Universal Studios Hotels
 

Planning on going just to Universal in June, what is a nice hotel as close as possible to Universal?

Hard Rock Hotel is the closest (5 minute walk), and then Portofino Bay (15 minute walk or boat ride). They are both beautiful hotels, and if you stay in them, show your room key you get to go to the front of the lines at Universal and IOA.

Danielle,<BR><BR>Which are you going to: LA or Orlando?

Orlando

Depends on how much you're willing to spend. The two hotels mentioned above are the closest, but rates start at around $200 a night, I believe.

Universal's Pacific Beach Hotel, their third, also opens in June. But I think the Hard Rock is the BEST. There are sometimes specials for less than $129 per night, but I doubt that will be available in June.

Call for the dates you want and ask if the "entertainment rate" is available. If it is, go to www.entertainment.com and buy a book for your local area. That way you can use the discounts at home. The hotel discounts are the same in every book. People have been booking the soon to open Royal Pacific hotel at the entertainment rate of $99 a night--even during July 4th week. The Hard Rock entertainment rate is $129. Being so close to the parks and getting the immediate express line access is priceless!! For loads if info on these parks go to www.disboards.com

Gail is right. We paid $125 a night at the Hard Rock a few weeks ago during Spring Break (high season), with the Entertainment rate. WELL worth it. It's a great hotel! <BR><BR>To get the book go to Entertainment.com. You can reserve the room first without the book though. Just call and ask for the Entertainment rate.

Here's another hint. Join the "loews first" frequent guest program before you go. You get to choose a welcome gift,free newspaper, as well as possible upgrades and other perks. You get these perks with your very first visit. www.loewshotels.com (all the Universal Hotels are Loews) I got the Entertainment rate at the new Royal Pacific. I hope it is not crazy to stay at a place only a week after it's grand opening. On the map, this hotel appears to be closest to Islands of Adventure. They told me the Hard Rock had no Entertainment rate availability until June 30. There was availability at the Portofino Bay for $150. Good Luck.

My family stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel in April 2001.<BR>I was not able to get an Entertainment rate, but did get a rate of $150. with a package airfare/hotel deal through a travel agent. I'd definitely pay that again! It was so worth it. I also took the time to become a Loews first member thinking those perks would be nice. It was a total waste of time. I got no perks ~ had ordered the complimentary fruit basket. It got to be a joke in my family, since it never arrived! We didn't care, the place was a blast. Just one thing to beware, if you stay there, no other hotel you stay at in the future will measure up!

We were very lucky, we got upgraded to a Club room as Loews First members for the second time! We were also upgraded to Club Level when we stayed there last year! We also got our Loews gift, bottle of red wine which we brought home as we had complimentary wine in the club lounge. The wine wasn't bad either

my kids (ages 12 and 7) and i went to universal studios last year at the end of august (and no it actually wasn't unbearably hot) and we stayed at the radisson twin towers which is at the entrance to universal studios. i thought it was very nice and clean. the service was good, it has a pizza hut on the premises and also a breakfast buffet and also a more formal restaurant. it is also within walking distance (across the street) from tgi fridays. there is a burger king nearby, ponderosa (which had a $3.99 breakfast buffet) and other places to eat nearby. the hotel provided transportation to universal studios, sea world and wet and wild water park. i had a slight problem with the rug in my room and they let us switch to a different room and also when i wrote to the main office about the problem, they sent vouchers for two free nights at any other radisson hotel anytime. i would definitely stay there again. i am considering going to disney this summer and may stay at the radisson which is near disney. my package was booked completely through AAA including airfare, hotel, parks admission and airport transfers. the total was about $1800, i'm sorry i don't know the exact price of the hotel room per night. hope this helps.

Hard Rock hands down! Especially if you have kids. Pool, food, rooms, staff, location....everything was incredible. The best part was getting to the front of the line on all the rides at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure because we were staying at the Hard Rock. All we had to do was show the room card. We got a 6 night package through southwestvacations.com for 2200.00. Price included RTair from MHT, RT transfers, pool view room, unlimited admission to Universal, IofA, SeaWorld and 1 day Water Mania. This was for 2 ADTS, 2CHD with all taxes included the 2nd week of May 2001! We never bothered going to Water Mania because the pool at the Hard Rock was awesome. The hotel is no more than a 5 minute walk to Universal and no more than a 10 minute walk to IofA. There was a transfer bus to Sea World and Water Mania that was easy. The Hard Rock is most definitely upscale but not at all snobby. Go and have a blast and drink an Alien Creation poolside for me!

