Review: Everything You Need to Know about Universal Aventura Hotel

Are you looking for a place to stay for your vacation to Universal Orlando? If you want to balance budget-friendly pricing with great amenities, you might just want to check out Universal Aventura Hotel. Here is a review with everything you need to know to make your decision easier!

Universal Hotels

If you are new to Universal, you may not know about all the benefits of staying at a Universal hotel! Staying on Universal property for your vacation might make the adventure even better!

Universal’s hotels come with a host of benefits. One of these is Early Park Admission. Hotel guests receive a full hour of early access to select attractions at either Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios depending on the day. Check the park calendar to see which park will be available during your dates.

Guests also receive complimentary transportation to and from Universal CityWalk for easy access to the parks! Buses and/or boats are available. Better yet, some resorts are within walking distance of the parks!

Universal’s hotels fall into 4 tiers: Signature Collection, Prime Value Hotels, and Value Inns and Suites. Only select Signature Collection hotels include the free Universal Express Unlimited (Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel). While Adventura doesn’t fall into this category, it is still worth considering.

Universal Adventura Hotel

If you are considering a Universal hotel, and you can’t quite make a Signature Collection hotel that includes free Universal Express Unlimited work, Adventura Hotel is worth a look. It is a good combination of value, location, and amenities for a pleasant stay, especially if you are not traveling during peak season and have no need for Universal Express Unlimited.

Universal Adventura Hotel is a Prime Value Hotel. It is nestled in between the Signature Collection and the Value Inns and Suites. It will include Early Park Admission and complimentary transportation in the pricing, but again, it does not include Universal Express Unlimited (though you can still purchase it if you wish).

You also get a dedicated entry point to Universal Volcano Bay! It is incredibly convenient if the water park is part of your plans.

Adventura Transportation Options

One of the best parts about Adventura is convenience in terms of transportation. The hotel offers complimentary bus shuttles to and from Volcano Bay as well as CityWalk. From CityWalk you will go through security and walk to either Universal Studios or Universal Islands of Adventure. And, once Epic Universe Opens, you will transfer to a dedicated bus from CityWalk to get to Epic!

If you prefer to travel by boat, you can also walk next door to Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and take the Water Taxi! Adventura itself does not have a boat launch, but Sapphire is a few steps away. It will take you to the heart of CityWalk, which is closer to Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure than the bus drop-off points.

Lastly, you can take the walking path to either Universal Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios. It is about a 20-minute walk depending on your stride. And, as mentioned you can walk to Volcano Bay in a matter of minutes.

Technology

Adventura is the most innovative hotel on Universal property in terms of technology. And its sleek design reflects the technology as well. Everything looks “high tech.”

There are service robots in the hotel that deliver food. But the robots also hang out in the lobby from time to time to tell jokes and pose for selfies.

Lastly, the rooms themselves are all high-tech. Each room is equipped with a special iPad to control everything in the room, including the lights, temperature, and television. My (Kate) children had a lot of fun using the iPad to control everything.

The iPad can also be used to look up park information or communicate with the front desk. It can also be used to order room service if you wish.

Rooms

There are several room categories at Universal Adventura Hotel. You can stay in a Standard King room or Double Queen room, or you can stay in a kid’s suite, which sleeps 5. For our stay (Kate’s family), we had a Standard King Room with a pull-out sofa.

The resort upgraded us to a theme park view, which was a really great surprise. We could see Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios clearly from the 16th floor! Rooms on the other side of the hotel have views of the water park.

The standard rooms have 314 square feet of space. There is a closet in the entry area. This closet has doors, it isn’t just an open space for hanging clothes like you find in some value-priced resorts.

The rooms do have tile and carpet. I personally don’t like hotel carpets, but it was fine for a quick stay.

The king bed was not the most comfortable bed I have ever had in a hotel, but it is not the least either. It was fine enough for a quick stay.

The mattress on the sofa bed is another story. I can sleep almost anywhere without complaint, but even I think it would be rough to sleep on that mattress. My children did not complain about it. If you are traveling as a party of all adults and comfort is an issue, you might want to go for a Double Queen room instead.

The storage situation is okay, but it is the weakest part of the room. There is a desk area with several drawers. But, there is no under-bed storage for suitcases, which feels like a wasted opportunity. But, again, this is not a deal breaker.

The bathroom had a separate sink area. However, this area is open to the main room without a means to separate it, which is important to know if you are traveling with light sleepers.

The shower and toilet are in a separate room that can be closed off with a door. Our room, like most of the standard rooms at the resort, had a stand-up walk-in shower with no tub. The kids’ suites have tubs, but most standard rooms have showers.

You will also find a flat-screen TV, a coffee maker, and a hair dryer. And, of course, you will also find the iPad station mentioned earlier.

Overall, our favorite part of the room was our sweeping view! If you don’t have a room with a view, you can still enjoy cool views from the rooftop bar on the 17th floor!

Amenities

The hotel has cool amenities. You will find a nice pool with a Splash Zone for kids. And, there is a fire pit as well.

You can also find good dining options. These include Urban Pantry, a delightful Quick-service restaurant with stations for a grill featuring burgers, pizza, a wok, gelato, and a grab-and-go market.

Adventura Burger Grill Roast — Credit: Kate

Bar 17 Bistro, the rooftop bar I mentioned, is available to all ages with a special dedicated adults-only area as well. It is a great place to check out if only for the views. But, you can also get unique food and drink offerings while you are there.

There is, of course, a Starbucks for coffee and a bite to eat. Or, you can also check out the pool bar and the lobby bar.

Overall Impressions

Universal christmas hotel decorations — Credit: Kate

Overall, Adventura is a good possibility if you are looking for an affordable option for your stay at Universal. Its strengths are its location, quick-service dining options, high-tech features, and cool views.

However, the beds feel like value beds, and the storage situation isn’t ideal. Lastly, this is not one of the resorts that include Universal Express Unlimited. But none of these things are deal breakers.

Adventura is a great place to stay if you are looking for budget travel.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons. This is one resort that has a little extra pizzazz, and it is a great value option.

Want to compare Adventura with other Universal resorts? Check out more reviews here:

Have you been to Universal Adventura Hotel? Did you love it? If you know someone planning a trip to Universal Orlando, be sure to pass this review along so they know where to stay!