What Hotels Are in Walking Distance of Universal Orlando Parks?

Choosing the right hotel for you and your family is an essential part of planning your Universal vacation. The perfect hotel for you will have the best combination of experiences, convenience, and budget. A huge part of this decision will be how close the hotel is to your favorite Universal Parks! One way to maximize your time in the parks is to book one of the hotels in walking distance to Universal Orlando.

Image © Universal

This guide will take you through the closest hotels to Universal Orlando, their cost, their proximity to each Universal Park, and more. We’ll start with Universal’s own on-site hotels, but don’t worry if you prefer an off-site hotel; I will also cover Universal partner hotels to help you pick the best hotel for your dream vacation!

What Are the Closest Universal Hotels?

The closest hotels in Universal Orlando are the premier and preferred tier hotels. They are all within 15 min walking distance to the park and in prime locations for entertainment, dining, and more. But the good thing about all the Universal Hotels, whether they are value or premier hotels, is that they are all within a 30 min walk of the resort. That means that you can either take Universal’s free on-site transportation, or just walk to the parks without waiting for a shuttle bus or water taxi!

It’s important to find the best hotel for you as you plan your Universal vacation. Finding your perfect hotel will come from decisions about price, proximity, and experience.  Before we dive into each hotel in detail, here is a chart covering Universal’s hotels. The chart will cover how long it takes to walk from the hotel to Universal Citywalk (which serves as the entrance to both theme parks), how expensive each hotel is, and their tier among other Universal Hotels.

Is it worth it to stay at a Universal Hotel? Yes. Staying at these hotels comes with a variety of benefits and a world-class Universal experience. They are also available at a variety of price points, so there is something for everyone! Choosing the best hotel for you is a tough decision, and there are other important factors that should be considered besides which hotel is nearby Universal CityWalk! I always like to use a travel agent when I book my Universal vacations because they save me time, money, and they guarantee I will get the most value out of my trip. I always recommend The Vacationeer for any of your travel agent needs!

Hard Rock Hotel (Closest Hotel to Universal Orlando)

Walking Time: 11 Min

Price: $$$$

Starting From: $372

Tier: Premier

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Water Taxi, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: FREE Universal Express Unlimited Pass, Early Park Admission (extra time in the parks), Free Transportation, Priority Seating at Restaurants, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, Wake-Up Calls From Universal Characters, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: This is my favorite hotel to stay at when I visit Universal Orlando. The Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando is a classic-rock themed hotel that is inspired by some of the best bands and songs of the past few decades, and it’s the closest hotel to Universal Orlando Resort! The hotel is a premier level hotel, meaning that it comes with some pretty serious benefits! These include all of the normal benefits that come with staying at a Universal Hotel and more.

One of the biggest reasons I like to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel is the Sound of Your Stay program. This is a program just for the Hard Rock Hotel, and it lets you rent a complimentary guitar or record player for your stay! This means you can come back from a long day of enjoying the parks and jam out in your room with this truly unique perk.

Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Image © Universal

Walking Time: 11 Min

Price: $$$$

Starting From: $325

Tier: Premier

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Water Taxi, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: FREE Universal Express Unlimited Pass, Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Priority Seating at Restaurants, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, Wake-Up Calls From Universal Characters, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: Loews Royal Pacific Resort takes you on a luxurious journey to the South Seas with its tropical theme. The hotel has an amazing pool and white sand beach that makes you feel like you are on an island far, far away. The Royal Pacific hotel is about as close to Universal Orlando as the Hard Rock Hotel, making it one of the most convenient options in the whole resort.

The hotel is also a premier hotel, which means you will get a free Universal Express Unlimited Pass with your stay!

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Image © Universal

Walking Time: 12 min

Price: $$$

Starting From: $210

Tier: Preferred

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Water Taxi, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: Sapphire Falls Resort is a Caribbean-themed hotel that will make you feel like you are on an island vacation. I love this resort because it has the feel of a premier Universal Hotel but it is a bit easier on your wallet. Sapphire Falls has a fantastic pool and beach area, waterfalls, great Caribbean dining options, and more!

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Walking Time: 14 Min

Price: $$$$

Starting From: $388

Tier: Premier

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Water Taxi, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: FREE Universal Express Unlimited Pass, Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Priority Seating at Restaurants, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, Wake-Up Calls From Universal Characters, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is inspired by the beautiful village of Portofino, Italy. The hotel is based around a harbor that is surrounded by shops and cafes, making you feel like you are right on the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Italy.

The hotel has three pools, a wide variety of fantastic Italian dining options, and is the very picture of romance and relaxation for your dream vacation.

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Image © Universal

Walking Time: 18 min

Price: $$

Starting From: $140

Tier: Prime Value

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: The Aventura Hotel is the new kid on the block when it comes to Universal Hotels. Opening in 2018, the hotel is still close to Universal Orlando and offers sleek, modern hospitality. The hotel is well-priced, and has a fantastic rooftop bar, pool, and more.

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Walking Time: 19 min

Price: $$

Starting From: $140

Tier: Prime Value

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: If I am not looking to splurge on a Premier Universal Hotel, Cabana Bay Beach Resort is my favorite place to stay in Universal. In terms of walking distance, this hotel is essentially the same as the Aventura hotel, so if you are choosing between Universal’s two Prime Value hotels you don’t need to take distance into account.

Cabana Bay is inspired by Florida in the 50s and 60s and has a retro style that I have fallen in love with. The resort has a lazy river, two huge pools, a bowling alley, and more.

