Sheraton or Hilton at Universal Studios

[damo]

Which do you prefer? I need to book one and am not sure which to pick!

 

[iceskatejen]

I've stayed at the Sheraton (back in 1989) and it was nice. The rooms were decent sized, though I thought the bathroom was kinda small. I think the Hilton is newer.

 

[year2late]

I would like to put my two cents in. Please someone correct me if they had any different experiences.

I stayed at Sheraton Universal ONLY because of the convinience. They offered an every 15 minute tram to Universal/Citywalk. I called back twice to confirm this. I usually do priceline for trips, so spending $100 extra on a room, I wanted to make sure of what we got. We were there Friday to Sunday. The morning shuttles came every 30 minutes on average. The evening shuttles were over an hour wait on two occasions.

We reserved a club room (the only room available) and recieved keys that did not allow entrance to the lounge. Elevators were more than slow. Calling the hotel operator usually involved the phome ringing over 10 times. The pool was very small considering the size of the hotel. The few teens that were agressively playing at the pool made it a little frightening for my 10 year old son (beginning swimmer). We had to clean our own table off at the poolside dining area to have a light meal.

I think we may be different from other guests - we ONLY cared about convinience when we checked in. Maybe we hit them on a bad weekend. Who knows.


Next time we will stay in a surrounding area and take our car.

 

[damo]

Are both hotels as convenient? Both descriptions say they are located adjacent to the park.

 

[rlynch210]

I'm going to California for the first time in less than 2 weeks.

I'm staying at the Hilton/Universal City Hotel.

From the Pictures I've seen (you can walk right out the door and be at the big Globe at Universal Studios).

The Descriptions I've gotten say that is 1/8th of a block away from Universal.

If you go to www.tripadvisor.com and type in the Name of the Hotel This Hotel got all 4 and 5 star ratings (5 being the Highest).

I would choose the Hilton if I were you, and the rates are fairly low too, pending where you book it.

Hope this Helps!

Have a great Trip!

 

[Bete]

It is convenient. At the time of my booking the Hilton was at least $75 more a night, no matter where I looked for rates. I thought I got a good deal at the Sheraton to begin with; so, another $75 a night was too rich for my blood. Neither hotel gives you express line privileges like Orlando; so, I think they are both a little on the high side. The shuttle is not worth the high price.

We are going in October and I opted for a Hoilday Inn about a mile away in North Hollywood for a 1/3 of what I paid for at the Sheraton. I just don't want to pay those higher prices. I believe with the waiting factor for the shuttle you are just as well off to commute to the park. I think the Sheraton is showing some aging, too. There one decent restaurant is pricey for what you get. The convenience factor is not worth it for us. Universal Hollywood park is a lot more manageable to do then the Orlando one. The rides are closer together. We managed about 75% of the park in one day and we started at 10am and left about 6pm. I'm going back because we didn't do the whole park.

 

[damo]

I can get the Hilton for $143 at AAA prices. I can get the Sheraton at $124 off Hotwire. I really like the convenience since we don't know the area at all.

I'm also seriously considering the Front of the Line passes since this will be our one and only trip to Universal Hollywood.

Does anyone have any suggestions where to get the best prices for both the hotels and the tickets?

 

[minniecarousel]

I have a definite opinion since we stayed at both a few weeks ago! We went to Disneyland first and stayed at the Grand Californian for 4 nights. We then moved onto the Sheraton Universal. What a disappointment! After 2 nights I told DH I wanted to move to a different hotel for our final night. With no other reservation, we gave notice at the Sheraton that we would be checking out the next morning (we had booked for 4 nights). I called the Beverly Hills Hotel, and they had a room available, BUT it was just a little out of our price range!(yeah,right, just a little!) I called the Hilton next to the Sheraton and got a room for the same price. And their parking was cheaper! The room was soooo much nicer at the Hilton! Both hotels use the same shuttle to get to City Walk - you walk onto the park from there. So, yeah, I would stay at the Hilton again, but not that Sheraton!

 

[damo]

Thanks Julie, that's exactly the comparison I was waiting for. I'll book the Hilton. I hope the AAA rate I'm getting is a good one!