Universal has 8 hotels on their property and they each have their own theme and features available, though there are some features of all hotels at Universal. All hotels property come with the following perks: free shuttle between the parks and the hotel, 1-hour early access to one or both parks on most days, access to any hotel pool, and the ability to have packages from the parks delivered to your hotel for pickup. The "top six" hotels have access to a walking path from each hotel directly to the parks and the "top four" hotels have water taxi access to and from the parks. All Universal hotels also have several amenities available to guests including a pool, fitness center, Starbucks, quick service dining, sit-down dining, and a bar.
As I stay at each hotel, I will list the dates I stayed there, the average cost per night, and what I paid, along with any deals or discounts I may have used, then go into my review including pros and cons. I am looking forward to eventually staying at all of the hotels, and as I do, I will add to this post. The reviews below are listed in the same order that Universal lists them in for ease of finding and reading them.
Hard Rock Hotel
Dates: 31 August-3 September 2021
Average Cost: $474 per night
My Cost: $314 per night
Deals/Discounts: Discount for 3+ nights and "savvy traveler" pricing
Review:
In August 2021, my second trip to Universal, I brought a friend down with me. The two of us stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, only because we were able to get a decent deal. The "Savvy traveler" is a special discount that Universal puts out during their off-season to help fill hotels. This discount can drop the nightly rate significantly depending on the type of room that you choose to stay in. This is the only hotel on property that is not managed by Universal or Loews Hotel, though it can still book it through the Universal site, it uses the Universal shuttle, and it has all of the perks of a Universal hotel.
We took Universal's Super Shuttle from the airport to the hotel which, while it was convenient, had a drop-off/pick-off point at the hotel that was out of the way and inconvenient to get to the lobby (there was a hallway, stairs/elevator, and another hallway before getting to the lobby). Once in the lobby, the line to check in was fairly quick because we had checked in online before arriving onsite. The front desk attendants worked quickly through the line of guests but were also helpful and friendly. We were able to quickly check our bags with luggage services, as our room wasn't ready, and the luggage attendants were quick and professional.
We booked a Standard 2 Queen Room and our room looked over the pool. The room was clean and definitely had a rock 'n roll theme, with colored lights and designed mirrors to complement the artists featured in the pictures in the room. The bathroom itself (shower and toilet) was very cramped, to the point that the door had to be completely open before you could walk in, and you had to pass the toilet and stand right next to the shower, in order to close the bathroom door. The sink was just outside the bathroom and had plenty of counter space for 2 girls to get ready in the morning without issue. Though the room did have a "pool view," our room was over a large overhang which did block a good portion of what would have been the pool view.
We did not use many of the amenities that the hotel had available (the restaurant, bar, spa) because some were closed and some weren't of interest to us. We used the pool area 2 times: it was a zero-entry pool, heated, and had a water slide (fit for kids and adults). The pool area also had a hot tub, but it was very small (fitting at most 10-12 people) considering the venue. We made use of "The Marketplace" a couple of times, this is kind of a convenient store inside of the Hard Rock Hotel, serving snacks, pre-made sandwiches, made-to-order quick-order food, drinks, and travel essentials. They had a decent selection of drinks and food, especially when you include the made-to-order food.
The walk to the park was quick, only about 5 minutes, and the process through security was incredibly fast, as only 2 of the 8 Universal hotels use this security access point. This is also the closest of all the on-site hotels and the security point leads almost directly into the Universal Studios park. The security guards are personable as they process you through, though this can be said of any of the security that I have encountered at Universal, the ones at this particular checkpoint have fewer guests to assist with and most of the time remembered my friend and I as we went to and from the parks.
The hotel room itself was nothing spectacular and because we did not make use of the amenities that make the Hard Rock Hotel stand out from other hotels, I don't think that I would spend the money to spend a vacation there again, there was not enough to draw me back again.
Loews Royal Pacific Resort
Dates: 9-13 March 2021
Average Cost: $549 per night
My Cost: $300 per night*
Deals/Discounts: * My cost per night is estimated as I booked my room as a package deal, which included my park pass, a Harry Potter park package, and the hotel room.
Review:
This was the first hotel that I stayed in at Universal, on my first trip. I will start off this review by saying that my first trip was during a time that there were still mask mandates due to COVID-19, so not everything normally available at the hotel was available when I was there. This review will also be a less detailed as it was close to 2 years ago that I stayed there.
I used the Universal Super Shuttle to get to the hotel and parks from the airport. The drop-off/pick-up point was directly in front of the hotel and had a short bridge to walk over to get into the lobby. The hotel employees that were in charge of following the COVID restrictions/rules were always friendly as they stepped you through the process, and this trend continued to every other employee that I interacted with at the hotel. The lobby was gorgeous, open, and bright.
