Universal Resorts Archives - Laughing Lindsay

Universal Stella Nova Resort Review

June 18, 2025 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Back in early May, I stayed two nights at the Universal Stella Nova Resort. Here’s a review of that experience.

Universal Stella Nova Resort

This resort is one of the newest hotels at Universal Orlando. It opened in January 2025 and is directly across the road from the new theme park – Epic Universe! It’s considered a Prime Value Resort like Aventura resort. In fact having stayed at both now, I would say it’s a space themed version of Aventura to a large extent. The space theme ties in nicely with the Celestial Park front of Epic Universe, which this hotel faces. I really enjoyed the space theme and pictures.

Standard Room

Immediately upon entering my room, I noticed an issue. There were two bottles of shampoo in my shower and no conditioner. I texted with the hotel to ask for a replacement bottle and was told it was no problem. Then, I went to the park. I came back several hours later and noticed that there was indeed a conditioner bottle in the shower. It wasn’t until I was in the shower that I realized that the bottle was completely empty. So, I had to text again the next day for conditioner. During my second park day, someone finally got me some conditioner. I don’t know what the process is to replace shampoo/conditioner at this hotel, but I’ve never had that much trouble getting either one before.

It appears that there’s only one type of room here – the standard double queen room. Due to the extreme last minute nature of my trip (I stayed here during my Epic Universe preview), I took what they had available. Personally, I always prefer a standard view room to a pool view due to noise. However, all they had left was pool view. So, I stayed in a pool view room during this trip. While I did hear some noise from the pool during my mid-day break, I turned on my white noise machine and was able to block it out. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to block out the noise from within the hotel. I kept hearing people running around and housekeeping slamming doors.

The Lights

I had read reviews online ahead of staying here with people complaining about the lights automatically turning off and on. While I’m very happy to report that the lights didn’t randomly turn on while I stayed here, I did have the lights turn off on me once. I actually had to get out of the bed to make them turn back on. I also noticed that the air seemed to turn off if there wasn’t much movement and got a little warm. Plus, there seems to be some sort of sensor on the lights near the bathroom and the sensor light never goes out. Rather, it lights up the whole room all night.

The Food

While I didn’t eat dinner here, I did enjoy breakfast. I was pleased to discover a couple of good items for breakfast. One day, I enjoyed the Croque Madame. I was surprised that it may have had cilantro or some other green herb that wasn’t advertised. Once I removed it, it was tasty. I also got the chocolate monkey bread and saved it for the next morning. It was still good the next day! Personally, I found the breakfast options to be a step above some other value resorts.

Stella Nova Pros

Space themed – The space theme is really cool. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of space around the hotel.
Location – This was the perfect hotel for my Epic Universe only trip. The bus ride was typically really short. Although, there was one time where the light couldn’t be triggered and it took us like 20 minutes to get to the park. There’s also a short walking path to Epic Universe – which is what swayed me to stay here instead of at Terra Luna.
More affordable – Unfortunately, I went during a cheer competition, which raised the rates pretty significantly. Typically, it’s around $200/night, which seems reasonable to me given its location.
New – Having just recently opened, you know that nothing is run down yet.
Comfortable room – It was a solo trip, but I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here with my mom or husband. The beds were pretty comfortable too.
Early entry – Just like all of the other on-site hotels, guests get early entry into the parks.

Universal Stella Nova Cons

Noise – The walls/floors seem to be somewhat thin. I thankfully didn’t have a connecting room, but I was still able to hear my next door neighbor’s conversations as well as people moving around the resort. I also heard housekeeping pretty consistently during my mid-day break.
Automatic lights and air – The lights and air will automatically cut off if they don’t sense movement after so long. I’m sure it’s a cost/energy saving measure, but it’s annoying.
Lack of room type options – If you need a different bed or room configuration, you will have to look elsewhere.
Theme not for everyone – Aside from the pictures of space, the resort is a little… sterile feeling? It’s sleek but kids would probably enjoy a different resort better.

Is the Universal Stella Nova Resort worth it?

This is a great option for visiting Epic Universe. However, I think it’s a little far removed from the rest of Universal Orlando Resort. I also didn’t like how noisy it was. I might stay at Terra Luna or Helios next time for the Epic portion of my trip and then transfer to a different hotel to visit the other parks. You can view my Universal Orlando Resorts Overview if you need help picking a resort.

Have you stayed here? What did you think?

Universal Endless Summer Suite Review

August 14, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

If you are wondering what the Universal Endless Summer Suite rooms are like, then here’s my review to help you.

