First time Universal what hotel

[BeachMouse1]

Planning a 2 day trip to Universal for our first time (actually was there many years ago don’t remember anything) want to stay in one of the better hotels that offer the included express pass. What is the best and why?
I know nothing about these hotels or universal so please tell me anything you want. Like for Disney I know what hotel’s locations are why to stay there, their restaurants etc
Any advice appreciated

 

[georgina]

Planning a 2 day trip to Universal for our first time (actually was there many years ago don’t remember anything) want to stay in one of the better hotels that offer the included express pass. What is the best and why?
I know nothing about these hotels or universal so please tell me anything you want. Like for Disney I know what hotel’s locations are why to stay there, their restaurants etc
Any advice appreciated

All 3 are nice, each has its good points; hard for me to pick a 'best'. For only one night I would go with the least expensive.

 

[DisneyMom93]

I think Hard Rock is closest to the parks and Citywalk. And very nice. Was our favorite but the lobby is always so loud. The whole hotel is. Goes with the theme.

We tried Portofino last time and loved it. Nice and peaceful and pretty. Walk is a few minutes longer but they have the boats too. Our preference is Portofino now. And it’s a short walk to Hard Rock if you prefer their restaurants.

I would still stay at Hard Rock if there is a much cheaper rate.

We’ve never stayed at the third hotel.

 

[hopemax]

It's really personal preference. We like Royal Pacific because we prefer the theme and it's convenient to walk from IOA and boat to Studios. Hard Rock is closest, but we don't care for the theme. Portofino is nice, but we felt more dependent on the boat. You can walk, but it's longer. And the hotel tends to be the most expensive.

 

[schumigirl]

Have a look at the stickies at the top of the board here, that gives you a rough idea of what each offer and restaurants in each property.

Choose a theme you like best and go with it.

Portofino is further away when walking, but you have the boats and it`s only about a 15 minutes walk which isn`t the worst. The boats to the hotels do stop if lightning is close by, something to consider if the walk would bother you.

Hard Rock is closest to The Studios when walking RPR is closest to IOA when walking, but it`s only a few moments of difference between them.

Pool hopping is encouraged so you could enjoy the other pools too if you have time.

 

[kevtlas]

We're staying at Royal Pacific for our first visit. When we booked, it was the cheapest of the three that include EP.

 

[emmabelle]

I've stayed at Royal Pacific and Hard Rock. I personally prefer RPR over HR, I think that RPR is just more family friendly. You feel like you're in a Hotel in Universal if that makes sense.

 

[glocon]

We’ve stayed at all three premiere hotels over the course of 20-ish years and liked all three.

Look at the descriptions and pictures and see which appeals to you most. Also look at the prices.

I’d suggest booking the least expensive option- you just never know which that will be.
Last visit we stayed at PBH for the first time because it was the cheapest rate.
The time before RPR was the cheapest so we stayed there.

They are all beautiful with such different theming and such different restaurant choices and you can’t go wrong with any of them.

But definitely worth staying at one of the premiers for the unlimited EP!

 

[nycdisneygal]

have stayed at all 3. loved Portofino but its too far a walk for me. Since we like to go to IOA we now favor RP as that is closer for walking. Plus we like the dining there. HRH is great though too.

 

[lisam70]

As previously stated they all have their pros and cons.
HR is closest to US but it’s my least favorite
PB is the furthest and is my favorite because of the larger rooms, theme and food choices
Close behind is RP which is closest to IOA. It has a great pool, good food choices and the easiest layout to navigate.
None are far from the parks especially when you compare to Disney. HR and IOA are walkable in 5-8ish minutes and PB 12-15 depending on pace plus all have water taxi service.
I would go with whatever is cheapest!

 

[GoBills]

Portofino Bay is great. Very relaxing after a full day in the theme parks, and the boat gets you to the park very quickly.

 

[Dawn Peterson]

I think the advice to go with cheapest is sound because all 3 are good. Our least favorite is Royal Pacific and only because they don’t have a water slide at the pool.

 

[hhoope01]

I think the advice to go with cheapest is sound because all 3 are good. Our least favorite is Royal Pacific and only because they don’t have a water slide at the pool.

Agree with going for the cheapest for your case. You are only staying one night (2 days). That probably doesn't leave a lot of down time at the hotel. I'd guess you will want to spend most of the time at the parks (and maybe CityWalk some as well.)

If you were staying longer, then spending more time at the resort pool, theming, size of the rooms, whether it is 5 minutes, 7 minutes or even 9 minutes to walk versus taking the water taxi, might all be more important concerns. But for 1 night, your not going to be there long enough to fully experience the resort and all its services.

 

[usckitty]

I booked Royal Pacific (our first time staying at Universal) since it was the cheapest choice for the Express Pass.

 

[Skywalker3]

I booked Royal Pacific (our first time staying at Universal) since it was the cheapest choice for the Express Pass.

Just saw this thread, and that's a great choice. We've stayed at all 3, and was going to chime in with whichever is the cheapest. We just stayed at Royal Pacific last month and loved it. It's a wonderful resort. Have a great time there!!

 

[UOAP-Naples]

All three are great resorts. Here's our personal opinion:

Portofino Bay is too far from the parks for us. Even the water taxi lines usually take longer since more people take the water taxis. Waiting 30 minutes for the boat or walking 20 minutes at the end of the night when you're tired is more than we want to do. It's beautiful and has great restaurants. It seems like it's aimed at the higher end customers wanting a little more private and exclusive resort. It's typically the most expensive of the three. It is under some construction for the next two years. Pricing may be lower than normal due to the construction notice.

Royal Pacific is great. We stay there the most because it's usually the cheapest. It's closer than Portofino. We alternate between walking or taking the water taxis depending on the wait for the water taxis. The restaurants are fine but nothing amazing. It's a beautiful, relaxing, tropical resort.

Hard Rock is the closest to the parks, especially Studios. The restaurants are probably better than Royal Pacific but a step down from Portofino Bay. It is louder like someone already mentioned. It's a little bit more of a party/youthful hotel. It's aimed more at couples than the other two.

 

[Stephanie Isaacson]

We have also done all 3.

I agree with others that portifino is nice, but definitely further. We've only stayed there once.

My favorite is Royal Pacific. It has a nice theme and smells so good. I get nostalgic just smelling it. My kids like it a bit less than Hard Rock because the pool doesn't have a slide (but does have a splash area).

My kid's favorite it Hard Rock so that is where we stay when they are all similar in price, but sometimes one is far cheaper than the other and I choose it for that reason alone.