staying at universal hotel ??

[**tinkerbell**]

i am staying in pop century, wdw next year, but wanted to book one night in the hard rock hotel universal. One reason is the express facility on the park rides, however i have read that you cannot check in until 4pm and must check out by 11am, which considering park times are 9/10-6, would not give us much time to use the express. does anyone know if these are the correct times and if its possible to pay for early checkin/late check out? thanks

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I can't comment personally on the check out -- although I've read somewhere they'll hold your bags while you enjoy the parks on your departure day -- but we've arrived as early as seven, eight a.m. at HRH, done the check-in thing in the lobby, we get our room cards (which are the FOTL passes), leave our bags at the front desk and enjoy the parks. Disney hotels do this, too.

Hopefully someone else can advise you for your departure day.

Have a blast!

 

[goofy!]

i am staying in pop century, wdw next year, but wanted to book one night in the hard rock hotel universal. One reason is the express facility on the park rides, however i have read that you cannot check in until 4pm and must check out by 11am, which considering park times are 9/10-6, would not give us much time to use the express. does anyone know if these are the correct times and if its possible to pay for early checkin/late check out? thanks

It is true that the official time to have a room ready is 4:00pm. However, you can check-in as early as you want. Many people check-in right before the parks open. The front desk will give you your room keys (which also serve as your FOTL passes), you can leave your luggage with the bell hop, and they will call you when your room is ready.

You don't even need to stop at the desk again. They will tell you your room number and the room keys you received in the morning will be activated. Just head to your room and call down to have your luggage brought up.

As for check-out, your FOTL passes are good until park closing of the day you check out.

Proceed with check-out, but keep your keys. Again, have the bell hop keep your luggage or put it into your car. Head to the parks. The only thing you cannot use your room keys for after you check out is to charge something back to your room. But as FOTL passes, they are good until park closing.

And if you are a Loews First member, I believe you can still use the fitness area to freshen up after you return from the parks and before you collect your luggage. There are showers, shampoo, conditioner and just about everything you need there.

 

[scammermom]

You can check in early, they hold your bags, and you can get 2 days of FOTL pass for one nights stay.

I have heard they do that for check out and hold your bags too. We didn't need to do it but that's what I have read. We choose to check out, load the van with the bags and park at US so we didn't have to pay another full day for valet and we could go right to our next destination from the park.

 

[tlinus]

I checked in on Thursday the 19th at about 8:20 AM and our room was ready !

I would highly recommend getting there early and trying it - I went back to the family at the Nick Hotel, packed the van and we went on over!!!

 

[macraven]

i am staying in pop century, wdw next year, but wanted to book one night in the hard rock hotel universal. One reason is the express facility on the park rides, however i have read that you cannot check in until 4pm and must check out by 11am, which considering park times are 9/10-6, would not give us much time to use the express. does anyone know if these are the correct times and if its possible to pay for early checkin/late check out? thanks

i stayed on site this month and was able to check in before 8 am and be in a room..........

just like goofy said, you can check in anytime, have the luggage held (you will receive a baggage claim check) and then go to the park.

you can call from the park or have a tm call for you to check and see if your room is ready. you are given a number and pw to call and check the hotel status of your room. your room number is coded into your room/hotel key so you do by pass the front desk.

the beauty of staying on site is the extra day of the fotl. (front of the line)

you spend one night at the hotel and when you check out your hotel/room key is stil valid on check out day for the fotl priviledges until the park closes that day.
if you are a loews gold or platinum member, you can ask for a late check out of 2 pm. if you are a blue member, you can ask and see if it is available.

either way, your luggage is stored for you safely.
you can use the exercise fitness room showers at the end of the day.

to become a loews member cost you nothing and you get free perks with it. sign up for it online at loewsfirst.com many of us posters are loews first members.

don't be shy to check in early and see if your room is available.
i have never had my room assignment as late as 4 pm.

and, don't be shy to ask for a late check out.
feel free to use the showers/bathrooms in the exercise area.
or the pool area.

when are you planning for your trip?
you mention the park closes at 6pm.
if you are going on dates where a hard ticket event wil occur be sure to be at the parks early when they open as certain hard ticket events are crowded a couple of hours prior to park closing.

 

[robvia]

Agree, check in early and your room may be ready. As to the late check out, you can get a 1 hour grace period to noon. Loews gold or platinum card members can get a 2pm checkout if available. There is enough time to visit the parks in the morning, check out, and then drive/fly home.

You really need 2 nights to "feel" like you stayed. Yes, you can go for 1 and use the FOLT for 2 days, but 1 night would seem like a flash. You wouldn't really have time to walk around the hotel and hang out at the pool.
Plus you really need 3 days to see the parks (1 day per park and the last for favorites), so 2 nights is perfect.

The HRH is comparable to a luxury hotel at Disney. Yes, it costs a lot more, but think of it as a splurge. It's worth the extra money, you'll be spoiled.

