In 1999, Universal Orlando took its first big swing at its neighboring behemoth, Walt Disney World. First, they opened a second theme park on their small I-4 adjacent property. Then, they built an entertainment district called CityWalk, designed to compete with Disney’s then-new Downtown Disney. Universal rebranded itself “Universal Escape” — evoking the vacation destination vibe of Disney.
And, lastly, they built their very first resort hotel: the Portofino Bay Resort.
Now, twenty years later, the Universal Orlando Resort (No, “Universal Escape never caught on) hosts a grand total of eight resorts — more than half of which have been built in the last 4 years. It’s a truly impressive construction and resort-planning project, and it has resulted in Universal Orlando becoming a true destination unto itself.
But, while all of Universal Orlando’s resort hotels are fantastic and among the best properties in Central Florida, they are not all created equal. Here are every single Universal Orlando resort ranked.
7. and 8. Endless Summer Resort (Surfside Inn and Suites and Dockside Inn and Suites)
Image: Universal Orlando
With the first wing of this resort opening in 2019, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is the newest kid on the block. It also happens to be the largest: the two resorts, combined, dwarf the next-largest Universal hotel by several hundred rooms.
But, just because this resort is big, that doesn’t mean it feels impersonal or cheap — and that’s kind of a surprise. With rooms starting well under $100 per night at off-peak times, Endless Summer Resort is very much a value hotel. Unlike Disney’s value hotels, however, Endless Summer has a slightly more adult version of value on hand.
The resort’s aesthetic is a modern update to the beachside resort vibe of the mid-to-late 20th century. It feels HGTV-ready with bright, open spaces and exposed wood — and, there are no cartoonish attempts at theming or character integration. The surfboard-shaped pool is sizable, but useful. There is no lobby bar, but the poolside bar serves drinks that are all affordable.
In all, Endless Summer is the perfect value resort in that it’s there to be a relaxing place to call home while you explore the Universal Orlando Resort — but no one would mistake it for a true destination. It lacks the perks of its fellow Univeral hotels — including Universal Express passes, or the ability to walk to the parks. That’s why it’s last on this list, but still one of the best places to stay in Central Florida.
6. Aventura Hotel
Image: rain0975, Flickr (license)
Have you ever stayed at a nice boutique hotel in a mid-sized city? You can probably picture it in your head: minimalist design, lots of glass and steel, hardwood floors, neutral colors, and the vague sense that you’re walking through an IKEA. Universal, cleverly, recognized and that many travelers like such an aesthetic — and so, they built a modern boutique hotel of their own.
Aventura Hotel is exactly that image of a boutique hotel. It’s modern, but not showy. It’s minimal, but not simple. It’s sleek, but it’s not sharp. It’s the most grown-up of Universal’s hotels — lacking “fun” theming, but making up for it with an adult’s sense of what a vacation should be.
There’s no food court, but rather, a “food hall”-style dining area with everything from burgers and fries to sushi and poke. There’s a rooftop bar, with incredible views of … Orlando and Kissimmee. There’s technology embedded in the entire experience, from tablet-controlled rooms to a VR arcade on-property. It’s exactly what many modern millennial travelers want out of a hotel: stylish, comfortable, and cool.
However, that’s also what keeps it fairly low on this list. Universal and Disney have come to be known not just for having great hotels, but for having hotels that can tell a story and transport you to another world. Aventura Hotel utterly fails that this task — largely because it never even attempted it. It’s not there to be a themed hotel in the Disney mold. Universal didn’t build it to compete with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. It’s here to be a modern, grown-up hotel for a certain kind of traveler, and it succeeds well at that. Unfortunately, those types of hotels always have a ceiling on just how magical they can be.
5. Sapphire Falls Resort
Image: rain0975, Flickr (license)
Themed to the Caribbean islands, Sapphire Falls Resort is a beautiful and bright hotel that seems to want guests to feel at home and relaxed every second they stay within its walls. Unlike Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Sapphire Falls is a more modern, toned—down version of the Caribbean style — with fewer bright colors and cartoonish buildings, and more open-air spaces and aquamarine.
It’s what is referred to as a “Preferred Hotel” in Universal’s parlance. Essentially, it’s a Moderate-Plus resort that offers many of the amenities you’d find at a high-end resort but for a slightly lower cost. There are table-service restaurants, craft coffee bars, and even extensive walking paths. In scale and scope, it’s most comparable to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort — with the room sizes of a moderate resort but the trappings of a deluxe.
The show piece for Sapphire Falls is its astonishing 16,000 square-foot pool, with tons of lounge space, games, and even a water slide. It is absolutely massive, and it is worthy of a day’s enjoyment in its own right. Universal’s hotels generally have pretty excellent pools, but Sapphire Falls boasts what might be the best of them all.
It is slightly more expensive than other Universal resorts, but that cost doesn’t get you a complimentary Universal Express pass like what you’ll find at the high end “Premier Hotels.” Additionally, the airy and modern feel to the resort gives it something of the feel of an airport concourse — which isn’t exactly the most relaxing feeling in the world.
That said, the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are luxurious (subway tile showers!), and the proximity to Universal’s resorts is tough to beat. It’s fitting that the middle-priced hotel finds itself roughly at the middle of this list.
