Staying at a Universal Orlando hotel enhances your Universal trip, but which one should you choose? Today I am sharing my top picks for the best Universal hotels to stay at for your 2025 Universal trip.
Where you stay during your Universal Orlando vacation is an important decision for your trip! We have stayed at 6 of the 11 hotels on property at Universal. There is something I love about all of them, you really can’t go wrong in your pick, but these are our top picks.
What Makes a Best Universal Hotel
The criteria for a great hotel is the following:
- Spacious rooms or suites
- Family Fun amenities: game room, hotel activities
- Pool: Water slides, pool activities
My Pick for the Best Hotel at Universal Orlando
We are a family of five so the hotels I am recommending are great for families, but adults will love them too! I will specify if the hotel is best for kids or better for adults.
Universal Orlando Hotels for Large Families
Before I get into my top hotels at Universal Orlando I want to mention the best choice for Universal Orlando hotels for large families. We are a family of five and do not fit in a standard room, thankfully Universal has options!
The hotel I recommend most for families is the Universal Endless Summer Resorts. There are two: Dockside and Surfside and both offer 2-bedroom suites, nice dining, and amenities. These resorts are also in the middle of Epic Universe and Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk.
The other option is to consider (and price compare) booking connecting rooms. We recently did this at Aventura Hotel and Stella Nova Resort. If the price is right we will continue to do this.
If you want to stay at a Signature resort and you do not want to upgrade to a suite there are options at some hotels to request a rollaway bed for an additional cost. We did this when staying at Hard Rock Hotel.
The space was tight, but it was worth it to stay at Hard Rock and be within walking distance to the parks and have access to Unlimited Express Pass for our stay. We are also doing this for our upcoming summer trip stay at Helios.
Top Hotels at Universal Orlando
Overall you can’t go wrong staying at a Universal hotel but these are our favorite places to stay during our Universal vacation.
Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Cabana Bay Beach Resort has the best overall theme and amenities. With a pool, lazy river, arcade, and bowling on property there is so much to do without ever leaving the resort.
It also has on property dining options and the family suites at Cabana Bay are a great option for those looking for more space too. Guests of all ages will appreciate this hotel.
I do recommend Cabana Bay for families that don’t mind sleeping on a pull out sofa. If that is an issue for you I suggest checking out my next pick.
Book your Cabana Bay Beach Resort Stay!
Universal Endless Summer Resorts
The Universal Endless Summer Resorts are our favorite choice for staying at Universal because they have 2-bedroom suites. These suites have 3 queen size beds. It gives us more comfortable sleeping options when we are staying at the parks.
Surfside and Dockside are two different resorts but they offer basically the same accommodations with subtle different decor. We have stayed at both more than once and it is always a great stay. I usually compare prices and go with the better deal for our visit dates.
Compare prices at Surfside or Dockside.
Stella Nova Resort
On our most recent visit we stayed at Stella Nova Resort. This hotel is considered a prime value resort and is a Epic Universe hotel. Stella Nova is within walking distance to Epic Universe and will be very popular once the park opens in May.
During our stay we booked connecting rooms and were overall happy. There are not suites at this hotel so larger families will have to book connecting rooms. Also keep in mind this resort is further away from the other Universal parks and CityWalk.
Aventura Hotel
We stayed at Aventura Hotel and it was the first time we had booked connecting rooms for a trip. It was kind of a game changer! Having 2 rooms when traveling with 5 people, including 3 teenagers, gave us all the space we needed.
It is also a great hotel for adults because although it is family friendly it does not have the same amenities the other resorts have. The pool is a bit on the smaller side and there is not a water slide.
It does have incredible roof top views and a rooftop bar. Kids are welcome but if you are an adult looking for a quiet resort Aventura might be a good choice.
If I was planning a trip to Universal those are the hotels I would consider and compare for prices and amenities. When Helios Grand opens I anticipate it being one of the best and I will update this post after our first to see if I am right!
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Leah has been planning and writing about Universal trips since 2016. She loves finding the best places to eat and stay during her visits to the park. Leah enjoys the little details that make visiting the parks so immersive and special, and sharing that with her readers.
