The Lake Nona Wave Hotel opened in December 2021 with 216 guest rooms, 16 one-bedroom suites, two penthouse suites, two restaurants, and a pool club. Its gorgeous Living Room Bar has already become the hangout of choice for posh Lake Nona residents and nearby conference attendees. In April, my husband and I booked a one night staycation at the Wave Hotel to see what all the buzz was about.

Where is Lake Nona?

Lake Nona is a master-planned community on the east side of Orlando. With a focus on wellness (including the 130,000 square-foot Lake Nona Performance Club with Deepak Chopra Mind Body Zone), integrated technology (3D printed driverless electric shuttles), and community-wide 5G and fiber-optic wifi, Lake Nona is quite futuristic. Although it could be described as a suburb, the Lake Nona zip code is well within City of Orlando limits. Because my husband is an airline pilot, its proximity to the international airport makes it a great location for us to live. Lake Nona is home to Nemours Children’s Hospital, the University of Central Florida medical school and teaching hospital, the University of Florida pharmaceutical school, and other world-class medical facilities, as well as the headquarters of the US Tennis Association, KPMG’s world training headquarters, and soon, corporate offices for The Walt Disney Company. There’s a Top Golf driving range, water park and ropes course, and a town center. There are plans for the construction of a movie theater and bowling alley. With all this development, it’s no wonder that the developers chose to build the Wave Hotel.

First impressions

The drive up to the 17-story hotel is immaculately landscaped with tropical plants, and the building’s curved glass silhouette is inspired by a wavelength of energy. Immediately upon entering the main lobby, the ambience is stunning – I notice lots of unique art and great music. Check-in is quick and easy, and when the elevator doors open, we come face to face with a colorful mural painted on the interior walls. It doesn’t take long for us to reach our floor, and as we walk to our room, we pass through a glass hallway with views of Lake Nona on either side. The entire feel of the floor is open, bright, and cheerful.

Magic’s in the details: our room

Our standard king room is on the 15th floor, and the moment we open the door to our room, we are wowed. The far wall is made entirely of glass, so we can gaze out over the Lake Nona area and down at the hotel’s expertly-curated sculpture garden. The decor is innovative, colorful, and quirky, but not off-putting. From the carpet, to the furniture, to the lighting, everything is impeccably done. Beyond appearances, you can tell that whoever designed the space took time to consider function and comfort in every detail.

The room has everything you could desire – a small seating area, comfortable bed, tv, plenty of pace to unpack and store items – but it’s the extra small touches that really elevate the experience. The blinds open and close with the touch of a button; thought we don’t use it, because the smart tinting on the windows darkens the room at night and lightens in the morning. Motion-activated footpath lights make evening walks across the room (to the self-flushing, seat-heated Japanese toilet!) a breeze. There’s a sweet little coffee bar tucked next to the tv and mini fridge with a Nespresso machine, bottled water, sugar, creamer, and nice cups and spoons.

Dining at the Wave Hotel

After checking out our room, we grab our books and head upstairs to enjoy the last couple hours of afternoon sun on the pool deck. We each order a cocktail, and split an appetizer. Although it’s pricey, it’s beautifully presented and tasty. And, we are on vacation, after all.

At sunset, we stroll through the sculpture garden before checking in for our dinner reservation at BACAN, the property’s stunningly-decorated Latin-fusion restaurant. I am surprised that there are very limited vegetarian (and virtually no vegan) dining options. There are also no no zero-proof cocktails on the menu. Still, everything we order is expertly prepared, beautifully plated, and swiftly served (the waitstaff is assisted by a cute food delivery robot).

The next morning, we decide to have breakfast at HAVEN Kitchen, adjacent to the pool deck. It is a very trendy looking venue, all velvet chairs and faux plant walls and hanging lamps with tassels. My mind immediately goes to how much dust the decor will collect. We order acai bows and a side of $7 toast. Neither the bread nor jam appears to be made in house. We are unclear what justifies the hefty price tag. The acai bowls arrive, and are beautifully plated, but much too sweet for my taste. The one saving grace is the unlimited coffee refills.

What we loved

The Wave Hotel is definitely the most modern, high-tech property I’ve been to in Orlando, with several standout features like the ones listed below.

The hotel features a “goodnight library” of available books for children, written by authors from historically marginalized communities, with an emphasis on social justice.

In place of standard lobby music, the Wave Hotel has live music in the Living Room (lobby) bar.

The employees all seem like they’re having a good time working there. We had several happy exchanges with hotel staff.

In the evening, the sculpture garden is illuminated and filled with music – perfect for a romantic stroll.

The pool deck definitely gives Cali or Vegas pool-party vibes, with its colorful cabanas and fancy cocktail menu. When we went, pool cabanas were first come, first serve; however, we were told that they will carry a hefty fee with the opening of HAVEN Lounge (a night club).

Hotel guests receive complimentary access to the Lake Nona Performance Club and discounts on massages at the Deepak Chopra Mind-Body Zone. The “Revive to Thrive” massage is heavenly, especially when followed by time in the sauna and steam room.

High speed free wifi is available throughout the property for everyone, without the need for a password.

What we didn’t love

The Lake Nona Wave Hotel is stylish, immaculate – it is, as the kids are saying nowadays, “chef’s kiss.” Everything makes sense, except… where it doesn’t:

The hotel has some kinks to work out with the booking system. I didn’t receive a confirmation email, and customer service had a hard time finding my reservation.

Staff are still learning the ins-and-outs of the hotel, and not all were familiar with the basics (like the location of the nearest bathroom at the pool).

For a trendy hotel in a high-tech/sustainable community, I was disappointed that the rooms feature single-use toiletries in plastic bottles.

This hotel would benefit from a coffee shop in the lobby. Interestingly, on the American Express Travel website, the Wave Hotel is described as having a coffee shop/cafe. When I reached out to Amex, the agent told me that the description came right from the hotel. Another little kink to work out, I suppose.

Who should stay at The Wave Hotel?

To be honest, I’m not sure who the property’s target demographic is (and neither was one of the employees we spoke with). However, we really enjoyed our stay and have recommended it to all of our friends and family who plan to visit us! Perhaps that’s the plan, then? As Lake Nona’s residential and business real estate continues to evolve, visitors will be spending more time on the East side of Orlando. The Wave Hotel is a sleek, comfortable place for those visitors to shack up.