Universal Aventura Hotel Reviews

Universal Aventura Hotel Reviews - Universal's Aventura Hotel is one of Universal Orlando's new hotels that opened in 2018. This "basic value" hotel offers modern, contemporary design and early access to the Park at a reasonable price. Wondering if a stay in Aventura is right for you? Read on to find out!

Table Of Contents

1. Universal Aventura Hotel Reviews



2. The Basics And Booking Universal’s Aventura Hotel



3. Arrival And Check-In At Aventura Hotel



4. Aventura Lobby And Grounds



5. Location And Transportation At Aventura

Source: i0.wp.com

Universal Aventura Hotel Reviews

This was my first time staying at a Universal hotel and my first extended visit to Universal Orlando as a theme park blogger. I knew I wanted to check out a Universal hotel and I knew I wanted early access to the Park which is a perk of all Universal hotels.

Guests of top hotels two floors above Aventura also receive a free Universal Express Pass Unlimited, Universal's "skip the line" system. These hotels start at about $85 a night compared to Aventura, which is reasonable for a night or two to get Universal Express Unlimited.

You can easily check prices for Aventura and all of Universal's hotels on the Universal Orlando website. In hindsight, I regret not doing the split. This is not a review of Aventura, just perfect for a split day that includes five nights of Premier hotel accommodation.

The Basics And Booking Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Torn between Aventura and Cabana Bay, I settled on Aventura. I booked through my travel agent, Lauren Quirk. As detailed in Part 1 of my Universal Orlando Trip Report, Lauren's good work saved me over $200. The five-night rate of $931.52 came to $714.38 when my annual passholder discount was applied.

Source: media-cdn.tripadvisor.com

That's about $186 a night without the discount and $143 a night with the discount. For a visit in early August, it's the same price as a stay at one of Disney's All-Star resorts. I took the Universal SuperStar shuttle from the airport (MCO) to Aventura.

As detailed in this review, it took only 100 minutes from check-in to be dropped off at the hotel. The cost of the shuttle is $39 per person, so for most families it makes more sense to use Uber. My check-in was quick and I was impressed with the friendliness of the staff, which continued throughout my stay.

The hotel is relatively new (2018) and it's clear that as part of Universal's ongoing efforts to become more of a vacation destination, the staff wants people to feel good about choosing this new Universal hotel. All Universal Hotels are a partnership with Loews Hotels.

Arrival And Check-In At Aventura Hotel

Loews is not a large chain, but they do have a solid roster of hotels in major destinations. I think it's a smart play because it allows hotels to be managed by people who are hotel professionals. Aventura is a Y-shaped (or is it Fidget Spinner Shaped?) tower.

The ground floor has check-in and vacation planning desks, a small bar, a food court (not sure about room service), a convenience store, a car rental desk, and—wait for it—a Starbucks! Use the arrows to scroll through the galleries below. As you can see, there is no clear "theme" to talk about Aventura.

Source: www.hotel-scoop.com

This is a simple, modern hotel. This is what some people are looking for, while others need a theme. If you need a theme, Aventura is not for you. As always, I have to remind you that I am a big fan of theme park hotel food courts.

Having a food court right on your way home gives you an extra hour to enjoy the parks if you can stay for dinner. This food court had burgers, pizza, noodles and sushi. I only tried the burger and it was satisfying. Breakfast was also available, although I didn't look at the menu (sorry).

Aventura Lobby And Grounds

The only issue I had with the food court was that I had to wait at least 15 minutes for my food, which may have been the result of ordering a veggie burger outside of business hours. It's nice to have a Starbucks on site, and I really enjoyed having coffee on my daily walks to the parks (more on the walk below).

The on-site shop has a small selection of products, with a focus on Harry Potter gear. One evening I decided to return what I had bought in the gardens. I was able to return it to that store with no problems. As with the other hotel staff, everyone I encountered in the store was very friendly.

Outside the lobby is a pool, a small collection of outdoor games around the pool (and a splash pad for the little ones who don't want to swim). There is also an outdoor pool bar (in addition to the lobby bar). You can click on the photos below.

Source: havediaperswilltravel.com

The site also has a small fitness center, a virtual reality game room and a v-hub lounge. One big thing I missed was the rooftop bar, Bar 17 Bistro. So you can see Aventura on Google Maps, but know that looking at the map doesn't give the whole picture.

Location And Transportation At Aventura

Aventura is physically only 0.3 miles from Islands of Adventure, but it's not like you can just walk behind Islands of Adventure. From Aventura you have two routes to/from the parks. First, you can head to the Universal CityWalk parking lot and pick up guests.

Universal has buses every thirty minutes (in my limited experience, often around opening and closing) and the ride takes about 10 minutes. Uber should cost less than $10. You can see on the map that it is near Sapphire Falls Resort and now away from Cabana Bay and Royal Pacific.

Both parks are a 7- to 10-minute walk from the CityWalk entrance. Buses pick up from there. Alternatively, you can walk along The Garden Walk to the "back" entrance of CityWalk. This trail is about a mile long and takes you somewhere between Margaritaville and Islands of Adventure.

It takes about 2 minutes or less to walk from the end of the road to Islands of Adventure. About 5 minutes to Universal Studios Florida. The road is paved, well lit and marked - it is not very well marked. I did a poll on instagram about one of the signs and found that only 50% of people could figure it out quickly.

universal orlando hotel reviews, tripadvisor aventura hotel orlando, universal studios hotel reviews, universal studios orlando resorts aventura, universal aventura hotel orlando, universal hotel florida reviews, which universal hotel is best, universal aventura hotel photos