Checking in was a quick process and the front desk attendant was kind and courteous and explained which amenities were available at the time. I made a stop to luggage services to drop off my bags as my room wasn't ready and the attendants were friendly and helpful to appropriately check all of my bags. I had a bag that required refrigeration and they were able to accommodate that, as well as having a frozen bag throughout the duration of my stay. I booked a Standard 2 Queen Room and had some beautiful foliage outside my window. The room was bright and clean, and the bathroom was a little larger than other hotels at Universal. I did eat at the hotel restaurant that was open during this time and the service was excellent and quick and the food was delicious. I did spend a small amount of time at the pool, most of it just soaking in the sun, not actually in the pool. The easiest way to get to the park from the hotel is the 5–10 minute walk down the path. There is a water taxi and shuttle, both take longer than walking. This security checkpoint will lead you to City Walk, which is just a short walk to either park.
I would love to stay at this hotel again with the full set of amenities open for use, the ones that I experienced were top-notch. It was relaxing, close to the park, and comfortable.
Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Dates: 17-21 November 2022
Average Cost: $214 per night
My Cost: $125 per night
Deals/Discounts: Orlando Informer Event Discount
Review:
November 2022, my third trip to Universal, came around and a friend and I returned for a 5-day trip, scheduled around an Orlando Informer late-night event, which provided up to a 30% discount on hotel rooms. The room that we booked specifically had a 25% discount. We chose to stay at Cabana Bay because of the lower cost of the room and we didn't feel that we needed the Express Pass that comes with the highest tier of hotels due to the nature of the event we were there for.
We opted to take an Uber to/from the airport/hotel and the drop-off/pickup for ride share at the hotel was directly outside the front doors. The lobby was large, bright, and decorated for Christmas. The line to check in was minimal, as we arrived prior to the official check-in time, but our room was ready so there was no need to use the baggage check service. The front desk attendant was helpful by getting us a map of the hotel (yes, it needs a map as it is very large and sprawling, making it easy to get turned around/lost if you are not familiar with it). Even with a map, and directions from the front desk, we got turned around once as we were making our way to our room the first time.
We booked a Standard 2 Queen Room (photos below are of a 2 Queen Suite Room). We ended up in Building 8 (which is quite a walk to get to the front of the hotel where the shuttle stop/walking path/etc. are) and our room looked over the pool. Our view did not disappoint (being on the 11th floor helped), not only could we see the entire pool area but also the Hulk Coaster, the Rip Ride Rocket, and Hogwarts Castle. The room was bright and inviting with its retro theme and floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the room. The particular room that we were in had a connecting door to the room next to ours, which is nice for those larger families or groups that need more than one room.
It was too cold for 2 Nebraska girls to brave the pool, but we did make use of the hot tub a couple of times. It was the perfect temperature and was large enough to accommodate about 20 people. Also available on-site for entertainment was a bowling alley, arcade, and pool area activities. Cabana Bay had 2 restaurants and a bar on site that we tried, which were all reasonably priced (about $6 for a beer, $12 for french toast and bacon for breakfast, and $15 for loaded nachos for lunch).
The Swizzle Lounge was on one side of the lobby, it had good service, and they had a good selection of drinks, but they were lacking in some extra seating beyond the bar. The Bayliner Diner serves food from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., allowing for quick stops for a meal or snack at almost any time of day. Finally, the Hideaway Bar and Grill is 1 of 2 poolside restaurants at Cabana Bay, another one being at the pool on the other side of the hotel.
Walking to the park from Cabana Bay is about a 15-20 minute walk, depending on how quickly you walk and the traffic at one intersection. As this was a repeat trip for both of us, and we knew we had extra time in the parks for our event, we didn't mind the extra walk Cabana Bay shares a security checkpoint with 5 other Universal hotels, which is only a problem when you are going into the parks first thing in the morning, if you don't time it right, you could end up waiting in the security line for 20-30 minutes.
The hotel room nothing out of the ordinary, but it had all of the necessities. The on-site amenities, the view from our room, and particularly the price all put together were great for our trip to Universal, I would definitely stay at Cabana Bay in the future because of those points. Though this is one of the "lowest" Universal hotels, there is something about it that makes it seem more laid back and relaxing than other hotels.
Thanks for joining me on my adventures. As I return to Universal, I will add to this post with more hotel reviews, I hope you come back soon!
Be sure to come back next week for more Universal tips and tricks.
See you next time!
Sami
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