Featuring a futuristic sleek 17-floor tower design, Universal Aventura Hotel is a comfortable and affordable place to stay at Universal Orlando with convenient theme park benefits.
So Many Theme Parks to Try at Universal Orlando
Continuing on our nationwide visit to theme parks, we enjoyed a recent visit to Universal Orlando in Florida. We were prepped and ready to experience non-stop action because this visit would include multi-theme parks like the new Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal CityWalk. (There is also the Universal Volcano Bay water park but we had no water park plans this visit.)
To put the size of the various theme parks into perspective, we spent five days walking approximately 29,000 steps per day. That’s why it was critical to find a convenient hotel right onsite the property but accommodations that fit into our budget.
Finding a Theme Park Stay That Didn’t Break My Bank
We had to consider the fact that spending time at any theme park (from park open to close) could be a 10-hour day. The reality is, we wouldn’t be spending much free time at the hotel so booking the latest, greatest, and most expensive hotel on theme park property just didn’t add up. I set out to find a comfortable, clean, and affordable Universal hotel to basically just sleep, shower, and perhaps squeeze in a quick dip in the pool. I’d rather have the extra money to spend inside the theme park.
As soon as I saw that the tall, bluish windowed tower-looking hotel, Universal’s Aventura Hotel, is in the “Prime Value” hotel category at Universal Studios, I knew that would be the more affordable hotel option for us. It’s modern, sleek style would add a bit of “futuristic coolness” to our hotel stay without breaking the bank.
.
.
.
.
.
I’m at least 18 years old, have read and agree to the terms, rules and privacy policy & agree to receive LegitHotelReviews email.
My Favorite Benefits of Staying on Universal Property
If you’re wondering why we just didn’t stay off property to find a cheap hotel, Universal Aventura Hotel offered so many great theme park benefits and is located just minutes from theme park entrances. Let’s just say that we’ve learned the hard way that saving a few bucks is not worth the hassle and headaches of staying outside of the theme park and incurring the most frustrating traffic jams when entering and exit theme parks, and subsequently parking miles away from the entrance.
Here are our favorite benefits when staying on Universal Orlando property:
- By staying at Universal Aventura Hotel, we were able to get a head start with early park admission. We entered and started enjoying select attractions at each Universal theme park one hour before opening.
- By staying on Universal property, we appreciated the complimentary shuttle bus transportation to the theme park entrances and to Universal CityWalk.
- I simply used my hotel room key card to make purchases throughout the Universal theme parks, in the hotel, and at Universal CityWalk.
- And when I made purchases at the theme parks, my merchandise got delivered directly to the hotel for free so I didn’t have to carry bags on and off theme park rides and while strolling Universal CityWalk.
- While we didn’t go to Volcano Bay during this trip, there is a convenient entrance to the water park steps away from the hotel, out back by the hotel pool.
Universal Aventura Hotel is Simple Not Fancy
While the exterior offers a cool, curvy design with windows from the ground floor up to the top of the building, Universal Aventura is not an “over the top” themed Universal hotel. It blends a sleek, minimalist design. If you’re expecting to see Universal character graphics, the hotel doesn’t feature any. In fact, besides the futuristic exterior tower design, there is no obvious theming that I can identify except a consistent squiggly pattern painted on the walls throughout the building. That’s not to say the hotel does not offer some cool features.
Once we entered the large sliding front doors, the modern, brightly lit lobby offered a nice view of the glistening outdoor pool. Glancing around the lobby, there is food, coffee, and a cute little store. The lobby is not grand, instead on the small and quiet side. However, if you head up to the rooftop, you’ll find the coolest open air rooftop bar with outstanding panoramic views of the theme parks and way out into the Orlando area.
Accommodations and a Helpful Delivery Robot
Universal’s Aventura is a 600-room, 17-story hotel with special in-room technology. The tablet in our room controlled everything from lighting and room temperature to ordering room service and accessing streaming services on the television. More exciting, the tablet allowed us to request deliveries from “Relay the Robot.” It’s a continually roving robot that delivers requested toiletry items to guest rooms like towels, blankets, and even toothbrushes. Our tech-friendly guest room also featured a Bluetooth speaker.
As for the guest room décor, it was simply decorated with pale, soothing gray, blue, and muted purple colors with modern furniture and lamps. One of the nicest features in our sleek, spacious, and very bright room were the floor to ceiling windows with an awesome view of the Islands of Adventure theme park. The room was clean, comfortable and supplied all the amenities we needed including a television, single-serve Cuisinart coffee maker, mini refrigerator, in-room safe, and a hair dryer. I immediately fell asleep in the most comfortable bed … or perhaps I was just exhausted. There was plenty of storage space and a nice desk area.
