RITZ-CARLTON & MARRIOTT celebrated the 4 July holiday weekend with the opening of the Grande Lakes Orlando, two linked hotels on a 500 acre site costing nearly $600m to build. The Ritz-Carlton Italian themed has 584 rooms whilst the JW Marriott has 1,000 rooms and is designed with Spanish and Moorish influences. Complementing these two grand structures is an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course and a 40,000 square-foot spa. There are four ballrooms and numerous meeting rooms and conference facilities within the complex. Grande Lakes offers complimentary shuttle transportation to Orlando theme parks, including Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Discovery Cove. The resort is located 15 minutes from Orlando International Airport, five minutes from the Orlando/Orange County Convention Centre, and minutes from most of the major theme parks. http://www.grandelakes.com