We were genuinely excited about staying here — this was a trip we planned 10 months in advance, and after watching videos and researching the property, our expectations were high.
Unfortunately, the experience didn’t match what we were expecting, especially at this price point.
👍 What We Liked
Location is excellent
You’re very close to the Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and Universal CityWalk Orlando — super convenient. Shuttles take you to the other two parks.
Express Passes are a major perk
Included for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (note: not Epic Universe).
Room size and layout
We booked a larger room, which worked well for our family:
Full-size fridge + microwave
Large table (great for games or meals)
Glassware was a nice touch
👎 What Fell Short
💳 Check-In / Deposits (Important for Families)
We were traveling as a family of 6 and were recommended a Hospitality Suite.
What was not clearly communicated in advance is that this suite is treated as three separate rooms (king room, double queen room, and living area).
At check-in, we were charged $1,000 per room for incidentals — totaling a $3,000 deposit on top of an already ~$12,000 reservation.
👉 This felt excessive and unexpected. A single deposit for the suite would have been much more reasonable.
🍽️ Dining & Value
The biggest surprise: all of the main restaurants are essentially in the basement — no views, no connection to the lagoon.
For example, we expected Jake’s to overlook the water (given the theme), but it does not.
Prices are very high:
Meals: $30–$50 per person
Drinks: $15–$20
Soda water: $6 each (yes, water)
👉 We quickly felt nickel-and-dimed, and ended up avoiding eating at the hotel altogether — which was not our plan.
🍳 Kitchen Setup (Very Incomplete)
The room looks like it supports families… but the setup doesn’t follow through:
Only 4 place settings in a suite designed to accommodate 11
When we requested more, we received four dinner plates and four sets of silverware
No paper towels, dish soap, or dish towels
No toaster or basic kitchen tools
Coffee maker is a low-end single-serve unit
Housekeeping removed dirty dishes but did not replace them during our stay. For example, we started with four coffee cups at the beginning of the week and ended with two.
🏊 Pool Area
Pool itself is nice, but:
Hot tubs were consistently overcrowded
One hot tub was noticeably low on water
🛒 Market / Onsite Convenience
The Tuk Tuk lobby market is limited:
No cleaning supplies (odd given the kitchenette setup)
Basics were expensive - $6 for a small bottle of orange juice, etc.
🔊 Room Noise (Big Issue)
This was one of the most frustrating parts of our stay:
We could hear elevators down the hall
Noise from rooms above and below
Conversations from people walking by
Loud plumbing, including a high-pitched ringing noise each evening
👉 Overall, the room was far from quiet
💭 Final Take
For the price, we expected a much more complete and polished experience.
The location and Express Pass benefit are strong, but between:
the unexpected $3,000 deposit structure
the cost of food & drinks
lack of basic kitchen functionality
and noise issues
…it didn’t deliver the value we were hoping for.
👉 Would we stay here again?
No — we would look at other Universal-area options next time.
