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Cabana Bay Family Suite Review

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On my first solo trip to Universal Orlando Resort, I stayed in a Cabana Bay Family Suite! Today I am sharing my thoughts on the visit. I plan to stay in a regular room with my mom in December, so stay tuned for that review in the future!

Cabana Bay Family Suite

Cabana Bay Family Suite

I actually stayed at Cabana Bay Beach Resort for the first time on my very first trip to Universal Orlando back in June 2015. However, that was before I was blogging trips and prior to UO building out the resort with additional buildings. So, this was technically my second time staying here. I used a passholder discount to get this room for less than $200/night. Universal considers this resort a Value Resort since it’s one of the cheapest resorts on property, which puts it in the same category as Endless Summer – Dockside and Surfside Inns.

Interior Entry

I paid a few dollars extra per night to upgrade to an interior entry and I’m glad I did. I believe this made the room quieter as I didn’t have to hear the pool as much and the carpet probably absorbed some of the sounds in the hallways. It was also nice not being in the sun when walking to/from the room. I recommend an interior entry for these reasons alone.

The window in my room had a view of a parking lot and the back of the hotel. I did hear some noise from the outdoors, but it was probably much quieter than a pool view room. I also heard some sounds from the room above me. However, that probably can’t be avoided at any hotel these days. I was woken up by the sounds of people returning to their rooms on the night of HHN that I didn’t attend, around 1 AM. So, the interior entry doesn’t guarantee a completely quiet experience, but I assume it is quieter than an outdoor entry.

Extra Space

The reason Universal considers this a suite is because it’s a larger room with more space. It features a sitting area with a pull out couch and tv. There’s also a little kitchenette area. I really enjoyed this additional space as I brought up several meals to the room to eat at the table while watching tv. It made for a relaxing experience. I also sat on the couch to watch some tv and it was moderately comfortable. The chairs in the living room were admittedly less so.

There’s a sliding door to separate the extra space from the bedroom. Obviously, I never needed to use that door. However, I think it would be useful if a bigger family was sharing the space.

The suite also offers a different bathroom configuration. There’s a water closet (separate toilet), followed by a lighted vanity/sink combo in the middle, and then a shower/sink combo. There isn’t anything separating the bathroom space from the beds. I think a curtain or sliding door would be useful here.

Pros

  • More space – this would be great for a family to have more space.
  • Separate space to get ready – the bathroom configuration means someone can get ready while someone else showers.
  • Quieter than some – this was definitely quieter than a suite at Endless Summer.
  • Fun theme – I think most people enjoy the retro theme here.
  • Moderately affordable – depending on the time of the year, it’s a moderately affordable upgrade.
  • Good amount of plug ins – Since this is a room meant to hold more people, it has a good amount of electrical plug ins.

Cons

  • Nothing separating the bathroom area – A curtain or sliding door would be useful to conceal this area from the beds.
  • Costs more – A suite is more expensive than a standard room and an interior entry is more expensive than an exterior entry room.

Is a Cabana Bay Family Suite Worth it?

I enjoyed my stay in a Cabana Bay Family Suite. If it’s in the budget, I think it’s a good choice for a Universal Orlando trip.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Review

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I made a trip to Universal Orlando Resort in February 2023 with my mom to experience Universal Orlando Mardi Gras again. On that trip, we were lucky enough to stay a few nights at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort! So, I wanted to share my thoughts on our stay in a standard room.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Sapphire Falls Resort

Sapphire Falls is now considered a Signature Collection Resort. While it does not come with Express Passes, it does have its own boat transportation to the Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and City Walk! It will have bus transportation to Epic Universe.

This resort has a nice sit down restaurant as well as a classier vibe than the Prime Values. Staying here also gets you into the park an hour early, just like the other official resorts. I am very pleased to note that this resort is significantly quieter than Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside or Surfside.

Standard Room

I really like the theming of this resort. From the individual lights outside each room’s door to the lighted mirror vanity in the room, it really is a nice place to stay. We found the room to be more than big enough for the two of us. You can see pictures of our room in this Instagram post.

Our only complaints about staying here involve the bathroom and they are minimal. For starters, the toilet had trouble flushing off and on. I’m not sure what the problem was, but it was struggling. We also had issues getting the toilet paper to stay on the holder as it kept falling down. It was funny the first few times, but then we stopped putting it on the holder to avoid chasing it. Lastly, I feel like the room could use a few more towel hooks, especially if you were going to have four people staying in it.

Food Options

Food is the category where I think you can really tell the difference between this resort and lower priced options, like Universal’s Aventura Hotel. The values and prime values have just quick service restaurants. Sapphire Falls has a quick service restaurant called New Dutch Trading Co. However, it also has a sit down restaurant, Amatista Cookhouse! I love eating dinner here with their tasty bread service and juicy chicken! The breakfast buffet has some great donuts too! Lots of choices here and I recommend eating here if you happen to be staying next door at Aventura.

Is Sapphire Falls worth it?

