Lake Nona’s Hidden Gem for Tennis Travelers

Matt Pressman, editor of Florida Tennis Magazine, was back in Lake Nona for another busy tennis weekend. “It’s probably my third time staying here and I absolutely adore staying in this hotel,” he said while catching up at the Hampton Inn & Home2 Suites. The weekend included visits with the ATA, USTA, and USTA Florida and RSPA—just a few of the organizations with a presence in the area.

Kimberly Denmead, part of the hotel team, explained that tennis travelers get a special rate: “USTA has a booking link that offers 18% off for anybody that comes in, whether they're coming in and play tennis in a tournament or they're just coming down to come to the area itself.” She added, “We're about 8 miles from USTA, and about 30 miles or 30 minutes from Disney.”

The hotel’s proximity to the USTA National Campus is part of what makes it a common choice. The hotel also works with teams and officials. “We work together with UF as the UF Gators and also the University of Central Florida… We get a lot of tennis teams that come and play,” she noted. “We do a lot of the referees and judges as well.” They also coordinate with the RSPA, depending on the tournament schedule.

Breakfast and fitness are a big draw for athletic guests. “One main thing is we have a phenomenal breakfast. Anything that you could ever want is on that breakfast,” Kim said. “You have the Hampton standard and then you have the Home2 standard breakfast… it combines both of them.” The hotel’s gym is also larger than most. “Everybody just loves that gym because it's one of the largest ones that hotels have,” she added. “You can also do your laundry in there while you're working out.”

The building is a dual-brand hotel under the Hilton umbrella—split between Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites. “The Hampton Inn is a standard Hampton Inn with two queen beds or one king,” Kim explained. “Home2 is all suites… a full complete kitchen.” She added, “If they wanted to stay for a longer period or even on a weekend and they want to be able to cook in their room or they have a special diet… they can cook their own food.” Pressman noted the convenience: “If you go out to eat… and you have leftovers, you pop them in the fridge and you can heat them up in the microwave.” With Publix around the corner, Kim added, “Great refrigerator for whatever your drinks are for the week too.”

The neighborhood offers options for recovery and fitness. “Right around the corner from this facility is Restore Cryotherapy and Hyper Wellness, which has hyperbaric chambers, red light therapy, cryotherapy, IV drips,” Pressman said. “A lot of really serious tennis players like to recover really well.” He mentioned some of the nearby food spots too. “I know I’ve been to Talking Tacos across the street… Gone to Bolay… There’s sushi right around the corner.” Kim noted, “Now that we just opened a Walgreens across the street too… if you need anything from Walgreens as well, it’s directly there.”

There’s also room for teams to gather. “A lot of teams will come down and they want to get together,” Kim said. “They can all meet in the morning and talk about their day.” She pointed out that there’s a quieter living room-style area and a pool with space to grill.

Kim wrapped things up by saying, “We’re just a quick drive away from USTA or downtown Lake Nona or even to Disney.”

The Hampton Inn & Home2 Suites has definitely become a familiar stop for tennis travelers coming through Lake Nona.

Exclusive Video

===

Written by Assistant Editor Alex Binstok.