Where do you stay the 'day before' your Universal Hotel check-in?

[cpl100]

Planning to check into the RPH the day after we arrive in Orlando and spend the first day 'off-site' but close in order to maximize FOTL. I know many people do this and am wondering where others have stayed, enjoyed, or hated for whatever reason.

And how did you book it (Priceline, Hotwire, hotel website, travelzoo, etc....) Any tricks to getting discounts in the area?

Will also stay at an offsite hotel the third night so we can exhaust ourselves at the park and not have to drive 2 hours to the next destination tired and in the dark, later at night. I am thinking it might be nice to stay at a place with a pretty good breakfast included (Embassy Suites, maybe?) to have that available before our journey the next day.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[GinaBean]

We are staying at Embassy Suites the night before we check into the RPR.

 

[ky07]

I have stayed at the doubletree on major blvd and its across from universal and I have used AAA to book the room and hotels.com

 

[Darcy03231]

I stayed at the Sheraton Studio City. Its half a mile from US/IOA and I got it on Hotwire for $52/night. I limited my search to 3* and up and in the Universal area.

 

[damo]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Major.

 

[torinsmom]

I used Priceline and got a Radisson close to Universal for $40.