Universal’s Aventura only offers 4 room types: Standard, Deluxe, Kids Suites, and Skyline Kids Suites. Standard Rooms accommodate two to four guests with one king bed or two queen beds and the Deluxe Rooms are the same but slightly larger. Kids Suites sleep five guests with a special sleeping area for children that is separated from a third king bed via a privacy wall. The Skyline Kids Suites are the same except located on the highest floors of the hotel offering even better views.
Enjoying the Hotel When Taking a Theme Park Break
Besides sleeping and showering at the hotel, there are a few fun activities to do while taking a break from theme parks. The unique curved-shaped pool at Universal Aventura Hotel is a beautiful resort-style pool with palm tree shaded areas, plenty of seating, food, and beverages. It’s a zero-entry pool with a hot tub and a kids’ splash pad with fountains. While there is no waterslide at this hotel pool, there is an outdoor game area with a pool table, yard games, and arcade games. The hotel has a fitness center, open 24 hours, with a good variety of equipment. There is also a unique virtual reality game room where you pay to play and wear the provided virtual reality headsets.
A small Universal Studios Store is located in the hotel lobby selling many staples that you may have forgotten to pack in addition to some cute Universal themed clothing and other souvenir-type items. Best part, all I needed to do was swipe my room key to make purchases.
Grabbing a Bite to Eat at the Hotel
Just so you know ahead of time, food options on theme park property (including theme park hotels) are on the expensive side but worth the convenience of never having to leave the Universal area for food. While we ate most of our meals at theme parks, we did grab a few breakfasts, late night snacks, and beverages at the hotel.
Located on the first floor, the Urban Pantry is a food court, with a large variety of food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. We enjoyed the eggs, waffles, biscuits, pizza, fries, cookies, and gelato. There is a Starbucks right through the lobby area and yes, I placed mobile orders so my chai tea was ready as soon as I stepped off the elevator.
Our favorite part of the hotel was Bar 17 Bistro, the rooftop bar and restaurant with 360 degree views around Universal and the Orlando area. We enjoyed the food, cocktails, and the music. We loved the signature Rooftop Burger.
Bar Ventura, Aventura’s lobby bar, was also a great place to grab a quick beverage and rest our tired feet after a long day of theme park walking. Located outside by the pool was Bar Sol, known for their frozen drinks and signature cocktails like the “Arnold Palmer’s Day Off.”
10 Key Takeaways
- Sleek and modern, yet affordable “Prime Value” Universal Studios hotel
- 600 rooms on 17 floors with outstanding theme park views
- Hotel guests get early park admission up to one hour before theme parks open
- Free transportation to Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe, and Universal CityWalk
- Rooms are tech-savvy with in-room tablets and requests from “Relay the Robot”
- Amenities include a resort-style pool, arcade, fitness center, and shopping
- Hotel dining options include a rooftop bar, food hall, Starbucks, and more
- Your room key allows you to make quick purchases resort-wide
- Make a purchase at theme parks and enjoy free delivery to hotel
- Convenient entrance to Volcano Bay water park just steps from hotel pool
Frequently Asked Questions
- What areas make up Universal Orlando?
There are three theme parks that you’ll want to plan to visit: Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe. There is also the Volcano Bay water park and our favorite, Universal CityWalk, a huge entertainment center where we went bowling, watched a movie, and ate lots of snacks!
- What is Early Park Admission?
Early Park Admission gives Universal Orlando hotel guests the opportunity to access select theme park attractions up to an hour before the park’s scheduled opening time for the public. This was a great perk to our stay as it allowed us to ride the most popular rides right away.
- Does Universal Orlando Resort have a mobile app?
Yes, the mobile app is great! You can simply download through the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for Apple iOS. We used the app to order food and drinks, explore attractions, view maps and show times, and more.
- Are pets allowed to stay at Universal Aventura Hotel?
Pets are not allowed at Universal Aventura Hotel. However, we did notice that pets are permitted at other Universal Orlando hotels. Pet fees apply.
- Is Universal Aventura Hotel a good fit for a family with children?
Yes, we witnessed that the hotel had many families with children of all ages. While the hotel is not designed for children as other Universal themed hotels, the pool and virtual arcade could make for a fun hotel stay. Consider the Kids Suites for added space and sleep privacy.
- Are there accommodations for guest with disabilities at this hotel?
Yes, all Universal’s on-site hotels are Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. In addition to accessible guest rooms, all entrances and routes are wheelchair accessible and the pool offers a zero-entry point. We noticed that the pool and the hot tub have accessible lifts.
Final Thoughts
Universal Aventura Hotel helped make our “Universal Adventure” a memorable success. Theme parks are exhausting but the convenience of staying on the property with early entry and free transportation was much appreciated. The hotel staff were also a huge help as they continually, politely, and accurately answered every question we posed. The room was ideal for the two of us, the bed was comfortable, and we had a great view. I highly recommend this hotel as a welcoming place to relax after a day at the parks.
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Hotel amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.