One of the reasons people go to resorts is to have everything they need and want in one property – one stop vacationing, without having to leave if they don’t want to.  That’s certainly the case at Mission Resort + Club near Orlando, in Florida. The oasis is in Lake County, in a place called Howey-in-the-Hills. I had the opportunity to spend a few days there, as part of a ladies’ getaway with several other travel writers. We got to enjoy nearly every aspect of the Resort, from the food to spa to sports – and relaxation, of course. Here’s my Real Food Traveler Editor’s Pick guide to what awaits visitors to this special place.

Save this article to help you plan your own getaway to Mission Resort + Club in Florida. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Everything to Know to Plan a Perfect Getaway to Mission Resort + Club

WHAT IS IT?

It’s a property built in Spanish Colonial architecture with 176 guest rooms, suites and villas, two award-winning golf courses, a spa, three restaurants, pool, tennis and pickleball courts and around 30,000 square feet of event space all on more than 500 acres.

Examples of Spanish Colonial architecture abound at Mission Resort + Spa. Photos by Jimmy McDonough.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED?

The Resort is in Central Florida, in what’s known as the Hill Country, in an area called Howey-on-the-Hills (more on that below), about 35 minutes from Orlando.

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND MISSION RESORT + CLUB?

Okay, get ready because there’s an interesting path to what the place is today.

It all started in 1916 when a man named William Howey purchased 60,000 acres of Central Florida real estate with the vision of creating the world’s largest horticultural empire. His plan was to entice investors to buy land from him, upon which he would then cultivate citrus orchards. The whole operation would be professionally managed, and the profits would go back to the group of landowners.

The town Howey built was shaped by the citrus industry, helping to make Florida synonymous with oranges, in particular.

In 1917, Howey created El Campeón Golf Course and an inn. In 1925, Florida’s Governor signed the town charter of Howey officially making it Howey-in-the Hills to honor its founder. By 1927, Howey had built his beautiful, Spanish-style, five-bedroom Howey Manion, which can be toured.

William Howey’s Howey Mansion is a short drive from Mission Resort + Club. It can be toured on limited days and hours so arrange for that in advance.

Time passed and, in the mid-1960’s, a Chicago businessman named Nick Beucher read an ad in the Wall Street Journal about a Central Florida country club and golf course being for sale in the once-thriving area (the stock market crash, Great Depression and a major freeze had taken its toll). Beucher saw it as a dream project and the next move for his life and career. He would take the diamond in the rough and make it something glorious. Over the course of the next 50 years, that’s what Beucher did, adding lodging, a spa, marina and enhancing the golf offerings. The property was his creation for guests, family and friends. It was home to his own family which included six children.

In January 2023, Mississippi-based and family-run MMI Hospitality Group purchased the property, upgrading and enhancing everything from the furniture to the restaurant menus. Mission Resort + Club is now among the Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historical Preservation which has more than 300 properties on its list. To be part of the portfolio, a property must be listed on, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places.

See? Quite the story.

WHAT ARE THE GUESTROOMS LIKE?

There are 131 Deluxe rooms, 38 Club suites, two two-bedroom suites, four one-bedroom suites and one three-bedroom penthouse suite for a total of 176 guestroom options.

They are all non-smoking, have screened-in balconies that overlook the golf course, water views or the tennis courts. I recommend asking for a golf course view because it’s so pretty. But just know that there will be golfers there throughout the day as well as maintenance crews – still, it’s totally worth it for the pastoral landscape.

The bathrooms have marble and granite finishes and really nice toiletries. Our guestroom was spacious, with a comfortable bed, a closet and dresser, desk area and seating. We loved having the spacious balcony patio that had two chairs and a small table, perfect for enjoying with coffee in the morning or a glass of wine at night.

Each room has high-speed internet and there are covered walkways that connect the buildings and lead to the restaurants and event spaces.

One of the covered walkways and our guestroom and bathroom amenities. Photos by Jimmy McDonough.

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WHAT’S THE FOOD SCENE?

In a word, delicious! There are three restaurants, two lounges and a new poolside bar that has its own food and drink menu. With the new ownership has come a revamping of all of the menus with strong attention toward providing variety, local sourcing and a focus on doing things really well. Overseeing this effort is Dennis Riley, Food & Beverage Director whom we got to dine with on several occasions and who brought us some tasty welcome cocktails on our first evening there.

We were welcomed with a sunny mocktail that featured orange juice.

The three restaurants are La Hacienda which is open for breakfast and lunch as well as their popular Sunday Champagne Brunch. It has beautiful views of the fountain, water and golf course. During their regular breakfast service, you can order a la carte or from their buffet which has options from yogurt to made-to-order omelets to pancakes and breakfast meats. The Sunday brunch goes on and on and includes fresh seafood, prime rib and ham carving stations, salads, a variety of hot dishes and a dessert bar fit for royalty. It’s one of the most varied breakfast buffets I’ve seen and one of the most beautifully-presented.

The plentiful Sunday Champagne Brunch is a guest favorite.

Conquistador Bar + Restaurant is above La Hacienda and is open for lunch and dinner. Eat in the dining room or more casual bar area, both of which were recently redesigned, top to bottom and are very stylish. We had wonderful dinners there. My favorite dish was short ribs that were so tender I could have eaten them with a spoon (but didn’t because that would have looked silly).

The recently re-designed Conquistador Bar & Restaurant is a lovely place for lunch or dinner.

