Most Beautiful Disney-owned resort hotel in the world?

[Heppenheimer]

Sorry if I can't figure out how to make this into a poll...

Which hotel gets your vote, on visual aesthetics alone? It could be any hotel at any of the 6 major world-wide resorts, or one of the 3 stand-alone Vacation Club properties.

The Grand Californian and Wilderness Lodge run neck-and-neck with me, with perhaps a slight edge to the Grand Californian. Both hotels have a similar dark wood and stone construction that I find both cozy and majestic. The lobbies of both are breath-taking. Maybe the slightly more refined Arts and Crafts look of the Grand Californian gives it an edge, plus the amazing job the hotel does of almost completely keeping you inside the Disney bubble, despite being in the middle of Anaheim.

The Grand Floridian gets my honorable mention, for wonderfully evoking the Victorian splendor of Hotel del Coronado and the Mount Washington Hotel.

The Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Paris looks like it could top them all based on the pictures I've seen, but I've never seen it in person.

 

[Nottamus]

AKL Jambo for me. The wife and I visited our first trip....it was just amazing!

for us, nothing else comes close...

 

[Kevin_W]

AKL Jambo for me. The wife and I visited our first trip....it was just amazing!

for us, nothing else comes close...

Same here.

 

[Goodtimes]

Aulani all day long. Most beautiful and the best overall. Best pool, best spa, best rooms, best service. All of it is elevated and I wish they could bring the training and the aesthetic from Aulani to their other resorts.

 

[Hula Baloo]

Based on visual aesthetics alone and not factoring in amenities, location or convenience, I would say Wilderness Lodge is my favorite during Christmas/Winter and Grand Floridian is my favorite during Spring/Summer.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Poly used to put in a strong showing. But the lobby redesign and room refurb, while more modern - lost a lot of that Tiki vibe.

By far, I'd have to say AKL Jambo. So deeply themed and the resort is awe inspiring, and that's before the tiered bar, restaurants and Serengeti thrown in.

 

[goofy5380]

AKL by far....we have , this September will be our 10th time..just an awesome place

 

[wombat]

AKL by far....we have , this September will be our 10th time..just an awesome place

Nice to see you have not lost your appetite for trying something new

 

[Minnie Mum]

I'll take Tokyo Disney Sea Hotel Mira Costa for $1000 Alex. We couldn't afford to stay there, but OMG it was like being plunked down into the heart of an historic Italian city. The public areas are wonderful, and from the photos I've seen, so are the guest rooms.

 

[KCheatle]

Interior - I think Grand Floridian's main building is hard to top. There are so many beautiful, ornate details. It's hard not to get swept up in the whimsical magic of WDW when you're in there.

Exterior - Wilderness Lodge. You are so quickly transported to peace and nature there; such a polar opposite from the chaos of the parks. It was even better before the trees were removed by the lake for the reonvations. But, still, the landscaping, music, and just overall ambiance of the exterior or WL cannot be beat.

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

I'll take Tokyo Disney Sea Hotel Mira Costa for $1000 Alex. We couldn't afford to stay there, but OMG it was like being plunked down into the heart of an historic Italian city. The public areas are wonderful, and from the photos I've seen, so are the guest rooms.

The MiraCosta gets my vote too. Definitely the most beautiful exterior and interior I've seen among the Disney hotels.

 

[aleh021]

TOKYO DISNEYSEA HOTEL MIRA COSTA for the win

I'm sorry to the US parks but no other Disney hotel in the world can compare to this beauty.

Grateful I was able to stay here 2 nights last year. An experience I will never forget.

 

[Heppenheimer]

The MiraCosta gets my vote too. Definitely the most beautiful exterior and interior I've seen among the Disney hotels.

Wow! They knocked it out of the park with that one. The lobby looks like a Renaissance cathedral.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Sorry if I can't figure out how to make this into a poll...

Which hotel gets your vote, on visual aesthetics alone? It could be any hotel at any of the 6 major world-wide resorts, or one of the 3 stand-alone Vacation Club properties.

The Grand Californian and Wilderness Lodge run neck-and-neck with me, with perhaps a slight edge to the Grand Californian. Both hotels have a similar dark wood and stone construction that I find both cozy and majestic. The lobbies of both are breath-taking. Maybe the slightly more refined Arts and Crafts look of the Grand Californian gives it an edge, plus the amazing job the hotel does of almost completely keeping you inside the Disney bubble, despite being in the middle of Anaheim.

The Grand Floridian gets my honorable mention, for wonderfully evoking the Victorian splendor of Hotel del Coronado and the Mount Washington Hotel.

The Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Paris looks like it could top them all based on the pictures I've seen, but I've never seen it in person.

The lobby of wilderness lodge puts the grand Californian to shame...

So does DAKL...If we want to compare DOMINICK designs

 

[BoarderPhreak]

The Wilderness Lodge is a classic in its own right, no doubt. Perhaps a bit too rustic for some. Having visited its inspiration at Yellowstone, Old Faithful Inn... It's easy to see the parallels. Of course, over the holidays it really shines (pun intended).

 

[RandySavage]

The most beautiful Disney-owned is a toss-up for me: they have a number of greats... MircCosta, Grand Floridian (in its Halcyon days, before DVC wing, loss of white sand beach, etc.), Wilderness Lodge (in Halcyon days), DLP Hotel, Newport Bay, Beach Club, Poly (in Halcyon days, before DVC huts, lobby change and other downgrades), Grand Californian, etc.

But the most beautiful (or spectacular/most impressive) themed hotel, inclusive of Disney and non-Disney, in the world prize goes to South Africa's Palace of the Lost City:

 

[RandySavage]

The lobby of wilderness lodge puts the grand Californian to shame...

So does DAKL...If we want to compare Stern designs

You mean the great Peter Dominick. Stern was Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk/Newport Bay.

 

[DisneyAndUniversalFan]

Hotel MiraCosta for sure! Absolutely beautiful and literally inside of Tokyo DisneySea!! It’s also quite possibly the best Disney hotel in the world.

 

[Praying Mantis]

The Animal Kingdom Lodge has to be at my top followed The Wilderness Lodge Resort.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You mean the great Peter Dominick. Stern was Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk/Newport Bay.

Correct...rookie mistake on my part