That Florida Hotel now is Mission Resort + Club, which features a tile mosaic of a smiling “Uncle Walt’’ on its second floor balcony. Mission Inn + Club has survived the “Disneyfication’’ of Central Florida and continues to be a popular Central Florida destination. Mission Resort + Club, acquired in 2023 by MMI Hotel Group from the Beucher family that had owned it since 1964, shows off the best of Lake County. Recently inducted into the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the resort, best known for its Spanish architecture, features a marina on Lake Harr, a spa, hiking trails, tennis, boat rentals, four restaurants and 176 hotel guest rooms, 131 deluxe rooms, 38 club suites, four onebedroom suites, two two-bedroom suites and one penthouse suite with three bedrooms. The resort’s Saturday Night Prime Rib and Seafood Fest at Nicker’s is popular with guests and locals alike. Mission Resort + Club also has 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Thanks in large part to its aforementioned Spanish architecture, the resort is a popular destination for weddings, family reunions and other get togethers. Mission Resort’s most popular calling card is its two golf courses, particularly El Campeon. Built by George O’ Neal in 1917, El Campeon is one of the older courses in the South. Its classic design features unusually sharp elevation changes not normally seen in the predominantly flat Florida terrain. It has hosted multiple high school, college and professional tournaments. In contrast, the Las Colinas course was created in 1992 by former PGA Tour winner and Florida native Gary Koch. Las Colinas is more player friendly, but it’s still a good challenge for most resort players. Both courses at Mission Resort + Club features undulating greens surrounded by tropical vegetation and incorporates large water hazards on several holes. If you survive El Campeon’s signature 17th hole that has a long double dogleg, consider it a good round.
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