Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Hotel at Walt Disney World; opened on June 28, 1988. This is one of the more elegant hostelries in Florida with its 800 plus rooms, each with ceiling fans and Victorian decor. The five-story lobby is a wonder to behold, with its stained-glass domes and shimmering chandeliers. In the center, a musician may be playing at a grand piano, or a small orchestra may be entertaining from the balcony. A choice of a grand staircase or an open-cage elevator leads upward to shops and restaurants. The most exclusive of the Walt Disney World dining rooms is located here, Victoria and Albert’s. An adjacent 27,037 square foot convention center opened in 1992. In 1997, the name was changed from the original Grand Floridian Beach Resort. An addition, the Villas at Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, with 106 units ranging from studios to grand villas, opened on October 23, 2013.
