Last year, I reviewed Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside and explained that the Endless Summer Resort was actually two separate hotels across the street from one another. Well, during my December 2022 trip, I stayed at the other hotel – Surfside Inn and Suites! So, today I’m reviewing it!

Surfside Inn and Suites

Surfside Inn and Suites is considered a “value resort” at Universal Orlando Resort. This means it has cheaper rates while still offering some of the perks of staying on-site. For instance, you get early park entry and free bus transportation to the parks. However, since it’s a value, you do not get Express Pass a.k.a. the ability to jump the line as that perk is only offered at higher tiers of resorts.

I will commend Universal Orlando for building these value resorts recently as not all parks are concentrating on these lower end hotels. In fact, from what I’ve seen, most places are building fancier places that cost a lot more. So, kudos to UO for catering to all budgets.

Also, I will say that both Surfside and Dockside have nice theming. Both of them have a relaxing vibe that feels very beachy. I also enjoyed seeing all of the surfboards around the hotel! It doesn’t scream this is a cheaper hotel when you look around the hotel, which is appreciated.

Two Bedroom Suite

Both Surfside and Dockside offer standard rooms as well as two bedroom suites. Personally, I don’t think that’s an accurate name for the suite. However, I do appreciate a value resort offering a suite. It’s really a one bedroom suite as it features a separate small bedroom in addition to a regular two queen front room.

The suite also has an adorable picnic table dining area that the standard room does not have. I found this to be a nice addition as it gives you somewhere besides the bed to sit. It does come with just one bathroom though. Also, it has only one very small closet in the separate bedroom. So, storage may be an issue for your group if you have lots of clothing.

One big issue we encountered in the suite and not in the standard room was the air vent placement. In the separate bedroom, the air vent blows air directly on the bed. So, the person(s) sleeping in the separate bedroom may get colder or hotter than the other people with the air hitting them directly.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laughing Lindsay (@89linz)

Surfside Overall

Having stayed at both Dockside and Surfside now, I would say that they rate very similarly. Surfside is smaller and I appreciate that as that means fewer people. This also means less walking to/from your room. However, my big complaint with both places is the noise. Both of these resorts have been very noisy every night we’ve stayed in them. I thought staying in a suite would cut down on the noise. However, the walls are really thin and voices can be heard through them. I also believe I was able to hear conversations in the vent in the separate bedroom of the suite.

Additionally, we encountered groups staying here as well. This time, it was a bunch of elementary school aged football teams staying for a tournament. So, I would say to prepare yourself for student groups if you book a stay at one of these value resorts and bring ear plugs. However, they offer great rates, so I guess it depends on what you want from your hotel room: peace/quiet or just a place to lay your head.

During my September 2022 trip to Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights, my mom and I stayed at Universal’s Aventura Hotel. We enjoyed the hotel’s perks, sleek design, and modern touches.

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Aventura Hotel is a tower hotel with modern rooms and reasonable prices. The hotel is shaped like a fidget spinner. It also has floor to ceiling windows that makes for a sleek appearance and great views. Aventura is considered a Prime Value Hotel. This means it has affordable rates while still giving you the benefits of staying on property with Universal Orlando Resort. It also leans heavily into technology with a tablet in the room to control everything from the lights to the tv.

The Room

The rooms have a contemporary, sleek vibe to them. It’s definitely geared towards tech savvy folks who appreciate simple theming. The beds were comfortable and the sleek design made for a relaxing experience. I liked our shower and felt the bathroom had plenty of room, which is highly unusual for “value” rooms in my experience.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laughing Lindsay (@89linz)

Tip: If you want a quieter room, don’t pay for the Skyline View upgrade. There’s a rooftop bar at the top of the hotel and there’s a DJ playing music until around midnight, at least on the weekend. I could hear the faint sounds of music in our room when the music was playing and we were in a standard room. Request a lower floor to be further away from the music.

The Technology

As I stated above, Aventura Hotel leans heavily into modern technology. In fact, there’s not a tv remote in the rooms or available at the front desk. You have to control the lights and tv via the tablet by the bed! You can also request room service on the tablet. A robot named Relay can even bring you some towels or toiletries. You just have to specifically ask for the robot when requesting it!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laughing Lindsay (@89linz)

The Food

Typically, when you stay at a value resort hotel, you can expect to eat chicken nuggets and pizza for dinner at the resort restaurant. However, Aventura Hotel takes it up a notch. Here, you can build your own protein bowls! I really enjoyed my chicken and noodles bowl! I also had a fun Japanese soda with a glass marble in it! As for breakfast, I was equally surprised to find biscuits and gravy on the menu! It hit the spot before we dashed out of town to escape the hurricane.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laughing Lindsay (@89linz)

As I mentioned above, there is a rooftop bar. We attempted to eat there on our trip, but it was raining and the bar was closed. It appears that the bar is not covered and allows rain to come in. So, check out the weather forecast before you decide to eat there. It does have great views though.

For dinner another night, we walked over to the neighboring Sapphire Falls resort (considered a Signature Collection Resort) and enjoyed a meal at Amatista’s Cookhouse! Aventura Hotel’s close distance to Sapphire Falls increases the availability of nearby food choices.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laughing Lindsay (@89linz)

The Perks

The perks of staying on-site at Universal Orlando Resort are fabulous if you are planning on visiting the parks. Similar to when we stayed at Endless Summer – Dockside Inn and Suites, we received complimentary bus transportation to the parks! We never had to wait long for a bus, which is more than I can say for some other parks. Ha! We could have also gotten into the parks earlier for staying on-site as well as had merchandise purchases sent to the hotel for free! We also could have charged things to the room with our room card.

Overall

I have to say that we were impressed with Aventura Hotel. The price we paid was definitely worth the experience we received. We were able to relax with the simple theming and enjoyed saving money to put towards other experiences. I also enjoyed using the tablet to control the room and loved Relay! I can recommend this hotel without hesitation, if you are on a budget and/or like technology.