostly couples sunbathing and sipping cocktails.
While the Wave has its own gym on property, one of the best guest perks is free access to the nearby Lake Nona Performance Club. It’s a two-story mecca of fitness, with a rock-climbing gym, pool and too many workout machines to count. It’s also the place where you can find the latest in wellness innovation.
I booked a 20-minute stint in the futuristic Ammortal Chamber, where I laid down on a zero-gravity bed, slipped on a nasal cannula to breathe in hydrogen, and let the machine bathe me in red light, PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic fields), vibration and sound therapy. It’s supposed to help improve mental clarity, athletic recovery and even lessen jetlag—and after a long day of travel, I left feeling like I had taken a rejuvenating nap.
What’s the area like around Lake Nona Wave Hotel?
Though the hotel is surrounded by fields (where you’ll spot cows grazing), it’s also within walking distance to Boxi Park, an open-air container park with food trucks and live entertainment. There are also a few good restaurants nearby, like Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen.
Why you should book a stay at Lake Nona Wave Hotel
If you’re ready to skip the usual Orlando vacation or want convenient access to the airport, the Lake Nona Wave Hotel is a joyful break from traditional hotel chains. With incredible dining outlets, rich programming and plenty of social spaces, this is the most fun you’ll have without visiting a theme park. And thanks to the wellness offerings, you might even feel better when you leave.
DETAILS
Address: Lake Nona Wave Hotel 6100 Wave Hotel Dr., Orlando, FL 32827
Price per night: Off-season rates start at $279, with peak season rates starting at $429
Closest transport: Orlando International Airport is a 15-minute drive.
Book now: via Booking.com
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