Universal Endless Summer Suite

For those who don’t know, Universal Orlando Resorts has three value resorts Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Endless Summer – Dockside and Surfside. Dockside and Surfside are sister resorts under the Endless Summer name and are across the street from one another. I posted a Dockside Inn review and a separate Surfside Inn review previously. However, I thought today I would focus on the popular two bedroom suite option found at both places.

Two Bedroom Suite

When you first enter the room, you see two queen beds, a tv, and a kitchenette area. There’s a picnic table along with a microwave and mini-fridge in this area. Then, you encounter the one bathroom of the suite. There is a double vanity outside the bathroom to allow more people to get ready. Lastly, there’s the separate bedroom with a tiny closet, a queen bed, and tv.

Universal markets these as “two bedroom” suites. However, there’s only one separate bedroom apart from the main two bed area of the suite. So, I think that’s something that you should know immediately. It’s really a separate bedroom for one queen sized bed. It’s great for parents with older children or a group wanting a little more space. I just don’t agree with the two bedroom advertising.

Pros

Most affordable suite – This is probably the most affordable suite you will find in Orlando, especially at an official theme park resort.
Extra space – The suite provides an additional bed(room) over the regular room.
Kitchenette – The addition of the microwave and picnic table was very useful.
Universal Orlando perks – Both of these resorts come with the perks of free park transportation and early theme park entry!
Nice theme – Each resort is themed slightly differently and looks relaxing.

Cons

Temperature control – We found that it was difficult to pick a good temperature for the suites as the separate bedroom has an air vent right over the bed, which leads to it being cooler than the front room.
Noise – Noise is always an issue whenever I stay at a value resort. The walls are paper thin and the air vent in the separate bedroom allows voices to travel from other rooms.
Groups – Due to the pricing, both places are a hit with tour/sports groups. So, you will encounter them in the lobby and possibly hear them running around.
Better quality bedding elsewhere – The bedding is fine. However, I noticed a marked upgrade in bedding at the more expensive resorts.
Lack of storage – There’s only one small open closet in the separate bedroom.

Overall Thoughts on Universal Endless Summer Suite

I think the suites are a good value for larger families on a budget and groups traveling together on a budget. It’s good for anyone who wants extra space or needs a kitchenette. Personally, I prefer to spend the extra money and stay at either Cabana Bay Beach Resort or Aventura. Have you stayed in one of these rooms? What did you think?

Universal Orlando Resort Hotels Guide

April 30, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Having stayed at most of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels, I thought I would post a little guide to help people decide where to stay.

Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

As of May 2025, UO has 11 on-site hotels. Three new hotels opened up near/beside the new theme park Epic Universe. As of May 2025, I have stayed at 9 of those hotels. I intend to come back to this post to update it as I stay at the new ones and to update my rankings.

There are now three tiers of hotels at Universal. First up, there’s the Signature Collection: Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific, Sapphire Falls, and Helios Grand Hotel. They are the most expensive resorts. Select resorts (Portofino, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific) come with skip the line privileges called Express Pass at the two original parks. Four of them come with boat transportation to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure: Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, and Sapphire Falls. Helios Grand has its own dedicated park entrance to the new theme park, Epic Universe while providing bus transportation to the other parks.

Next is the Prime Values: Aventura, Stella Nova, and Terra Luna. They are considerably cheaper than the Signature Collection while being more upscale than the Values. They are more akin to moderate resorts or more middle of the road in terms of pricing and amenities.

Last but not least are the Values (a.k.a. cheapest) consisting of Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and Endless Summer – Dockside and Surfside Inns. Those three hotels are going to offer the cheapest rooms on property.

Portofino Bay

This is currently the top tier hotel at Universal. It’s themed to the lovely Italian village, complete with several restaurants and a bay. In my Portofino Bay Hotel review, I gushed over it as it’s truly a lovely place. It’s very luxurious and relaxing. It is currently the most expensive place to stay on property. However, it also comes with Universal Express Unlimited, which helps explain some of the hefty price tag. This is the ideal resort for a couple’s trip or an adults only vacation due to its relaxing vibes.

Hard Rock Hotel

Typically, the Hard Rock Hotel is the second most expensive hotel on property. It’s filled with lots of neat music memorabilia and is perfect for any music fan (I mean who doesn’t like music?). It’s the most lively of the Signature Collection hotels and is a good choice for folks with kids who want the Universal Express Unlimited. However, I prefer the Royal Pacific for the price.

Royal Pacific

Typically Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort is the cheapest (not cheap though) of the three resorts that offer Universal Express Pass. Royal Pacific is my second favorite resort on-property with its nice tropical paradise. It’s a good option for folks who want that Universal Express without paying as much. The theme also makes it a great option for someone who is pining for a beach/tropical getaway.

