HARD ROCK HOTEL information

[macraven]

no, the hrh does not have balconies or patios.
when i was on the club level last year, i think it was a wrought iron on the outside of the windows.

windows do not open.

 

[Sprunkn7]

Does anyone know of any other "secrets" for HRH besides the walkway? I have been there twice, and going for 5 nights in Oct. I plan on spending a little more time at the hotel this time and was wondering what else to do besides the pool. Have cabana #2 for Friday dive in movie ( 10/28 Hocus Pocus). and am staying at club level. I have plans to go to HHN on Thursday and Sunday, already got express for those nights too. I may take a day for Seaworld, but only if I get sick of the parks. I have not been to Seaworld in years and would like to return.
I mostly want to enjoy the park, the pool and the hotel. Like a resort vacation, but a little more wild!!

 

[macraven]

i have stayed twice on the club level. one tip, go early for the breakfast items as some people come in and hoard them......it happened to us on one morning. i think it is 10 when they take away all the breakfast items in the club lounge. they do not leave any of it there.

also take the half soda cans to your room. last october they did not have them all during the day. they restocked at the food times. the place, hrh, was overbooked the time i was there, maybe that made a difference.

don't miss the sweet hour, it was grand for the 4 days i was there.

one thing we enjoyed was taking the elevator to each floor. we got out and looked at all the celebrity stuff in that area by the elevator. we took pics on each floor. there are 6 elevators so you really don't have to wait very long to get another one once you have looked around on that floor.

we used the work out/fitness room only twice. not as impressed with it as golds gym we go to. very limited there.

if you check out at 11 and have to wait until evening for your ride to the airport, leave your luggage in the storage area, the valet men will take care of that for you. you can go to the park or do the pool, or take the water taxi or bus to the other two hotels and look around there.

you are allowed to shower and change in the pool room area if you desire to before you leave the hotel.

the breakfast buffet at royal pacific is so much better and cheaper than the kitchen. i will be doing that again this october.


when in october will you be there?

 

[dcookies]

Regarding the walkway by the Beach Club, it is closed and I doubt it will be open to the public again.

We were there this past weekend (8/27 - 8/29), and it had a big sign on the outside that said "Employees Only", and we couldn't even open it from the inside (pool area) without an employee key card. It was also closed last August when we were there, although it didn't have the Employees Only sign. I think there was too much traffic walking through the Beach Club. It's too bad, since it cut a lot of time off the walk to the parks.

 

[macraven]

that bums me out.

i always used the shortcut at hrh.

last year it had the sign up employees only but my card key worked to get in one time.


anyhoot, i will just be glad to be there in october.
thanks for the heads up.

 

[topplebogan]

Hey, sorry if this has already been asked, I've tried it in it's own thread but had no reply, I was wondering if anyone knows approxiamately how far/long a walk it is from HRH to the hearest I-Ride Trolley stop? And if it is an easy walk i.e. no big roads etc... Thanks

 

[macraven]

i did this one time and it was many years ago.

to me, it was not worth it since i had three kids with me.

if i remember correctly, we walked universal blvd to hrh.
guessing it was about a 15 minute walk but we had suitcases to lug with us.

we did the lynx bus from downtown disney, transferred by sea world to go to universal. $1.50 a ticket, cheap

i think one of the buses leaves on the hour and the other leaves on the half hour. if you time it right, it won't take forever like it did us.

go to the lynx website, you wil get detailed information on it and a phone number for help.

some people swear by the bus system from disney to universal, they really like it. for me, i just want the faster way from one hotel to another.

 

[chinapooh]

It's true, the short cut from the Beach Club is closed - employees only. My family and I loved the location from the HRH since we were on the first floor by the pool and in 10 minutes we were at the Studios. The room was nice but the carpets could have used a good cleaning or they need to replace them. Nice toiletries but no shower cap. I asked the housekeeping staff but she didn't speak English and she let me look around in her cart - but no shower caps. Food was great at the Beach Club - huge portions! We ate twice at The Kitchen and found that the breakfast buffet ok and pricey but the dinner was fantastic and worth it! Had the Thai chicken wraps which was a starter but I had it as an entree and still couldn't finish it! My DH had the meatloaf which he enjoyed very much and my DD had 2 starters - the shrimp cocktail and the crab cake. She didn't like the sauce with the crab cake - too much lime and would have preferred tartar sauce. Definitely would stay here again and FOTL is too good of a thing to give up!

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

OK, so now I guess I have a silly question. I've only stayed at HRH once and the only way I know to get to the Studios/IOA is through that gate by the Beach Club. How do you have to go now?

