A 17-story "living room" for Orlando's smart city — here's what makes the Wave worth knowing, whether you're visiting or thinking about moving to Lake Nona.
The Lake Nona Wave Hotel is a 17-story luxury lifestyle hotel in Lake Nona Town Center in southeast Orlando, FL, developed by Tavistock Development Company and opened in December 2021. It is the tallest building in Lake Nona and has 234 guest rooms and suites, floor-to-ceiling View smart windows, and a contemporary art program of roughly 500 works plus a 50,000-square-foot sculpture garden. The hotel sits about 10 minutes from Orlando International Airport and 25 minutes from downtown Orlando. Its three restaurants are BACÁN (Michelin-recommended), Nami (Japanese), and Garni Cafe (French).
So you've seen the theme-park resorts and the International Drive high-rises. But here's something most people moving to Orlando don't realize: one of the most talked-about hotels in the metro isn't anywhere near Disney. It's a curved-glass tower by the airport, and locals treat it less like a hotel and more like their neighborhood clubhouse.
Meet the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, the 17-story centerpiece of Lake Nona. Tavistock, the developer behind the whole community, calls it "the living room of Lake Nona" — and that framing matters, because you don't need to book a room to use it. The restaurants, bars, and sculpture garden are open to anyone. Here's our take on what the Wave actually is, what's real about the hype, and who it's really for.
What the Wave Hotel Actually Is
Opened in December 2021, the Wave is a 17-story luxury lifestyle hotel and, for now, the tallest building in Lake Nona. Its undulating façade of curved glass is meant to evoke a wavelength of energy — hence the name — and it sits right in Lake Nona Town Center, the walkable heart of the community.
By the numbers, it has 234 guest rooms and suites (including two penthouses), a rooftop pool deck, meeting space, and three restaurants. Location is a big part of the appeal: it's about a 10-minute drive from Orlando International Airport and roughly 25 minutes from Downtown Orlando — Lake Nona sits closer to MCO than almost any other major master-planned community in the metro.
The "Smartest Hotel in the World"? The Tech, Honestly
Let's be real about the marketing. The Wave has been billed by outlets like Travel + Leisure as one of the most technologically advanced hotels on the planet, and Tavistock leans hard into that claim. It's a press superlative, not a scientific ranking — but the tech underneath it is genuinely unusual for a hotel.
Every room has floor-to-ceiling View smart windows that use AI to tint automatically, blocking up to 99% of UV light with no blinds required (the company claims this helps guests sleep better). Rooms also feature TOTO smart toilets, voice- and app-controlled lighting and shades, in-room tablets, and keyless entry through the Wave app. Down in the restaurants, you might get a drink delivered by Rosie, a retro-styled robot server that navigates with LIDAR — and out front, the community's autonomous Move Nona shuttles are part of Lake Nona's broader "smart city" experiment.
The stated goal is technology that improves daily life rather than tech for its own sake. Whether that reads as impressive or gimmicky is a matter of taste — but it's a different experience than a standard chain hotel.
A Hotel That Doubles as an Art Gallery
Here's where the Wave earns its reputation. The property holds a contemporary art collection of roughly 500 works, and it's woven into the building rather than hung as an afterthought. The lobby — the "Living Room" — is anchored by a wall of around 300 pieces and a kinetic sculpture above the front desk that shifts in color and form throughout the day. Upstairs, kaleidoscopic palettes, custom furniture, and Italian porcelain tile carry the theme up the walls.
Outside, the 50,000-square-foot sculpture garden pulls in world-renowned works and doubles as a public gathering space — genuinely worth a stroll, day or night. Because it's a landmark in its own right, we've given it its own deep dive in our Lake Nona Sculpture Garden guide, and the community's most photographed piece gets our Story Behind Beacon article. Explore more in our comprehensive Lake Nona arts and culture guide.
Where to Eat and Drink
The food and drink program is a big reason locals show up. There are three restaurants, and the lineup has evolved since opening, so here's the current roster:
- BACÁN — the signature restaurant, a Michelin-recommended concept built around flavors of the Americas with a dramatic open kitchen. Think lobster-and-burrata tostadas and birria-style short ribs.
- Nami — a contemporary Japanese restaurant with European touches and a chef's counter for a multi-course omakase experience.
- Garni Cafe — a French-inspired, all-day spot in a botanical-themed room that opened in 2025 (replacing the original Haven Kitchen), serving breakfast through dinner and the pool deck.
Add in the Living Room Bar and other lounges, and the Wave becomes a full night out. Rooftop drinks and live music are part of the draw — we cover the after-dark scene in our Lake Nona live music and nightlife guide. More in our Lake Nona restaurants and dining guide.
Why Residents Care (Not Just Hotel Guests)
This is the part that matters if you're thinking about living nearby. Overnight guests get complimentary access to the 130,000-square-foot Lake Nona Performance Club, including its Deepak Chopra Mind-Body Zone — a perk we break down in our Lake Nona Performance Club guide and our Lake Nona sports and athletics guide.
The hotel sits steps from the rest of Town Center's shops (our Lake Nona Town Center guide and Lake Nona shopping guide) and hosts a weekly calendar of garden yoga, wine tastings, and markets — see our Lake Nona entertainment guide. And because the community is built on Medical City, the Wave is a convenient base for patients, families, and visiting medical staff — more in our Lake Nona health and wellness guide.
The Honest Take: Who the Wave Is For
Now let's address the elephant in the room: this is a high-end property, and rooms and dining run steep. Worth knowing before you plan around it.
The Wave is a great fit if you're:
- A business traveler with meetings in Medical City or the surrounding office parks
- Visiting family or friends who live in Lake Nona and want to stay close
- A local looking for date night, a special-occasion dinner, or a design-forward staycation
- Someone who genuinely enjoys art, architecture, and gadgetry as part of the experience
Look elsewhere if you're:
- Traveling on a budget — this is not a value play
- Wanting a theme-park-adjacent base (the parks are 25-30 minutes west)
- Bringing young kids and hoping for a splash-pad resort vibe
One honest note for families: a few of the sculpture garden's classically themed works lean a little grown-up — nothing scandalous, just worth knowing. And here's what most residents figure out fast: you'll use the Wave far more as a place to eat, drink, and gather than as a room you actually book.
What the Neighbors Know
The Wave Hotel isn't just a place to sleep near the airport — it's the closest thing Lake Nona has to a downtown living room. Between the art, the smart-building tech, the sculpture garden, and a dining scene that's landed on Orlando's culinary map, it gives this corner of southeast Orlando a genuine sense of place that most suburbs never manage.
If you're weighing Lake Nona against other master-planned options, it's a real point in the column — an amenity you can walk to, not just read about in a brochure. Comparing southeast-Orlando communities? Hunter's Creek is the usual side-by-side.
For rooms, menus, events, and current hours, visit the official Lake Nona Wave Hotel website, or learn more about the wider community at Lake Nona.
Thinking about calling this part of Orlando home? Browse the latest Lake Nona listings, or reach out to David Myers, Broker Associate, at 407.801.3286 or through the contact form for personalized relocation advice — we'll help you find the neighborhood that fits your life. 🌴
David Myers 407-801-3286