Overall, we were very pleased with our stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. We got an annual passholder discount on the room, which made it a good deal. Between the boat service to the parks and good dining options, I would definitely stay here again.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Review

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On my most recent trip to UO (February 2023) my mom and I were lucky enough to stay one night at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort. This is my review of that experience.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal

The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is one of the Signature Collection Hotels at UO. This is the second one I’ve had the pleasure of staying at. You may recall my Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort Review, which is the other one I’ve stayed at. Both of these hotels come with boat transportation to Islands of Adventures and Universal Studios Florida while also being walking distance to those parks. It will provide bus transportation to Epic Universe. Plus, they also come with free Universal Express Passes! The Express Pass allows you to skip the lines at lots of rides in the parks, so it is sometimes worth the room upgrade for the passes alone.

Music Memorabilia

One of my favorite things about staying here is getting to view all of the music memorabilia. All around the lobby and in the gift shop is fabulous pieces of clothing worn by and guitars played by famous musicians! There’s even a set of pajamas worn by Elvis! My mom and I really enjoyed just walking around and looking at everything. You can see some of these items in my Instagram post below.

Standard Room

My mom and I booked a standard garden view room for this trip. We were pleasantly surprised by the room’s size. It’s pretty large for a standard room. I enjoyed the theming in the room. My favorite part was probably the full length mirror that had famous musicians’ height on it. It was neat to stand up next to it see how you compare to famous people!

We only stayed for one night, but were very comfortable here. The beds were easy to sleep in and the room was quiet. Our only complaints about the room involve the bathroom, but they are very minor complaints. There was a very small sink in the bathroom as well as a bigger sink/vanity right outside the bathroom. In my opinion, the small sink was just taking up space. Also, it made for a weird layout/setup.

Now, for a really random gripe. This is the first hotel I’ve stayed at that featured toiletries with a masculine scent. I took the first shower of the night and discovered this as I was using the products. I warned my mom and she refused to use the products after smelling them. She used some stuff she brought from home because she thought she would “smell like a man.” I brought home the little bottle of body wash and gave it to my husband. He likes it, but agreed that it does smell a little masculine. It doesn’t smell bad. In fact, I kind of like it. However, if you prefer a feminine or neutral fragrance, you may want to bring your own toiletries when staying here.

The Kitchen Restaurant

I love that one of the restaurants at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is called The Kitchen. It’s like going down to the kitchen for a snack as you visit a rockstar! We ate breakfast here both mornings of our stay and were very happy each time. The first morning we tried the breakfast buffet and found there to be plenty of options! It’s easy to get full on this buffet with lots of different things to try. All of it was really good too!

The second morning I got the Elvis French Toast and thought it was divine! However, you must love peanut butter to enjoy this dish. My mom got the Buttermilk Pancake Stack and we were both impressed with the size of her pancakes! We both enjoyed our breakfast that morning too!

HRH at Universal Orlando

Overall, our stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando was a very pleasant one. I would definitely stay here again, if the opportunity presented itself. However, I would bring my own toiletries next time. Have you ever stayed here?

Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort Review

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Back in December, my mom and I spent a night at Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort while visiting Universal Orlando Resort. It was our first time staying in a Signature Collection Hotel at UO and it did not disappoint.

Royal Pacific Resort

Royal Pacific Resort

The last night of our stay at Universal Orlando Resort in December, we switched from Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites to Loews Royal Pacific Resort. This was our first time staying at a “Signature Collection Hotel“. It was also our first time getting the Universal Express Unlimited pass since it’s included with a stay here! The price difference this trip was worth it for both of us to skip the lines!

One of the other perks of staying at Royal Pacific Resort is supposed to be the ability to ride the boat over to the theme parks. Unfortunately, the boat dock was being refurbished during our stay and we weren’t notified until we checked in. So, we were disappointed to discover that we couldn’t enjoy this amenity on our trip. We were pleased to discover that there was a walkway to the parks, which is a huge advantage over the values. It is a bit of a hike, but we were told it was quicker than waiting for a bus. So, we walked each time.

Upon entering this hotel, I realized that we were staying somewhere really nice. We loved the island theming as it’s very relaxing. I enjoyed the laid back vibes that counterbalanced the rush of visiting theme parks. We also appreciated that this hotel houses everything indoors, so we didn’t have to worry about walking with luggage in the weather!

Standard Room

Perhaps it’s because we had just spent 3 nights in the value hotels or perhaps this resort is just really nice! Either way, we had a very comfortable stay at the Royal Pacific Resort. The room was much quieter than at Surfside or Dockside. In fact, we both slept great! The beds were comfortable. The shower tile and bathroom vanity took the room up a notch. Even though it’s a standard room, there was more than enough room for the two of us.

Royal Pacific Food

One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new foods. So, I was happy to discover how good the food at Royal Pacific is! I enjoyed the Tuk Tarts from Tuk Tuk Market. I’ve also heard great things about the luau they host on Saturday nights. Unfortunately, we were staying here on a Monday night and didn’t get to experience it.

The standout dining experience of this trip was the Islands Dining Room. We had breakfast here both mornings and enjoyed it each time. The first morning, we got the buffet. The second day I got Hawaiian Pancakes while my mom got Tahitian French Toast. We were very pleased with our meals here! Everything tasted fresh and delicious! You can see the food in my Instagram post below.

Overall Review

I think you can probably tell that I enjoyed my stay at Royal Pacific Resort. In fact, it’s currently my favorite Universal Orlando Resort. I should be staying at two other UO hotels soon, so stay tuned to see if it remains that way. Have you ever stayed here? What did you think?

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites Review

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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

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.

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.