• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Guide to Walt Disney World
    • Guide to The Magic Kingdom for Beginners
    • Guide to Epcot For Beginners
    • Guide to Animal Kingdom for Beginners
    • Guide to Hollywood Studios For Beginners
    • Walt Disney World Useful Information
    • Guide to Disney Springs
    • Disney World Tips
      • Guide to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World
      • Avoiding Crowds at Walt Disney World
      • Walt Disney World Mistakes to Avoid in 2022
      • How To Find Characters at Walt Disney World
      • How to Beat the Orlando Weather
      • Guide to Visiting Walt Disney World with Disabilities
      • Disney World Survival Guide
      • A World of Fabulous Fascinating Facts
      • Guide to Walt Disney World Transport
    • Disney World Resorts for Beginners
    • Guide to Walt Disney World Dining
      • Guide to Walt Disney World Character Meals
      • Guide to the Disney Dining Plan
      • Visiting Walt Disney World with Food Allergies & Intolerances
  • Cruise
    • Top Cruise Articles
    • Disney Wonder
    • Jewel of the Seas
    • Allure of the Seas
    • Oasis of the Seas
    • Independence of the Seas
    • Harmony of the Seas
    • Crown Princess
  • Disney World News
  • Universal Orlando
  • Contact Us

Modern Life is Good

Disney World, Universal Orlando, Cruise & Family Travel

You are here: Home / Travel / Orlando / Universal Orlando Resort / Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

March 30, 2021 by @Modlifeisgood Leave a Comment

Universal opened its first hotel in 1999. There are now seven Universal Orlando Resort Hotels, and Loews manages all resorts. All Universal Hotel guests benefit from being close to the theme parks, free internal transportation, and early access to a park for 1 hour each morning before regular park guests. Our Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels gives you a flavor of what you can expect at each resort.

Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando
Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando

Current changes to Universal Orlando Hotels

Inevitably during the reopening of Universal Orlando Resort, there are several changes to how the hotels operate. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal’s Aventura Hotel, and Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites are currently not open. All other resorts are operating, and we expect some of the closed resorts to open later in 2021.

Similar to other areas of Universal Orlando, restrictions are currently in place to keep guests safe. We expect these rules to remain in place throughout 2021. The video below highlights the current safety changes in place at Universal Orlando Resorts.

Universal Orlando Hotel Benefits

Universal Orlando Resorts are split into four classes, but all resorts offer a range of benefits including:-

  • Early park admission
  • Free transportation to parks, including Volcano Bay
  • Package delivery from parks to your Universal Hotel
  • Resort-Wide Charging Privileges With Room Key
  • Complimentary club to club access at certain Universal CityWalk venues
  • Priority access to park when capacity is reached

Hotels at Universal Orlando

Universal Resorts are in price brackets, with the top 3 Premier Hotels having a complimentary Express Pass included. Your Express Pass is valid on both your arrival & departure dates. Guests should price up Express Pass carefully as often it is cheaper to stay in a Premier Hotel than buy Express Pass separately. The three Premier Hotels also include priority seating at select restaurants throughout the resort.

Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

Premier Hotels at Universal Orlando

The 3 Premier Hotels are the top resorts at Universal Orlando. Hotels include the best dining options, most luxurious surroundings and are closest to the parks. You will also benefit from an included Express Pass and priority seating at select restaurants. All 3 Premier Hotels have a club lounge available for some extra luxury at an additional fee. Concierge and 24-hour room service are just some of the benefits of the resorts.

