With 18 floors and a whopping 1001 guest rooms, the Hilton Bonnet Creek is no intimate boutique hotel. However, the large public spaces and facilities means that guests should never feel like they're holidaying on top of one another. The hotel features a drive-up entrance and spacious lobby with large windows that overlook the swimming pool and nature reserve. Indeed, the latter was the inspiration for the hotel's earth-coloured décor. Meanwhile, warm tones such as mustard and antique gold feature in the lobby bar, where the seating spills out onto a large terrace. On the ground floor guests will find a gift shop that conveniently sells Disney tickets and sundries, while on the lower ground floor an excellent gym (well-equipped is an understatement) boasts floor to ceiling windows and state of the art machines for even the most dedicated athletes.

Kids and adults alike will delight in the three acre Florida style lagoon-like pool and lazy river with waterslide. The dive-in movie nights are particularly popular, but the recreation activities that take place in the daytime also draw a crowd (relays, water basketball, mini football, water Olympics, hula hoop, scavenger hunt, etc). For something a bit more laidback, borrow a good book from the concierge, or cruise down the lazy river on an inflatable tube.

Meanwhile, way up on the 16th floor, the Virgin Lounge is not only exclusive to guests of Virgin Holidays but a first in North America. The bright chill-out space features comfy couches, a foosball table, Wii console, huge flat screen TV, Mac computers and a small library of books and magazines.

The food and drink options at the hotel are varied and out of all the Hilton hotels (there are some 5,000 worldwide), it was the Hilton Bonnet Creek that won the award for best food and beverage. With several dining options, including the famed La Luce by Donna Scala restaurant, it's no wonder. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the Harvest Bistro, a casual 'farm to fork' establishment that places emphasis on unpretentious American classics. The copious breakfast spread is particularly impressive, with everything you could possibly desire whether your prefer sweet or savoury before midday, or both! At Harvest Bistro, the Kids Eat Free promotion means that children aged 12 and under eat free everyday (breakfast and dinner) for every adult main purchased.

Muse café is found just off the lobby and creates divine pastries and cakes, while the Zeta Bar is more of a traditional bar with various theme nights. The lobby bar is popular too, but on a sunny day it's best to head down to Beech, the poolside bar that offers snacks, light meals and frozen cocktails.

Finally, for fine dining by night, La Luce by Donna Scala is a modern Italian restaurant placing emphasis on simple dishes made from quality ingredients, with Napa Valley celebrity chef Donna Scala at the helm. Open during the evenings only, there's a great wine list, just-right lighting, and waiters who are not only efficient but know what they're talking about. The dishes, from the fritto misto platter of calamari, rock shrimp and spicy green beans, to the paccheri con Bolognese (classic meat and duck ragu with aged provolone cheese and fried sage) are delicious and served generously.

It couldn't be any easier to get to Disney's Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios etc; a free shuttle service operates approximately every 30 minutes during park opening hours.

Guests of the Hilton Bonnet Creek may use the dining and some leisure facilities (charges may apply) at its neighbouring sister hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando. These include the WA Kids children's programme, the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club (18 hole golf course) and the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain.