TOPS'L Resort
Top 10 U.S. Tennis Resort Tennis pkgs: 888-248-4964
www.topsl.com
Longboat Key Club/Resort
On Florida's SW coast;home of New 20-court Tennis Gardens
www.longboatkeyclub.com
Here's what others have had to say about Grand Cypress Resort and Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.
"This is a great tennis destination. Not too big, not too small, and lots of individual attention. Lynn Bottger is outstanding. She will work to fit you in to whatever drills, matches, or other activities they have going on. She'll also find you a hitting partner, either from the local players or from someone else at the resort. Even though there are lots of options, local people who live in Orlando play here. When I'm in Orlando, even if I am not staying at this resort, I still drop by to play tennis at this friendly, professional facility (although if I can, I like staying at the hotel. It's got great walking trails and pools)."—L.G., Low Int., April 2010
"My family and I had one of the best vacations we've ever had at the Grand Cypress Resort and Racquet Club. Lynn Bottger was especially great to work with because: 1)She customized a tennis program for us that addressed the strokes we wanted to work on and worked around our vacation schedule. 2)During the lessons, she took apart my groundstroke to eliminate the bad habits (and tennis elbow pain) I had developed over the years- something that no other coach I've ever been to in the past has taken the time to do. 3)She got my kids (age 4 and 6) excited about tennis and beginning to hit the ball with a proper groundstroke (from low to high!) I highly recommend Grand Cypress."—B.B., Int., April 2010
"Excellent private lessons given by pro Lynn Bottger. My husband and I were part of a family trip to Disney World. Each morning we took an hour and half lesson with Lynn. Lessons fine-tuned to our individual needs were both demanding and fun and made a huge impact on my play! Next time I'm in Orlando, I'm on the courts with Lynn!"—A.K., Int., April 2010
"The tennis facilities at Grand Cypress Resort are great. More importantly, Lynn Bottger is an exceptional tennis instructor. Lynn worked with my two daughters (ages 6 and 9) and my wife for 5 days. I saw tremendous improvement in everyone's game. My family had a wonderful experience!"—J.L., Adv. Int., April 2010
"While on a short vacation in the Orlando area I had the distinct pleasure of taking two lessons with Lynn Bottger, the head pro. Lynn was spot on in identifying a facet of my game that needed improvement almost immediately. Now, with my many weaknesses that’s not surprising. What was remarkable was that she guided my play to create a tremendous improvement in that weakness in the two hours that I spent with her. It was, without a doubt, the largest and quickest improvement in my game. Lynn is also a very warm and friendly person with whom you feel an instant rapport. I do look forward to returning to Orlando just to be under her tutelage again soon!"—K.R., Int., April 2010
"Lynn Bottger and the facilities at Grand Cypress are amazing. I've had lessons from many pros and Lynn was exceptional. She has a great eye for areas to improve and can teach to your skill level, while at the same time setting you up for longer term improvements. She was one of the best pros I've ever worked with."—A.K., Int., April 2010
"The facilites are great, the courts are in great shape all the time, the instruction is top notch."—C.W., Adv., April 2010
"Lynn is an amazingly intuative instructor. She is an expert in breaking down my strokes and helping me improve the various pieces. She also loves the fame and it's always a pleasure swaping stories and experiences. Whenever I seriously want to eaise my game, I go see Lynn Bottger at the Grand Cypress Resort."—L.H., Int., April 2010
"Lynn Bottger, the Head Pro, is an exceptional teaching professional. She analyzed the weak points in my game and broke it down to its most basic level. As a result, I have seen a major difference in my serves and my backhand, both of which needed major work. My 8 yr. old son too enjoyed Lynn's lessons and wants to go back. We are looking forward to another visit with Lynn."—M.A., Adv. Int., April 2010
"First class tennis facility with terrfic instruction. I'm a local and go there regularly for clinics. I would highly recommend it."—S.A., Adv. Int., April 2010
"Extremely family friendly and first rate teaching. The lead pro designed a custom schedule for us that included lessons for my wife and I as well as my two kids. We were invited to the regular round robin sessions with locals and were made very welcome. Lessons were very focused on development areas ased upon a detailed discussion up front. All in all a great experience."—S.B., Int., April 2010
"We are not Disney people, so to get us to Orlando took a special reason. We had heard that the Pro was exceptional and risked five days in chain restaurant hell to check it out. Lynn, The Head Pro, made the entire trip worthwhile. She is a true "teaching professional". She understands how to analyze your game, identify what needs to be improved, how to improve it and how to make it stick.
Our experience was anything but the usual "this is a forehand....this is a backhand..." mentality of most places. The resort itself is beautiful. We stayed in a lovely villa which overlooked a small lake and the golf course. There was a nice restaurant (Hemingways) on the property and the Golf Club restaurant had a good selection of salads, burgers and sandwiches. The resort staff was extremely well trained and helpful."—K.B., Adv. Int., October 2009
Rate Grand Cypress Resort or Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Within sight of Walt Disney World but removed from the mania, the Grand Cypress Resort encompasses 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus golf, 
a Jack Nicklaus Golf School, an attractive tennis club with hard and clay courts, a 21-acre lake, and an equestrian center. Guest bed down either in the 750-room Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress or the spacious 1-to-4-bedroom kitchen-equipped Villas of Grand Cypress near the golf school and equestrian center. This Hyatt is a behemoth of a hotel that can be overrun by conventioneers but affords some compensation in its elaborate half-acre pool, half dozen good to excellent restaurants, its spa and fitness center, and a well-run kids' program.
Lynn Bottger, who's from Massachusetts and played tennis for Bowdoin College in Maine (her degrees were education and psychology), has taught at Grand Cypress since 1990. She and her staff manage a dozen courts—8 clay and 4 Decoturf II—one of them a stadium, five with lights, and all individually fenced. Game matching has a high priority (there are locals to draw on if other hotel or villa guests aren't available) as are private and semi-private lessons and an individually tailored tennis academy. The facility also hosts the National 90s Hardcourt Championships each April.
Golf Courses. Grand Cypress Resort has 45 holes of golf—the North, South, and East nines and what's being called the New Course, an 18-hole layout reminiscent of Scottish links—all designed by Jack Nicklaus. It also Grand Cypress Golf Academy, directed by Fred Griffin with three holes that Nicklaus laid out specifically for instruction, practice, and play.
Spa & Fitness Center. The hotel has a modest spa and relatively well-equipped fitness center.
And ... The resort has an Equestrian Center that offers trails rides and both English and Western instruction. There are jogging paths and bike trails around the property, and a 21-acre lake with a man-made beach.
The hotel offers a Camp Hyatt program for 5 to 12 year olds.
Accommodations at the Hyatt range from 360-square-foot guestrooms with private balconies and lake, pool, or garden views to VIP suites. Villa lodging ranges from 750-square-foot Club Suites with a master bedroom and separate living room with pullout sofa all the way up to fully-equipped four-bedroom villas.
Between the hotel and villas, there are seven restaurants on property, ranging from the upscale Chef's Table and monthly wine dinners at La Coquina to burgers and pizza at the Palm Cafe.
If the Grand Cypress Resort appeals to you, also check out:
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
Rates on request.
The Villas of Grand Cypress
Options range from Club Suites to 4-bedroom villas. See their website for a complete overview of layouts and rates.
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. The hotel is 18 miles from Orlando International Airport. From the airport, take Rt. 528/Beeline Expressway west to I-4 West toward Tampa. Take Exit 27/Lake Buena Vista and turn right at the light onto Route 535. Continue to the second light, turn left and at the next light turn left again into the Grand Cypress Resort entrance.
General Tourist Information. For general information about travel in this part of Florida, visit the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau website or contact them at 6700 Forum Dr., Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32821-8087. Phone: 407-363-5872 or 800-646-2087.