Grove House is a walk, bike or golf-cart-ride away, adjacent to the golf pro shop and the spa. We enjoyed salads and sandwiches there, cool glasses of iced tea and Arnold Palmers (naturally), with views of both El Campeón and Las Colinas golf courses. As a treat, our meal was served to us at a table set beneath a sprawling tree, on a patio that is often used for weddings. I can totally see why it’s such a popular spot for ceremonies.

A salad with grilled shrimp and a glass of iced tea enjoyed at the Grove House.

WHAT’S THE GOLF EXPERIENCE?

My personal golf experience is limited to one disastrous lesson when I was 14 and several embarrassing attempts at putt-putt golf. But I did get to ride along with one of my gal-pals on the trip, Abbey Algiers of Substack’s What I’d Rather Be Talking About, who is an avid golfer. We were on the Las Colinas (The Hills) fairways, one of the two courses at Mission.

The other golf course is El Campeón (The Champion), which is one of the oldest courses in the south. Both are four-star rated. El Campeón is especially beloved because of the various elevations and beauty of the course. Las Colinas is interesting because it meanders through the Las Colinas neighborhood that is associated with the Resort. Abbey, who would know, found the course interesting and challenging.

Mission Resort + Spa is known for its two award-winning golf courses. Golfer and friend, Abbey, left, found the Las Colinas course to be a good challenge.

Thankfully for me, Mission offers golf lessons which our group of ladies took advantage of. The lesson was fun and I learned some new skills which helped me take third place in our putting challenge. With more time and practice, I’d dare to put my new skills to work on one of the two beautiful courses. Before that time? Well, no one wants to see that.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AT MISSION RESORT + CLUB?

The El Corredor Fitness Center offers a variety of equipment for strength, cardio and weight workouts. Located in the clubhouse, adjacent to the spa and golf pro shop, guests can take a leisurely walk there from the guestrooms or call for a golf cart ride.

I was thrilled to see that Mission has tennis and pickleball courts. The in-house instructor, Cesar Villarroel, who has been with Mission for decades, gave our group a pickleball lesson. It was so much fun! I hadn’t played tennis for years but those skills came back to me quickly and were applied to the way pickleball is played.

We also experienced a Tai Chi lesson during our stay, standing between a fountain and a lake. What a setting for the rejuvenating, serene movements. Within our group, a few had never done Tai Chi and a few had. Our lesson was perfect for all levels and was only enhanced by our beautiful surroundings.

Mission has tennis and pickleball courts. Lessons are available too. Photo by Jimmy McDonough.

HOW’S THE SPA?

Talk about serenity, the Spa at Mission Resort + Club is in a 6200-square-foot facility. It offers manicure/pedicure, massage, facial and body wrap services. There are five private treatment rooms, two steam rooms, lounges, a Thai treatment room, couple’s suite for massage and facial treatments, and a spa shop.

Before our treatments, we all gathered in the ladies’ lounge where we had tea or water and got ourselves in the mindset to relax and relinquish to the treatments we were about to have. The other ladies in our group had either facials or full-body massages and raved about them. I had a shellac manicure, which doesn’t require sanding to remove. I felt very pampered and my manicure lasted more than three weeks, in perfect shape!

The Spa at Mission Resort + Club has many offerings.

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WHO IS A MISSION RESORT + CLUB GETAWAY GOOD FOR?

Is it too broad to say “anyone”? I’m tempted to anyway because Mission somehow manages to be as suitable for a getaway for couples, friends, families, celebrations and business meetings. The architecture, offerings and décor are not too “one thing” or another. It’s just nice and comfortable.

During the four days we were there, I saw a prom, a wedding, a convention and a family reunion. Our group of travel writers was made up of all women so that we could experience what it is like for a “girls’ getaway,” but I had also brought my husband along since we’d been on a cruise previously, making it a nice couple’s retreat too. But he did his own thing most of the time, proving Mission is also great for a solo retreat or remote work option. (Both of us worked while we were there, mostly while enjoying that balcony).

BONUS: Stay tuned for a Real Food Traveler Podcast conversation in which my husband and I talk about our different experiences at Mission, and off-property, providing a well-rounded view of a stay.

My “office” with a fantastic view from the balcony of my guestroom.

A WORD ABOUT FEELING SAFE THERE.

I’d like to elaborate on the girls’ and solo getaway aspect of staying at Mission Resort + Club. Because it’s a gated property, kind of in the middle of nowhere (but near the charming area of Howey-on-the-Hills), and because everything you could possibly need is there on the property, it’s a very safe place to be. As a woman, I felt safe walking around, stealing away on a lounge chair in a courtyard, or having a drink at the bar. My golf friend, Abbey, who likes to workout very early in the morning, appreciated that she could call on someone to drive her over to the fitness room on a golf cart. Frankly, she wasn’t concerned about any people, but she was a little wary of the fact that there are alligators on the property, hanging out in the lakes and ponds. We were told they are more afraid of humans than we are about them but, still, she didn’t want to have to get her exercise by running away from a gator! It’s very nice to not have to worry about “big city” concerns when traveling and to just be able to focus on relaxation and having a good time.

There are alligators in the waters, like this baby we saw.

WHERE CAN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT MISSION RESORT + SPA?

Visit the missionresortandclub.com website or call 800-874-9053 for more information about stays and event planning. You can book there or use your favorite reservation tool, here.

-Story and photos, except where noted, by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher + Managing Editor, RealFoodTraveler.com

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