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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?

Cabana Bay Family Suite Review

October 25, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

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

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

April 4, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

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.

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

March 9, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

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

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

February 2, 2023 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

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

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?