Universal Hotels?

[serendipity]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Universal Hotels? We have reservations at the world from november 11th-19th but are planning to fly in on the 10th because my fiancee has a half day of work that day. We were already planning to visit Universal and found out that by staying on property we get the free fast pass. Has anyone ever stayed at any of the resorts?

 

[tinaluis]

There is a Universal section on this board and the folks there will be able to answer you questions.

 

[java]

Before this gets moved I'll say that we have stayed at the Portofino-just beautiful...and the Roayl Pacific- really nice. The rooms at both are bigger than anything at disney. I personally thought for the price the Royal Pacific was just right. (the portofino is more expensive- but there is a great restaurant there- it is the little itallian place that is right near the water... I am sorry can't remember the name...getting old..) I think you can't go wrong with any of the hotels- and so worth it for the FOTL access you get. You will not wait on line at either park...have fun

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We've stayed at all 3. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Staying onsite at UO is definitely the way to go. IMHO, it's better to stay at UO after WDW though, if it can be arranged.

 

[powellrj]

we LOVE the universal hotels and FOTL can't be beat!! They are delux hotels, so don't be turned off by the price. They are more expensive than a value at disney, but they are much nicer!

 

[rie'smom]

We love the Royal Pacific. It's been our choice for the past 6 years.

 

[MouseGirl]

Another vote for the Royal Pacific - we stayed there last year and are headed back in March. Can't wait!!

 

[LeahA]

We've stayed 2 times at Royal Pacific and liked it very much. Nothing can beat the FOTL at the parks!

 

[serendipity]

wonderful. does anyone know if you can walk to the parks from the hotel or is there some sort of transportation?

 

[serendipity]

There is a Universal section on this board and the folks there will be able to answer you questions.

I can't seem to find this section! any help?

 

[serendipity]

nevermind I was apparentely being really lazy and I found it!

 

[BikeFan]

Another for the Royal Pacific. We stayed there in '04, and it's a beautiful, well-themed resort, equivalent to a Disney deluxe hotel. The only (very, very) minor gripe we had about it, compared to the other two Universal hotels, was no water slide at the pool, which is otherwise very nice and very kid-friendly. But pool-hopping is allowed, so we swam over at the Portofino a few times.

wonderful. does anyone know if you can walk to the parks from the hotel or is there some sort of transportation?

They provide free water taxi transportation from all three hotels to the parks and Citywalk. If the weather prevents the boats from running, there's a shuttle bus. Universal has some great parks, so enjoy.

 

[serendipity]

thanks we're definately going to stay at the Royal Pacific. It looks beautiiiiiful

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Okay, I'll be the voice of dissention. As I mentioned earlier, we've stayed at all 3 resorts & my entire family agrees that RPR is our least favorite. Our DS(14) is a Hard Rock Hotel fan, which is where we usually end up staying. My DH & I think Portofino Bay is by far the nicest of the 3. When our DS is no longer travelling with us, we'll always stay at PBH. We've taken nieces & nephews on different stays & all of them prefer HRH also. I didn't see any mention of kids. If you have younger kids, RPR's pool area will be great for them. If they're preteen/ teens, HRH is the happen' place to be. If your middle name is "luxury" go with PBH.

As for transportation, from HRH you can walk to Universal Studios in 5 minutes. IOA is a 5 minute walk beyond that. Going to the right of CityWalk, in front of HRC & NBA City, is the fastest way to get from US to IOA. When we stay at HRH, we always walk everywhere. It's faster than the boat or bus. From RPR, IOA is a 10 to 15 min. walk, depending on how fast your family walks. Of course, US would be 5 min. further. This time, you'll be walking on the left of CW though. There's a short cut to the walkway by going through the lobby. My health isn't great, so we find ourselves taking the boat more than walking from RPR. PBH is the farthest from the parks & CW. It's possible to walk, if you're used to a lot of walking. You would be walking past HRH. If you'd rather not walk, the boat is a nice ride. FYI, the boats load & unload in the center of CW. If you haven't figured it out already, CW connects the 2 parks. UO's layout is extremely convenient. You'll love it, especially staying onsite.

 

[isla bonita]

I have stayed at Portofino and it was very nice. I can only comment on this one.