After visiting Orlando a few times, you start to realize that the process of building a hotel here is a bit different from other cities.

Hotels with a few hundred rooms are considered quite large, but here, you need to have over 1,000 rooms to think, "Ah, this is a big hotel." Among them, the Orlando World Center Marriott and Rosen Shingle Creek are often mentioned for their size.

First, the Orlando World Center Marriott makes you wonder, "Is this a hotel or a small city?" It's a massive resort with over 2,000 rooms and is close to Walt Disney World, making it a popular choice for family travelers. However, it's not just a hotel for Disney tourists. It also hosts significant conventions and corporate events, so when you go down to the lobby, you can see people with event badges rushing by while kids in swimsuits run around, creating an amusing scene.

The facilities are spacious, as you would expect from a resort. There's golf, several restaurants, and a spa, and the pool area is particularly famous. With water slides and play areas, families with kids can find plenty to do without needing to leave the hotel all day. After a tiring day at Disney, it's a great place to just relax.

However, large hotels come with their own drawbacks. If your room is poorly located, walking from the elevator to your room can be quite a trek. You might find yourself wandering the halls wondering, "Where is my room?" During check-in times, if there are large groups, the lobby can get quite crowded. On days that coincide with major conventions, room prices can also rise significantly, so it's wise to compare prices a few days before deciding on your travel dates.

Rosen Shingle Creek has a slightly different atmosphere. It's a flagship large hotel of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, which originated in Orlando, with over 1,500 rooms. It's also close to the Orange County Convention Center, making it popular among corporate event attendees and conference participants.

In my view, while the World Center Marriott has a stronger family resort vibe, Rosen Shingle Creek offers a more subdued convention resort atmosphere. There's plenty of greenery around, and with the Shingle Creek Golf Club nearby, the view from the windows gives a typical Florida resort feel. It also has a pool, spa, and several restaurants, making it a good option for those attending conventions who want to take a day to relax.

One thing to note is that having four golf courses doesn't mean they are all separate. You can think of the 18-hole course at Shingle Creek Golf Club as being right next to the hotel. Given the size of the hotel itself, when combined with the golf course, it feels like one massive resort complex.

Getting to either hotel from the airport is easy if you use a rental car, Uber, or Lyft. However, don't assume there will be a free shuttle from the hotel to the airport. It's safer to check with the hotel about shuttle availability and costs before making a reservation.

It's hard to say that one of the two is definitively better. If you want to enjoy resort facilities while traveling with kids to Disney, the World Center Marriott stands out, while if you want a quieter stay that includes attending conventions or golfing, Rosen Shingle Creek might be a better fit.

When you first arrive in Orlando and see these hotels, you're amazed by their size, and then you're surprised again as you walk from the parking lot to your room. But after a few days, it all makes sense. This city attracts countless tourists and convention visitors every year, which is why the hotels have grown so large. They are big and glamorous, providing everything from dining and sleeping to entertainment and meetings all in one place. This seems to be a hallmark of Orlando's hotel culture.