CHEAP but decent hotel ideas near Universal?

[klwdisney]

My husband and I may try and take a quick 3 day trip to Orlando next month to go to Universal Studios. We would be on a VERY limited budget. Any ideas for a super cheap yet decent hotel near US that provides a shuttle or is walking distance?? Im clueless about anything that's not on disney property!

 

[Darcy03231]

I stayed at the Sheraton Studio City which is .5 miles from US/IOA. I got it on Hotwire for $52/night. I limited the search area to Universal and picked a 3*. Hotel was very nice and I would stay there again.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I've stayed at the 3* Hyatt Place across from Universal for $35/nt thru Priceline. It's a very nice, clean place that includes a free continental breakfast and shuttle to US/IOA. It's also walking distance from US/IOA, but it is a bit of a hike.

 

[Purseval]

If you bid on a 3* through Priceline you should pay somewhere between $30-40/night depending on the time of year. I know of many people who got the Hyatt for $30, I got the Sheraton Four Points for $22 using a $10/day Priceline reward. There are also some 2.5 star hotels nearby I would try $20-30 for them.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

We stayed at LaQuinta on Major Blvd in 2008. I was able to find some promo codes online and we booked an Executive Queen Room (2 queen beds, fridge, microwave) for $55 a night. They also had free continental breakfast & a daily shuttle to/from Universal. It was a pretty nice place for the money.

 

[klwdisney]

Is Hotwire like Priceline? I've never bid on one of those types of sites before. I'd be nervous about getting a dump!

And if I booked a hotel thru Hotwire, how would I know if they have a free shuttle to US? Would it be listed in the Ammenities?

 

[taliategan]

Is Hotwire like Priceline? I've never bid on one of those types of sites before. I'd be nervous about getting a dump!

And if I booked a hotel thru Hotwire, how would I know if they have a free shuttle to US? Would it be listed in the Ammenities?

If you bid 3* or higher on either site, you are not likely to get a bad hotel. Check the list of probable hotels on betterbidding.com for Priceline and Hotwire in the Universal area. There is no way on Priceline to tell if your hotel will have a shuttle or be within walking distance. Hotwire listings will only indicate shuttles to the airport - it will not list a shuttle to any parks on the listing. With Hotwire, through betterbidding.com or other similar sites it may be possible to identify the hotel through the sites listings or making a post on that site to identify a listing. If you are able to identify the hotel, you can then check with the hotel to see if it has shuttles, the frequency of its shuttle service and the distance from the parks if you want to walk. Hotwire has the benefit of possibly knowing what you are purchasing before you make the purchase, but its prices are generally a little higher than Priceline.

 

[hpfan100]

If you have an entertainment book you can get great rates through their online booking or direct call.

Closest non on site hotels are Holiday inn and Doubletree

On windhover which is walkable but too far after a day in the parks are a Hampton inn, Windhover and another hotel I can't remember. They all share a shuttle to US/IOA and also have shuttles to Disney. I stayed at Hampton and got a decent rate through their website in June. i think I paid 75 a night which I thought was good for summer season.

Good luck!

 

[DOOM1001]

I was a long time Hotwire user using betterbidding.com,I must have booked the Comfort Suites on Turkey lake rd a couple of dozen times through them as low as $24, as well as dozens of other hotels.I stopped using Hotwire for a while as some of the hotels I was used to getting stopped showing up,like the Comfort Suites.I tried Priceline name your own price once and got a great hotel for a great deal,so I tried them again using the same location and 2.5 star level to see if I would get it again,the second time instead of getting one of the 2 hotels listed on Betterbidding at 2.5 stars in that location,both of which are hotels I know I would like they instead "upgraded" me to a 3 star hotel which is far and away not as good a hotel as the 2.5 star ones,I just recently tried it again and ended up getting the same hotel again.This whole upgrading thing just makes using betterbidding worthless since you don't know if you're going to get one of the hotels at the star level you requested,also I feel this "3 star" hotel is obviously being used as a way to make buyers feel they're getting an upgrade when in reality is not one.I don't know if I'll be using priceline through their name your own price anymore,I'm going back to Hotwire or if anyone knows anything about Travelocity's Top secret hotels maybe I'll give them a try.

 

[dgr1973]

Check out travelzoo.com, they have a deal right now for the Clarion Lake Buena Vista for 39.00 per night. We stayed there last year and thought it was pretty nice, no breakfast though. They do have shuttles to Universal but I don't know much about it because we rented a car. I know their website lists the times for the shuttles to give you an idea how often they run.

 

[damo]

The hotels in the Major Blvd. area are the closest. The La Quinta is a two star and is just fine. We've also stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and although is is the furthest away in that area, it is still nice. There are shuttles from these hotels.

 

[crazelion]

I stay at the Residance Inn on Universal Blvd for 49.00 a night with a travelzoo speical. The hotel was excellent but would not recommend it not having a car.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

es checking Travelzoo canyeild some good deals we stayed at Springhill Suites on Universal Drive for $49 a n ight it was clean and pleasant and had breakfast.

 

[marleygirl]

You can't get wrong with a Hyatt place as far as a hotel is concerned.

 

[allknowingeye]

I really the Shearton Four Points up by Universal, one of my favorite hotels in the area.