 

[LuvTigger]

Ditto the above. When making the reservation, I would request early check-in. It's not a guarantee, but my guess is that someone who requests it ahead of time is more likely to get into their room before 4 p.m. than someone who didn't request it (that happened to me at Disney -- I requested and got it, lady next to me didn't request it and didn't get it). It's never a guarantee, but it doesn't hurt.

We were able to check-in to HRH before Noon. And as everyone mentioned, you can always check-in and have them hold your bags until the room is ready, and still enjoy the FOTL benefits.

Same for check-out. I believe the room card is good for FOTL until the end of the day on your check-out day, so you can check-out by 11, have them store your bags until you're ready to depart, and go and enjoy the parks and the FOTL access.

But I do agree with Robvia -- if you can swing it, try to stay 2 nights. It'll be a lot less stressful if you could.

 

[macraven]

everything the other posters have said is true about staying for 2 nights at a universal hotel.

it's like a blur if you check into the hotel early and then go to the park when it first opens. you are at the park for most of the day and then return to the hotel room in the late afternoon.

then, you ususally go back to the parks or hit city walk until late night.
(dinner, shopping, movie, whatever).

this leaves very little time to explore and relax at the hotel.

there is more to the onsite hotels then just the room you stay in.

the surrounding grounds around the hotel, the pool area, the hotel resturants, the lobby, the gift shops and checking out the other 2 hotels.

one night is not enough to enjoy it all.

 

[chobie]

This is so cool guys, thanks for the info. I just found that my DH as a Florida teacher gets a 2-day pass for free and his family members get each get on for $40 but they must be used by Jan 30, 2007. I am so excited, we were planning on doing Disney for a few days around New Years and now I'm going to tack on a least on extra day to stay at HR for the FOTL.

Now after reading Macraven post I'm thinking 2 nights would be better and downsize from AKL to PopCentury to make up the price difference. Plus I think my kids would really love HR.

 

[macraven]

chobie, i think you will enjoy universal and the on site hotel much better if you stay for 2 nights. you can relax and do the parks and city walk at a slower pace then. if you do the movie night at the pool, you won't feel like it is cutting into any of the park or city walk time then.

i spent one afternoon on the elevator one day on a past trip.
i started at the bottom and hit every floor so i could see the rock n roll decor on each floor by the elevator areas. (hallways)

i was on club so i was able to see what i wanted to on the 7th floor.

and, i would look out the windows at the elevator area to see what type of view it had to offer for that floor.

akl is beautiful but very costly depending on which view you reserve.
when you are at disney, a lot of the time is doing the parks. i stay at disney each trip before i go to universal for a stay and i spend very little time in the rooms at disney. i spend a lot of time at the hotels at universal.

if you switch from animal kingdom lodge to pop or the all stars, you will save a lot of money and make the ouch not as deep when you stay at hrh or one of the other 2 hotels at universal.

the last few trips to orlando i have paid more for hrh than in the past.
the first time that i did not get a deep discount i paid more for a 4 night stay than before. i book in advance, way in advance like 10 months out and just budget for the hotel costs.

to me, it is worth every penny to stay on site at universal. i'm well over the sticker shock of costs there. for the last 3 years, it has increased on price as i go during the hhn time period but well worth it.
i no longer wince at the nightly cost there. it is still cheaper than going deluxe at disney. at disney now, i stay at the values resorts and start the fall trip near the last day of value season. that way, the cost for universal does not effect me anymore. staying at universal is still a bargain for me.

if you go during the low season at universal, the hotel rates are cheaper.
i have seen the rooms go for $149 and less per night.
floridians get a good rate also for universal hotels.

i just reread your post.
since you are going within the next 2 months, book now for hrh.

check out the site for hrh on the UO website. it is as nice as it looks on the website.

 

[chobie]

Thanks Macraven, I did book two nights and got 149 a night. Not bad!

 

[macraven]

chobie, now go to loewsfirst.com and apply for the loews first card.

it can take 3 weeks to receive it.
if you put off applying for it, you can get the membership number over the phone and use that number at the hotel for the free welcome gift.

i just love free things.

i have been known to spend $900 to get something free........



if you don't tell the reservationist you have the loews card when you made the ressie, you can tell them at the front desk when you check in and still get the free gift.


you will love hrh !!!

and you will love staying on site for 2 nights.........

be sure to give us here a heads up on your trip once you return.

 

[robvia]

Good move. Most people are used to paying All Star rates, and can't imagine paying $150 for a night at Universal. But it's a different world all together. It's a splurge and worth the money.

Enjoy Disney at Pop Century, then arrive Universal early your first day. You'll get your magic keys, and be spoiled as you go thru the rides with no wait. Most people who visit Universal and stay onsite get hooked. They post great TRs saying how great it was, and the next trip they take away another Disney day and add it to Universal.