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites

Walking Time: 30 min

Price: $

Starting From: $96

Tier: Value

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: The Dockside Inn and Suites is the sister hotel to the Surfside Inn, and is approximately the same walking distance to Universal Orlando. The hotel is inspired by a coastal summer and like the Surfside Inn, it is a perfect place for families to stay if you are looking to save some money.

The hotel has two huge pools, a game room, and more. Dockside also has food courts and pizza delivery if you get peckish! While it will take you about half an hour to walk to Universal Orlando, the shuttle options are great from this hotel and the slightly longer commute is more than justified by the price!

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort- Surfside Inn and Suites

Walking Time: 29 min

Price: $

Starting From: $96

Tier: Prime Value

Transportation Options: Garden Walkway, Theme Park Shuttle Buses, Rideshare Apps

Benefits: Early Park Admission, Free Transportation, Ability to Charge Purchases to Room, and Free Merchandise Delivery

Details: As one of Universal’s two value hotels, you can still enjoy all the benefits of staying at a Universal Hotel without the big price tag. The Surfside Inn and Suites is not particularly close to Universal Orlando as the walk is likely to take you nearly 30 minutes. But don’t let this discourage you from staying here! In my opinion, the money you save more than justifies the extra 10 minutes of walking, and don’t forget, there is always free transportation available to use in between your hotel and the parks.

The Surfside Inn and Suites is beach and surf themed that will give your vacation a happy, summer feel. The resort is centered around a massive pool and even has a game room for kids. Surfside has some great beach-themed dining options, as well as a pizza delivery service that can deliver right to your room!

Which Universal Orlando Hotels are Closest to Universal Studios?

The two closest hotels to Universal Studios are Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel. These premier hotels are only a few minutes from the Universal Studios theme park and the Universal CityWalk entrance.

Elements © Google

These hotels are among the best hotels you can stay at when you visit Universal. Their premier status and prime location mean that they certainly cost a bit more, but the benefits and experience you will get from these resorts will more than justify the price tag. It will be effortless to get from your room to your favorite theme park, and it will help ensure that you can be first on site when the park opens and have the least stressful walk home at the end of the day. It will take a bit more time to reach Volcano Bay from these resorts because it is on the other side of Universal. This could be important to consider if you are planning on spending a lot of time at Volcano Bay, but if you are only planning on visiting for a day or two, there are great transportation options available to you that come complimentary with your stay.

Which Universal Orlando Hotels are Closest to Islands of Adventure?

If you are a thrill seeker that is looking to spend a lot of your time at Islands of Adventure, then you might want to stay in either Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, or Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Among these hotels you have a variety of price options to choose from, as you can select from a premier, preferred, and prime value hotels (see chart at the start of article for more details). If you are staying at the Royal Pacific Resort, the entrance to Universal CityWalk on the Islands of Adventure side is just a short walk from your door, meaning it is the perfect place to stay if you want to maximize your time at this park. While Cabana Bay is a bit farther away, it’s also close to Volcano Bay, giving you the best of both worlds if you are looking to split time between the theme parks and the water park.

Which Universal Hotel is Closest to Volcano Bay?

The hotels closest to Volcano Bay are the Cabana Bay Beach Resort, the Aventura Hotel, the Endless Summer Resort- Surfside Inn and Suites, and the Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. These hotels are generally the best value options in the resort because they are the farthest from the resort’s two theme parks.

Despite the extra ten-minute walk from these hotels to Universal CityWalk, staying at these locations comes with a few benefits. First of all, you are the closest resorts to Volcano Bay. Second of all, I love staying at these hotels because you can save some money while still having great transport options to get to the two theme parks. Taking a shuttle bus is super easy and can sometimes be just as quick as walking from one of the closer hotels! So, don’t let a little distance discourage you from making these locations part of your dream vacation!

Off-Site Hotels That Partner with Universal Orlando

There are plenty of hotels outside Universal Orlando that are not Universal Hotels, but they are still partners of the resort. This partnership means you get the benefit of staying at an often less expensive hotel while still getting some exclusive Universal benefits. At a variety of price points, there is something for everyone, and these hotels can often offer a chance to save a little extra money while you are on a magical vacation.

First of all, I still recommend staying at a Universal Orlando Hotel to get the most out of your vacation. The combination of a variety of price point options, the proximity of the hotels, and benefits make these locations the ideal place to stay.

Despite this, there are plenty of reasons to stay in these partner hotels. For example, you may have hotel points that you are looking to use, you are looking to save a bit of money, or your preference is to stay outside of the Universal Complex.

The benefits of staying at a certain Universal partner hotels include:

• Scheduled hotel shuttles to Universal theme parks
• Discounts on food and non-alcoholic beverages at select CityWalk and theme park vacations
• Discounts on merchandise at select theme park locations

Here is a complete list of the Universal Partner hotels that enjoy these extra benefits

Takeaways About Staying at Universal Orlando

First and foremost, I recommend staying at a Universal Orlando Hotel. The combination of proximity, benefits, and experience make this a no-brainer for most travelers. Picking a hotel close to your favorite parks is important, but keep in mind that there are great transportation options available to you if you stay at a Universal partner hotel outside of the resort complex, meaning that no matter which location you choose you should have no problems getting around.

If you are considering staying at a Universal Partner hotel, there are plenty of options to choose from. I would recommend doing your research and picking the best hotel for you based on any hotel points you may have, the price of the hotel, the ease of transportation to and from Universal, and any benefits that may come with the stay. Staying within walking distance is a great way to save some money on parking fees at Universal while still enjoying everything the resort has to offer.

And if you’re also planning some time at Disney World, don’t forget that there are hotels in walking distance of the Disney parks, too!