4. Royal Pacific Resort
Image: shawnzlea, Flickr (license)
Of Universal’s three “premier” resorts, Lowes Royal Pacific Resort opened the most recently — all the way back in 2002. It has, in the intervening years, earned a reputation for being something of a knockoff Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Yes, the two hotels share a theme and, yes, they have similar aesthetic sensibilities. But the idea that the Royal Pacific Resort is a beautiful and relaxing interpretation of the South Seas is pretty unfounded. This resort is absolutely beautiful, and its abundant horticulture causes the building itself to nearly recede into the trees themselves. It can seem like the resort exists on its own tiny island — which is a thematic success, indeed.
In addition to sizable and comfortable rooms, this resort features an enormous lagoon-style swimming pool, multiple table-service restaurants, a character meal, and even a luau show. Guests staying at this resort get a complimentary Universal Express pass — allowing them to skip the line at the park’s major attractions — in addition to a host of benefits that all Universal resorts have, from free shuttle and ferry transportation to room charging privileges.
The parks themselves are just a short walk away, down a beautiful tree-lined path with sandy beaches and secluded wonder. In this way, Royal Pacific is almost too nice of a resort. A stay here feels like its own kind of vacation — one far removed from the hustle and bustle of Universal Orlando and CityWalk. For some, that can be a godsend. For others, it can feel like a missed opportunity.
3. Hard Rock Hotel
Image: scmikeburton, Flickr (license)
When you walk through the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, the first thing you’ll think to yourself is, “You know what? This is pretty cool.” That seemed to be the overarching mission of the designers of this hotel: To design a space that is cool, but not overwhelmingly so. Just cool enough to be comfortable, but not so cool as to feel performative.
The building itself looks like a Spanish-style monetary-type construction, with LA vibes and rock and roll flair. The entire building is, obviously, adorned with incredible memorabilia from some of music’s biggest talents. But, the space never feels like a museum or even like a tourist trap — something the chain’s restaurants regularly struggle with. Instead, it feels like how a rich collector’s home might feel — lived in, but fascinating.
The rooms are hip, but they aren’t tied to any specific genre of rock — rather, a celebration of music in its entirety. That broad enthusiasm extends to the hotel’s party trick: a massive pool that features music playing underneath the water.
The property itself is large, with beautiful areas to escape into. And, its proximity to Universal Studios’ front entrance makes it arguably the most convenient resort at Universal Orlando. On top of that, it offers the Universal Express pass — a perk that, once you have it, is tough to imagine life without.
But still, the hotel is good but not great. The attempts to keep the resort’s focus broad — on music, more generally, rather than any one era or genre — keeps it from being truly great. It’s still a wonderful resort, but it’s not quite the best.
2. Portofino Bay Hotel
Opened in September of 1999, Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel is the single most beautiful architectural wonder on Universal property. Its rooms are among the most well-appointed and gorgeous you can find in Central Florida. It boasts three table-service restaurants, a bakery, multiple pools, a spa, and even live classical music.
Its showpiece is a replica of an Italian bay village — Portofino Bay — with real guest rooms overlooking the ferry boats sailing into harbor. It is, in a word, stunning.
Universal is extremely proud of the Portofino Bay Hotel. They refer to it as their flagship resort, and they ensure that it receives the best amenities: including those complimentary Universal Express passes. It is the epitome of luxury on Universal Orlando property, and if you’re looking for the finest, most elegant, most exquisite resort to stay at, you should pick the Portofino Bay Hotel.
So, then, why is it only No. 2 on this list? Well, because it’s just so darn expensive.
Universal advertises its standard rooms as starting at roughly $270 per night — but usually, it’s far more than that. Yes, you’re getting incredible luxury at that price. And, yes, compared to Disney’s Deluxe resorts, that’s basically a steal. But, the fact of the matter is, you can get nearly the same level of care and attention at most of Universal’s resorts. And some offer such unique takes on the hotel experience that they make the extra cost of the Portofino Bay Hotel seem silly.
If you want the best of luxury, you should pick the Portofino Bay Hotel without question. If you want the best hotel overall, well, that’s up for debate.
1. Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Image: aloha75, Flickr (license)
Yep. That’s right. For less than half the price of a night at the Portofino Bay Hotel, you can stay at Universal Orlando’s best resort hotel: Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
Themed to the beachside motels of mid-century America, this hotel — which opened in 2014 — was Universal’s announcement to the theme park world that it wasn’t messing around anymore. The rooms are chic and classy, looking like the halfway point between Mad Men sophistication and the silly aesthetic you can find at Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ 50s Prime Time Cafe. The lobby is massive and bold, evoking the googie architecture of the late 1950s and early 1960s — even featuring classic cars positioned outside for perfect photo ops.
And, despite costing less than most Disney Moderate resorts, Cabana Bay Beach Resort offers amenities that Disney couldn’t possibly conceive of: a massive pool with a lazy river and water slide, and even a fully-functional bowling alley. The food is solid, and the multitude of bars on offer serve both fun vacation-y drinks and more period-appropriate libations.
In all, a stay at the Cabana Bay Beach Resort isn’t just a vacation. It’s a trip to the idealized version of what a vacation should be. When we picture a vacation in our minds — with sun, fun, music, food, and all sorts of laughs and stories — we picture resorts like Cabana Bay. Everything that has come since at Universal, from hotels like Sapphire Falls and Endless Summer to even the Volcano Bay water park and the recently-announced Epic Universe theme park, owes a debt of gratitude to the design greatness of Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
Check it out: Both you, and you wallet, will be glad you did.
