ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes has launched Ritz Kids’ newest experience—the Ritz Kids Badge Program. Children ages 4-12 are invited to participate in the new initiative, offering an opportunity to embark on a number of adventures at the 500-acre Grande Lakes Orlando resort, which also includes a JW Marriott hotel, a Ritz-Carlton Spa and an 18-hole golf course amongst other experiences.
The new Ritz Kids Badge Program features a series of challenges in and around the property, all designed to encourage little ones to celebrate their innate curiosity and sense of adventure. Following completion of the first, mandatory challenge—known as the “Grande Lakes scavenger hunt”—kids will be awarded a Ritz Kids backpack or T-shirt to wear through the remaining 23 challenges, which are to be completed in any order they want. The program includes a range of exciting activities, from embarking on a kayak eco-tour or Sunrise Safari and partaking in a Surrey Bike excursion to speed boat racing and visiting the Ritz Kids garden to meet the resort’s chickens. Guests of The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels can take advantage of the many family activities at Grande Lakes Orlando through participating in the program, including fishing, bird watching, golfing and more.
The program works as follows:
- Once the child has met the requirements of each specific challenge, they are eligible to collect a “button” for that successfully completed activity
- After 12 “buttons,” a child receives a Ritz-Carlton plush lion and certificate
- After 24 “buttons,” the child becomes “Honorary General Manager for a Day” which includes a customary jacket, nametag, pin, ID, and lunch with the General Manager, Chef or Hotel Manager
- 12 of the challenges occur every day, while 12 are exclusive and only awarded seasonally, offering the opportunity to keep the fun going and get little ones excited for their return visit to the resort
Ritz Kids at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes offers children the opportunity to become fully immersed in Florida’s rich history and biodiversity. The journey starts at check-in, when little ones begin their quest to learn more about the unexpected history of central Florida and the footprints it has left on the region. This new Ritz Kids component furthers the brand’s commitment to Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, which invites little ones to discover adventure and exploration through four pillars: water, land, environmental responsibility and culture. Positioned at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, the resort provides families the chance to experience a taste of Old Florida. Orlando may have evolved into a bustling metropolis, but the Everglades remain an unparalleled landscape and the “largest subtropical wilderness” in the United States.
About Grande Lakes Orlando
The 500-acre Grande Lakes Orlando estate features a 582-room Ritz-Carlton and 1,000-room JW Marriott hotel situated at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. Guests at both hotels can enjoy all the facilities and services at Grande Lakes Orlando, including an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course and the 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa as well as three pools including the winding lazy river at JW Marriott. Dining options feature the culinary mastery of award-winning chefs Norman Van Aken with Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton and Melissa Kelly with PRIMO at JW Marriott, a leader in the city’s farm-to-fork movement. The resort’s renowned culinary program is further showcased at The Kitchen at JW Marriott Orlando and Highball & Harvest at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, as well as The Brewery, an on-property nano-brewery and Chef’s Table. Furthering this farm-to-fork commitment are the on-site apiaries and 18,000-square-foot Whisper Creek Farm.
On-property activities include Grande Lakes Sports activities like biking, kayaking, eco-tours on Shingle Creek, fishing, and more. Conference and meeting attendees have their pick of a selection of meeting space options located across 150,000 square feet that connects the two properties plus more than 100,000 square feet of outdoor space.
Grande Lakes is located 15 minutes from the Orlando International Airport, five minutes from the Orange County Convention Center and minutes from the major theme parks. For more information about Grande Lakes Orlando, visit www.grandelakes.com. Follow Grande Lakes Orlando on Twitter at @RC_Orlando and @JW_Orlando.
About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates more than 90 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. For more information or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com, for the latest company updates, visit news.ritzcarlton.com and join the live conversation, #RCMemories. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/011e0764-50a6-4a9c-a673-950b16a7c8b8