Hi Danielle. I have been searching the net for several days. I went to the Universal Studios site wherein they are offering specials, but it requires a 4 night minimum at all three hotels. The newest hotel is $99 per person, per nite, and includes admission to both parks for 4 or 5 days. So you will spend, minimum $800 for 2 people which is terribly high.<BR><BR>If you have a friend that is a Florida resident, then that is the best way to go. They can purchase your park tickets for you at a drastically low rate, and in addition, Florida residents get breaks on rooms as well. Even if you can save on the admission tickets alone, you could spend a little more on the room.<BR><BR>I checked and for the quality and price, the Crowne Plaza International is the best. It is a half mile from Universal, and is only $75.95 per night right now, booked thru the internet.<BR><BR>Lines are not long in the summer - it is considered the off-season. If you are going for 5 days, save the money you would spend staying on-site. Crowne Plaza offers a free shuttle to Universal, as well as other attractions, and has many amenities. It is rated 4 star.<BR><BR>Have fun. We'll be down there the first week of July.<BR>

We stayed at the Holiday Inn & Suites Universal Studios. It was right across from Universal Studios & has the largest TGIFriday's restaurant there. It was very nice. We had free transportation to Universal Studios & were able to buy our tickets there at the hotel. By staying there we were able to get into the park 1/2 hour or so before they opened & were in time to be included in a filming of a show on Animal Planet. Also they had special Hard Rock Cafe offers associated with the hotel. We really enjoyed it & it was reasonable. We also went to this website www.Go2orlando.com & sent off for info. They sent us an Orlando Magicard that gave discounts to hotels & other things.

I highly recommend you stay on-site at Universal. The Hard Rock Hotel is a great choice. Portofino Bay is fabulous also. The pool area at HRH is wonderful, short walk to the parks, Citywalk, etc. AND YOU CAN GO INTO THE EXPRESS LINE ON EVERY RIDE by showing your room key!! This perk is the best. People can be standing in line for a popular ride like Spiderman for an hour (or more) and you will show your room key, get in the Express Line and be on that ride in less than 10 minutes. Stay on-site!!! You won't be sorry!<BR><BR>

Just got back from the Hard Rock Hotel. It was just as great as the previous posts have said. The pool was huge with plenty of room for everyone to lounge around. The slide was a lot of fun & the beach club restaurant not too expensive. The rooms were also clean and new & we thought everyone was very friendly. I got a AAA rate of $159 a night b/c the entertainment rate wasn't available. Not a bad deal. If you are with kids I would DEFINITELY do it - the rate is higher than outside properties but the express pass is SO worth it. Your room key works as an express pass at any ride, any time, one after the other. The ones they give out now in the park to anyone don't work that way - you can only have 1 pass in your possession at any one time - and can't get another until you've used that one up. Great feature but not nearly as great as the room key access. We zipped through Universal Studios in 6 hours because of it - and then had plenty of room to lounge at the pool.

Just got back from the Hard Rock Hotel. It was just as great as the previous posts have said. The pool was huge with plenty of room for everyone to lounge around. The slide was a lot of fun & the beach club restaurant not too expensive. The rooms were also clean and new & we thought everyone was very friendly. I got a AAA rate of $159 a night b/c the entertainment rate wasn't available. Not a bad deal. If you are with kids I would DEFINITELY do it - the rate is higher than outside properties but the express pass is SO worth it. Your room key works as an express pass at any ride, any time, one after the other. The ones they give out now in the park to anyone don't work that way - you can only have 1 pass in your possession at any one time - and can't get another until you've used that one up. Great feature but not nearly as great as the room key access. We zipped through Universal Studios in 6 hours because of it - and then had plenty of time to lounge at the pool.

I had a special through the Hardrock Hotel for $219 for each adult (kids were free.) I t also gave 2 free length of stay passes. After reading posts on this message board I saved over $300 by getting the Entertainment rate at $140 per night and than ordering 5 day passes for $89 off the Universal website. The Entertainment books can be ordered at entertainment.com for any city. Currently they're only $10 since they are only good until Nov. We've already saved over $100 on local establishments and used it to get a great rate at a hotel in Washington DC for Oct. Highly recommend it for people who like to travel-discounts for well-known hotels throughout the country for 20%-50% off regular room rates.

just got back from the HRH. IT was a great hotel, except we had a poolside room and the music could get a bit loud at night. the pool was only about 4 feet deep in its deepest point. other than that the hotel was very nice. and the express ride passes were GREAT! we had a 3 day pass and by the third day we had riden everything multiple times.