Sapphire Falls

Sapphire Falls used to be considered a moderate, but is now part of the Signature Collection. I think it’s a good compromise for accommodations and price, depending on the season. It’s a step up from the Prime Values in terms of theme and restaurant options (it has a sit-down restaurant) but isn’t as nice as the other Signature Collection hotels. It’s in between in practically every way. Sapphire Falls is the hotel where I took the picture used for this blog post seen above. It doesn’t provide Express Pass, but it does have boat transportation to USF and IoA.

Aventura

Aventura is the Prime Value tower hotel beside Sapphire Falls. It’s a tech-centric tower with smooth lines in the design. It’s definitely meant for younger adults on a budget. Technically, you can walk over to Sapphire Falls to enjoy their restaurants and boat transportation to the parks too. I like it, but it was louder than the Signature Collection hotels.

Stella Nova

Stella Nova is one of the three newest hotels on property. Opened in January 2025, it’s directly across the street from Epic Universe and features a fun space theme. It’s great for visiting Epic since it has a walking path. However, it’s a bit far removed from the rest of the resort and I had problems with noise and automatic lights/air.

Cabana Bay

Cabana Bay Beach Resort was previously a Prime Value, but is now considered a Value. It’s across the street from Aventura and Sapphire Falls. It’s also much bigger and spread out. There are lots of different room configuration options here making it ideal for larger families or groups. It’s also a good bit cheaper than the hotels listed above. However, it is limited in food options and has only bus transportation. Although, it is right next to Volcano Bay if you plan on visiting it.

Endless Summer – Dockside and Surfside Inn and Suites

Last but not least we have Endless Summer – Dockside Inn and Suites and Surfside Inn and Suites. Endless Summer is technically two sister resorts across the street from each other. Surfside is a good bit smaller and has fewer people. I prefer it to Dockside just because it’s less crowded and chaotic. However, they both have thin walls and attract tour groups/sports teams due to the prices. They feature a bedroom suite for larger families as well. These hotels are ideal for people on tight budgets and larger groups. They are both considered Value Resorts, along with Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

Well, those are the 9 hotels I’ve stayed in thus far. I think there’s probably a good fit for every situation and budget. It all really depends on what you value in a resort and what your budget is. My personal ranking is:

Portofino Bay
Royal Pacific
Sapphire Falls
Hard Rock Hotel
Aventura
Stella Nova
Cabana Bay
Surfside Inn
Dockside Inn

So, do you agree with my rankings or not? What is your favorite hotel at Universal Orlando?

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Review

April 18, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

On my most recent visit to Universal Orlando Resort, I finally checked off staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel! So, it’s time for a review!

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a Signature Collection resort at Universal Orlando. It’s themed after the Italian village complete with its own harbor! It is typically the most expensive resort on property (with Helios Grand Hotel expected to be more expensive when it opens in 2025) but is also considered the most luxurious.

It’s one of three resorts on property to come with free Universal Express passes. It also has boat transportation to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. It will provide bus transportation to Epic Universe.

Standard Room

My mom and I stayed in a standard two queen room. There was construction going on across the hall, but we didn’t hear too much noise. It was a pretty quiet stay, especially when compared to the rooms at Endless Summer. The beds were very comfortable with luxe bedding. Again, the difference between the comforter here and the thin cover at Endless Summer was noticeable. The details were classy and simple.

The bathroom was huge, particularly when compared to the other hotels. Although, I was a touch disappointed with the toilet paper quality here. I expected better toilet paper for the price, but it appeared to be the same cheap stuff you get at the other hotels. It also carried the same toiletries found at Royal Pacific.

Pros

Gorgeous resort – I loved just walking around this resort and feeling fancy. It truly feels like Italy to me (although, I’ve never actually been to Italy).
Boat transportation – It was amazing to walk down to the harbor and catch a boat over to the parks. Although, it did storm once and we had to take a bus back to the resort. That was less tranquil, but free park transportation is still a great perk.
Free Universal Express Unlimited – Your room key is your way to skip the lines in the parks. That sometimes makes the select Signature Collection hotels offering this benefit worth the higher price.
Relaxing vibes – I just felt so relaxed and peaceful here. I don’t get those vibes at places like the Hard Rock Hotel or Cabana Bay.
Several restaurants – We enjoyed Mama Della’s Ristorante as well as the Gelateria. Next time, I’d like to try Bice and Sal’s Market Deli.
On-site spa – I didn’t have a chance to experience it, but there is a spa on site here. It sounds lovely.
Three pools – This hotel is large and has three pools to spend time in.

