Hi All ~ I bought those 7-day Universal tickets for $82 a while back online and we'll be in Florida next March.
I'd like to book one of the Universal Studios Resorts.
Can you give me a brief point form description of the places in comparison to each of the other resorts?
* price
* walking distance to the parks
* themes
Thanks! Sandra
All three hotels are considered on par with the Deluxe hotels at Disney.
In fact, all three are
AAA 4 diamond rated. There are only 5 hotels at Disney that share the 4 diamond rating; the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, the Contemporary, the Beach Club and the Yacht Club.
As mentioned above, the Royal Pacific has the smallest rooms at 335 sq. feet. All of Royal Pacific rooms (excepting suites) are the same size, the only difference is view.
The Hard Rock's rooms ranging from 375 sq feet for the standard rooms to 400 sq ft for the deluxe king and the largest at 500 sq feet for the deluxe double queen room.
The Portofino has the largest rooms and is usually considered the most luxurious of the three hotels. It's rooms range from 450 sq feet for the standard rooms to 490 sq feet for the deluxe rooms. The bathrooms are huge at the Portofino.
Walking distance:
Hard Rock is the closest with an approximate walk of 5 minutes to Universal Studios, add a few more minutes to head to the other side of City Walk for Islands of Adventures.
Royal Pacific is the next closest with an approximate walk of 7-10 minutes to Islands of Adventure.
Portofino is the farthest with a walk of about 10 -15 minutes, when using the paths, to Universal Studios. However, this walk can be cut down by several minutes by cutting across the Hard Rock parking lot.
As mentioned, all three hotels are served by a very efficient boat system. The boats run every 10 -15 minutes to City Walk, which is the portal to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Theming is as was mentioned above:
Royal Pacific - a South Pacific theme. Very lush, great pool (largest in Orlando) with a great play area for kids, though no slide.
Hard Rock - Rock and Roll. Very energetic, great pool with underwater music piped in, great slide.
Portofino - Themed to look like Portofino, Italy. Has a definite Tuscan feel to it. 3 pools, the beach pool with a great slide, the Villa pool which is quieter and the Hillside pool - very quiet because nobody knows it is there.
Price - Royal Pacific is the least expensive. Hard Rock and Portofino are similar in price and can flip flop back and forth over who has the more expensive rooms depending on the time of year.
Best discounts on the rooms are the AAA and APH (annual pass holder) rates.
You came to the right place to find answers to Universal. The regulars here are great and always willing to help. So, ask away and have a great trip!