 

[macraven]

walk east/ around the pool to the left.

once you hit the building where the showers are stop.
do not walk straight as that would take you to the boat area.
turn right on the sidewalk and yu can walk to the same area where you would have used the short cut way.

you can walk the other shortcut way which is about 4 minutes or so.
you can take the boat which is on the east side of hrh. follow the sidewalk to it, can't be missed.

or take the long walk on the sidewalk that follows the path of the boat.
if you take the long walk, 10 minutes, you empty out in the same area as the other walk would take you.

you can take the bus to the other hotels if you wish.

 

[Disney Bint]

we are staying 1 night as a surprise for our kids for doing so well in school. do you think if i tell them at HRH about this they might do a little something for them?(they are 13 and 11, the 11yr old just passed grade 2 trumpet with honours).

we are also leows members.

many thanks

Disney Bint

 

[macraven]

quite a few years ago at hrh if you showed the report card and it was predominately A's, the kid received something. they had the promo for the summer time after school got out.

they didn't do it three years ago when i took one of my sons there.

you could email hrh and ask if they still do the promo.
it wasn't done in the fall but in may/june time at one point.

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

Sorry if this has already been asked.

I've only stayed at HRH once. To get to the parks, we used the shortcut that I believe is now closed. That is the only way I've gone so I'm not familier with any other way.

So, what's the quickest way to get to the parks? Also, is there a resort map anywhere?

Thanks!

 

[macraven]

the shortcut that is to the right of the bar was closed down last sept due to the hurricane. it was so good and quick to get to the parks from there. this is where you exit through the gate and enter into the employee parking lot.
walk around on the side walk and at the studios within 2 minutes.

it was closed the second weekend of oct this year still.
i asked a supervisor and was told hrh does not want the guests to have to view the employee parking lot as it takes away from the ambience of their theme. they are in the process now, he told me, to possibly put up some type of barrier so the lot is not viewed. if that is done, then the shortcut way could be reopened. right now, only employees can use it.

what i did since the shortcut was off limits was to take the walk around the lake by exiting to the left side of the pool. take the shorter walkway and it would be maybe a five minute stroll. this empties out right before the employee parking lot.

other choice which i took at night was the water taxis.
exit to the left of the pool and follow the signs that say water taxi.
turn right when you see the sidewalk and sign for universal or turn left towards the water taxis.
the water taxis ran every 15 minutes when i was there.
it is well marked so you can find it easily.
hth

 

[Liv2CdWorld]

Thank you! My kids would love the water taxi - atleast DS3.

 

[macraven]

pm me or post here if there are questions about hrh.
i am not an expert but have stayed there 8 times and have been going to universal since 1993.

 

[pathubia]

Hi Macraven,

Bummer that they havent opened the gate next to the beach club!!! How does the beach club look, they were renovating it last year. We missed HHN this year. It was nice meeting you last year!! We are heading back down to the HRH in Jan and counting down the days!!

Is Lou Carrier still the GM, he usually answers my emails right a way and I havent had any response from him.

Patty

 

[pauldents]

Sorry if this has already been asked.

I've only stayed at HRH once. To get to the parks, we used the shortcut that I believe is now closed. That is the only way I've gone so I'm not familier with any other way.

So, what's the quickest way to get to the parks? Also, is there a resort map anywhere?

Thanks!

The quickest way now is to exit out of the hotel by the Palm restaurant, turn left, go down the steps, walk through the parking lot and you're at the entrance to USF in under 5 mins.

We found this much quicker than the pool way.

 

[macraven]

Hi Macraven,

Bummer that they havent opened the gate next to the beach club!!! How does the beach club look, they were renovating it last year. We missed HHN this year. It was nice meeting you last year!! We are heading back down to the HRH in Jan and counting down the days!!

Is Lou Carrier still the GM, he usually answers my emails right a way and I havent had any response from him.

Patty

so good to hear from a friend !!

lou moved to california back early this year.
he was replaced by carlton hudson at the hrh.
carlton is laid back and a nice guy.

the beach club is so nice,better than before.
the shortcut area is still closed but like the poster above mentioned, to take the shortcut walk down the stairs.......ya there is a lot of them and cut through the employee parking lot to do the shortcut now.

i did 4 days at hrh club king suite and loved it. hhn was a blast as always.
i totally and completely love hhn.

think you might hit it next year in october besides january?

 

[pathubia]

We are definately going to try for HHN next October.

No wonder Lou hasnt answered any of my e-mails, LOL. I thought I may have upset him or something. He had lots of goodies delivered to our room last year....I was hoping I hadnt angered him, LOL!!! I'll have to meet the new guy in January!!

Lou is originally from the Boston area, and we had such a great Boston sports year last year, we would e-mail back and forth. He's a great guy. I was surprised he was from Mass. he looks like a Beach Boy!!

Glad you enjoyed HHN this year, my sister lives in the Orlando area and went last weekend and had a great time. I cant believe we didnt make it this year!!

I will check out the Palm way to get to the park in Jan.

Patty