Universal On-Site Resorts!

In this post, I am going to go over Universal’s SIX onsite resorts! For the longest time, there were only 3 on-site resorts and they are in the deluxe price range. Now there are three new resorts, one being a moderate resort while the other two are value. Universal has expanded their footprint a lot over the past few years and there is so much more to come in the up and coming years. There is so much to talk about with Universal’s future plans for its parks but for this post we’re only going to be talking about the onsite resorts!

The main difference between the resorts is of course the price but the benefits and transportation that each resort category offers is what’s going to separate the different resorts. So, let’s start out with the original onsite hotels, the deluxe hotels. The method of transportation that is offered by the deluxe hotels is the water taxis. These boats are hotel specific meaning each resort has one or two boats that take you to and from the hotels and parks. The boat ride is about 10-15min. And depending on how long the line is to get on your hotel’s boat you can take the walking path to your resort. The deluxe resorts are literally a 10-15min walk from the parks which is about the same time as the water taxis. I have personally chosen the walking path over the water taxis plenty of times, it’s a great alternative for when you’ve just missed the boat or the line is so long that you know you’re going to have to wait on the next boat. Another benefit with staying at the deluxe resorts is you will receive the express pass included with your stay so you won’t have to add that price in on the ticket side of things. I myself have always chosen to stay at a deluxe resort. They are close enough to the parks that you can walk to them and the express pass is a really nice bonus. There is one more benefit for staying at a deluxe resort and that is getting early park admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in both theme parks.

The first deluxe hotel is The Lowes Royal Pacific Resort. Its theme is well the Pacific. You’ll be transported into a tropical paradise once you step foot on property. From the lobby to your rooms you’ll feel like you’re in an island paradise. There are 1,000 guest rooms, a lagoon-style swimming pool and a variety of on-site restaurants and lounges. This resort is closest to Islands of Adventure and depending on where your room is located you just might be able to have a view of the theme park itself.

The next deluxe resort is the Hard Rock Hotel. Where the overall theme here is vacation like a rock star! The hotel itself has a California mission design on the outside with a rock star royalty interior. All throughout the hotel you’ll find displays showcasing rock memorabilia. There are 650 guest rooms, a walk-in pool with a giant waterslide and under-water speakers, there is also a pretty sweet pool bar and some amazing restaurants. This resort is going to be the closest to Universal and is the most expensive of the deluxe resorts, but it is my favorite.

The third deluxe resort is Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. This hotel is inspired by the picturesque seaside village of Portofino, Italy. Here you’ll enjoy the beauty, charm and romance of this luxurious escape, where sometimes you may even forget that you’re not in Italy. There are 750 guest rooms, three themed pools, a Mandara Spa and 8 restaurants and lounges. There is also live music every night in the harbor and some nights there is even an opera singer singing from one of the balconies.

Now, moving on to the one moderate resort Sapphire Falls. It is the newest on-site hotel and its overall theme is Caribbean Luxury. Sapphire Falls features a resort-style pool with a water slide surrounded by cascading waterfalls. There are 1,000 guest rooms and a scenic restaurant and lounge. Also, by staying at this resort you’ll have a walking path to the resorts as well as a water taxi. You will not get the express pass incentive with this resort but you will have early admission to the Harry Potter sections in both parks. It is located right next to the Royal Pacific Hotel so it is closest to Islands of Adventure and you can also get a chance at having a theme park view.

For the two value resorts you won’t be getting the express pass incentive here either or boat transportation, you will have to either take a bus or walk. The bus transportation is just for these resorts so it’s not going to be the hassle that you’re used to at Disney and the walk from these resorts is gonna give you some extra steps in your step count for the day. BUT the good part about the value resorts is that they are the closest to Universal’s new water park Volcano Bay, in fact one of them has direct access to the park.

The first Value resort is the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. This hotel is inspired by the classic Florida beach resorts of the 19550s and 60s. There are two pools one with a slide and the other with a lazy river. There is a 10-lane bowling alley on property with some pretty amazing food I might add. The rooms at Cabana Bay were designed with the family in mind, in fact the whole resort was. With the rooms though, you have the choice of booking a family suite that sleeps up to six. Included is a kitchenette with a small living space and a separate sleeping area. Recently two towers have been built at this resort and they have the best views of Volcano Bay. Also, with Cabana Bay you have direct access to Volcano Bay from the resort. It is the furthest away from City Walk and the other theme parks but it is the cheapest.

The last on-site resort is the Aventura Hotel and at the time of me filming this it is not open yet. It has an opening date of August 2018. It is being promoted as the modern and stylish place to stay in Orlando. It will have 600 guest rooms, a pool, splash zone, fire pit and more. I think the biggest draw to this hotel besides how modern it will be, is the rooftop bar that is being promoted. Hopefully I will have some more information about this hotel as it gets closer it its opening date, but for now this is all that I have to share about the new Aventura Hotel.

This is going to do it for my on-site hotel overview for Universal Orlando. Just to sum things up, there are six on-site hotels. Three of them being deluxe, one is moderate and two are value. With the deluxe resorts, you are the closest to the theme parks, the express pass is included, you’ll have water taxis for your transportation along with early park admission for the Harry Potter areas in both parks. With the moderate resort, you will get everything that the deluxe resorts offer besides the express pass. And with the value resorts you will be the furthest from the theme parks, you will only have bus transportation or the option to walk and you won’t have the express pass but you’ll have early park admission to the Harry Potter sections in both parks.

I do want to share a few tips about staying at the onsite resorts before I end the post. First off, I know that the value resorts are a huge draw because they are so much cheaper than deluxe resorts. BUT, in my opinion I would still chose to stay at one of the deluxe resorts. Here are my reasons. I am a huge supporter of the express pass. It is so nice to just scan your pass and literally walk onto the ride. No matter what time of year I visit Universal I will always chose to get the express pass. Now, that being said I have priced the difference of booking a deluxe resort vs. booking a value resort and adding the express pass to my theme park tickets. Are you ready for this shocker, staying at the deluxe resort came out cheaper! Now, of course this is all going to depend on the time of year you decide to go because the ticket prices and room rates change throughout the year but, I just wanted you to be aware of that before you went and booked the value resort because the room rate is significantly lower.

Next thing I want to talk about is the transportation to and from the parks. Like I have mentioned, some resorts have water taxis while the others have buses but they all have walking paths. If you are staying at the value resorts you could take the water taxi to either Royal Pacific or Sapphire Falls and then walk the rest of the way to your resort. Or just simply go to the buses and ride the bus, totally up to you I just wanted to point that option out.

My goal of this was to squeeze in as much information as I could so that you have an easier way to decide on which resort you want to stay at when visiting Universal Studios Florida!