Room Hard Rock Hotel
Room at the Hard Rock Universal Orlando
  • Loews Portofino Bay Hotel was the first hotel to open at Universal Orlando in 1999. This luxury resort has an Italian Seaside Village theme and has 750 rooms. Assuming international travel resumes in 2021, it will be the third time lucky in our attempts to stay at this resort.
  • Hard Rock Hotel opened in 2001 and has a rock theme. Music plays everywhere in the resort, including under the water at the fantastic resort pool. We have a review of the Hard Rock Hotel here on Modern Life is Good.
  • Loews Royal Pacific opened in 2002 & has an enchanted isles theme. The resort has 1000 rooms. You can read our review of Loews Royal Pacific on this site. Overall, Royal Pacific isn’t quite at the same standard as Hard Rock and Portofino Bay, which is usually reflected in the price.
Loews Royal Pacific Universal Orlando Resort Top Tips
Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Preferred Hotels at Universal Orlando

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort is the only resort in this category and opened in 2016. The resort has been somewhat downgraded in recent years into its own exclusive class. I’m not sure what the “preferred” hotel status means. Overall, this is a comfortable resort similar in standard to Royal Pacific but does not include an Express Pass.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Florida
Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Florida

Prime Value Hotels at Universal Orlando

Prime Value Hotels offer basic no-frill but comfortable accommodation. Forget concierge, luxurious furnishings, room service, and business centers. However, both resorts do include several dining options.

  • Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort 2200 rooms are located in this no-frill hotel. Some of the rooms are classified as suites that sleep up to 6. The resort contains some excellent facilities for families, including a pool with a lazy river and a bowling alley
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
  • Universal’s Aventura Hotel a modern tower hotel that opened in 2018. The hotel contains Universal’s first rooftop bar and grill.
Universal’s Aventura Hotel Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
Universal’s Aventura Hotel Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

Value Hotels at Universal Orlando

Universal’s latest resort is Universal’s Endless Summer Resort. The resort is split into 2 halves Surfside Inn and Suites opened in 2019, and Dockside Inn and Suites opened in 2020. Variably Endless Summer is either called Universal’s 7th or 7th & 8th resort.

Universal claims that these resorts are their most affordable yet. However, don’t expect any luxuries, including a coffee maker! Dining options are limited and are counter service. Family 2 bedroom suites are available sleeping up to six.

Should you stay in a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel?

We always recommend you shop around before deciding where to stay. However, there are significant benefits to staying at Universal Orlando Hotels. However, you can usually find cheaper options remaining offsite.

For large families, the rooms at Prime Value and Value Resorts that sleep up to six can represent great value for money. However, don’t expect any luxuries if staying in these resorts.

If you are purchasing an Express Pass, you should definitely consider staying in one of the Premier Resorts. At maximum room capacity, these are usually cheaper than buying an Express Pass for a family of four. We also love the Club Rooms at Universal, and these can work out good value by including snacks throughout the day, including your breakfast.

Read More

To learn more about Universal Orlando, visit our 2021 Guide to Universal Orlando Resort. The guide contains the latest planning tips.

Filed Under: Orlando, Travel, Universal Orlando Resort Tagged With: universal, Universal Orlando Resort

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search Modern Life Is Good

Who are Modern Life is Good?

Welcome to Modern Life is Good we are a Family Travel site specialising in Walt Disney World Planning, Universal Orlando, Orlando Attractions & Cruising.

We are family of 4 based in the United Kingdom who have become Orlando Fanatics and Enthusiastic Cruisers. We hope this website will help you plan the perfect Family Vacation.

Our blog is updated regularly with handy family travel tips, guides & reviews. We also bring you all the latest Walt Disney World Updates & Disney World Rumours in our monthly Disney World News.

Follow Us

Subscribe to Modern Life is Good

Loading

Footer

All About Us

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Share

Blogger
Delicious
Digg
Email
Facebook
Facebook messenger
Google
Hacker News
Line
LinkedIn
Mix
Odnoklassniki
PDF
Pinterest
Pocket
Print
Reddit
Renren
Short link
SMS
Skype
Telegram
Tumblr
Twitter
VKontakte
wechat
Weibo
WhatsApp
Xing
Yahoo! Mail
Powered by WP Socializer

Copy short link

Copy link
Powered by WP Socializer