One of the BEST Hotels in Orlando Is in Disney World — Have You Stayed Here?

An influential list of the world’s “best” hotels has been released, and it seems like Disney has some work to do!

In February 2025, U.S. News & World Report released its latest list of the world’s best hotels, including the best hotels in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The lists, which mark the 15th consecutive year that the outlet has published these rankings, “highlight more than 31,000 hotels across more than 400 destinations to help travelers find the hotel that suits their needs.”

For 2025, the top 5 Best Hotels in the U.S. according to U.S. News & World Report are:

1. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (Big Island, Hawaii)
2. Acqualina Resort & Residences On The Beach (Sunny Isles Beach, Florida)
3. Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort (Big Island, Hawaii)
4. The Ritz-Carlton New York (New York, New York)
5. The Little Nell (Aspen, Colorado)

The Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort was ranked the number one Best Resort and number one Best Hotel in Walt Disney World for the 11th year in a row!

While it’s perhaps not surprising or alarming that no Disney-owned hotel made the overall Top 50, (though the Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World did come in at #26, a slip from its 2024 placement), things get somewhat more concerning for Disney when one looks at U.S. News & World Report specific Orlando list for 2025.

The first Disney-owned hotel doesn’t appear on the Orlando list until the Animal Kingdom Lodge appears at #28.

This is in stark contrast to Universal, whose hotels were ranked (Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at #13, Loews Royal Pacific Resort at #15, Hard Rock Hotel at #18, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at #24) all before the first Disney-owned entry.

In addition, the Walt Disney World Swan — which is located on Disney World property but not owned or operated by the company — also finished above any Disney-owned hotel in Orlando, coming at #24.

It’s one thing for Disney to make the overall Top 50, but it’s arguably quite another for them to be so soundly beaten by their competition on their own turf, as it were. Stay tuned to AllEars for further coverage of the hotel industry.

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What’s your favorite hotel in Orlando? Let us know in the comments below.