Cons

Expensive – This is typically the most expensive resort on property. I used an AP discount and it was still around $300/night! If it wasn’t for the price, I would be staying here every trip!
Big resort – Thankfully, our room wasn’t much of a hike. However, the resort is sprawling and I can see getting lost here.
Theme not for everyone – This is the perfect resort for an adults only stay. However, I think children may find it to be a boring resort.
Limited AP discounts – This resort is technically owned/operated by Loews. As such, you can’t use your AP discount in the gift shop upstairs and at some other locations at the resort.

Is Loews Portofino Bay Hotel worth it?

Given the big price tag, I can’t recommend this hotel to everyone. However, if it’s in your budget, I say go for it. It’s now my favorite UO resort. However, the price is cost-prohibitive for many return stays. Also, I think people with children might prefer Cabana Bay or the suites at Endless Summer given the theme and pricing.

Have you ever stayed at Portofino Bay?

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Review

February 22, 2024 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

In December, my mom and I stayed in a standard tower room at Cabana Bay Beach Resort during the Universal Orlando portion of our trip. Today, I’m sharing a review of that experience as well as my thoughts on the resort as a whole.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Last year, I reviewed the family suite at this resort. For my third stay here, we booked a standard room. Unfortunately, a regular room wasn’t ready when we checked in. So, they gave us a tower room with a bit of a view of Volcano Bay (the waterpark).

As you may recall, CB is a Value Resort at Universal Orlando. This means it’s in the same category as Universal’s Endless Summer Resorts, which I reviewed previously. Previously, it was considered a Prime Value, but it has been downgraded to a Value with the addition of the Stella Nova and Terra Luna coming in 2025. It offers only bus transportation to the parks and doesn’t come with free express passes. It features a retro 50/60’s vibe with lots of fun little touches.

Standard Room

My mom continues to enjoy the retro vibes of this resort. I think it makes her feel nostalgic. The beds were moderately comfortable. One huge complaint I have about this resort is the water pressure. It’s not enough for the shower or the toilet to work properly. Universal really needs to work on that. Overall, it was a comfortable enough room, considering we got a passholder discount and were there for only two nights.

Bayside Tower

While we had a standard two queen room, it was situated in the Bayside Tower. I have mixed feelings on the tower. While the tower itself seemed quieter than the building, the view of the waterpark made for a loud stay during the day. The drums that beat and the music that plays at the beginning of the day woke me up the one morning that we were sleeping in. Additionally, we could hear music playing during the day when we were napping. The noise is one of the reasons I recommend getting a white noise machine and/or a standard view at hotels. The other problem is the distance from the lobby and transportation. It’s quite the walk with all of your luggage or at the end of a long day.

Food Options

Given that this is a Value resort, there’s only quick service options here. There’s the main Bayliner Diner food court that serves the bulk of you what you can get here. I recommend the half chicken for dinner from here. I like to grab a smoothie and a croissant sandwich from Shakes Malt Shoppe for breakfast. There’s also the Galaxy Bowl Restaurant, Swizzle Lounge, two pool bars, and a Starbucks here. Unfortunately, if you want a nicer sit-down meal, you’ll have to head to the parks or City Walk.

Pros

Free park transportation – Again, free park transportation is one of the main reasons I tend to stay on property at UO and Disney.
Early park admission – Hotel guests can enter a certain park 1 hour early.
More affordable – We got a great passholder deal on this room of around $150/night!
Pool – CB has the largest pool on property and even has a lazy river!
Bowling alley – Fitting the retro theme, there’s even a bowling alley at this resort! It would make a great non-park day activity.
Lots of room options – There’s interior entry rooms in the main buildings as well as the towers. There’s also several exterior entry rooms available as well as family suites.

Cons

No sit down restaurant – For some families, this may be fine. For others, it may be a disappointment.
Bus only transportation – It’s not really feasible to walk over to Sapphire Falls to take the boat to the parks here. Although, there is a 20 minute garden walk path over to the parks.
Low water pressure – In fact, when we moved over to Disney I was actually impressed with their water pressure. That’s how low the pressure is here.
Can be crowded – Given how large the resort is, it can be a crowded resort. Additionally, sometimes groups or teams may stay here.
Distance – Given how many rooms this resort has, it’s spread out as far as UO resorts go. Depending on where you are staying, it may be a bit of a hike to the bus and/or lobby.

Should you stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort?

If you want a good value on the hotel or need a quieter family suite, then this is an excellent resort. In fact, I know lots of people consider this one of their favorite resorts. It’s usually more affordable and has plenty of room options. If you want a classier theme, quieter resort, express passes included, or boat transportation, then you will want to consider a different resort. Have you stayed at Cabana Bay?