Aventura Hotel at the Universal Orlando Resort is a moderate priced resort that offers perks to the Universal Orlando parks as well as basic amenities for theme park guests. This Universal Aventura Hotel review guide will give you the pros and cons to help you decide if it is a good choice for your next Universal vacation.
On our recent trip to Universal Orlando Resort we spent 4 nights at Universal’s Aventura Hotel. Universal’s Aventura Hotel offers bus transportation and walking to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal’s Volcano Bay, and Universal CityWalk.
The hotel is one of the smaller hotels at the Universal Orlando Resort with a simplistic style that also features technologically advanced amenities like a room service robot.
When we arrived at the hotel I did notice that is was less busy in the overall decor then other hotels I have stayed at like the Endless Summer Resorts or Universal’s Cabana Bay.
The simple vibe adds to the uniqueness of the resort and after entering the lobby I was excited to see what the rooms at Aventura were like.
Basics to Know About Universal’s Aventura Hotel
Before we get into the rooms I want to share a basic overview of the hotel. When you enter the lobby you will see a gift shop, Starbucks, and a grab & go/quick service dining area called Urban Pantry.
Urban Pantry offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We only dined in for breakfast and my oatmeal with berries was delicious. Check out the menu for pricing and details.
One thing to note, we did find the snack pricing to be a bit on the higher side. A bag of chips was $5.00, times that for a family of 5 and snacks can run you around $30.00.
This is something to plan ahead for by bringing your own snacks to keep in your room or budgeting ahead of time for snacks and treats.
Universal Aventura Hotel parking is self-parking for a fee. Guests can park their car at on-site parking for $18.00/night (as of (9/2024). There is also bus transportation that we found to be very efficient.
We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to or from the parks. The ride was around 7 minutes, if you do not need a car during your trip I would not bother with one. The Universal transportation was sufficient for everything we needed.
One of the unique qualities to Aventura is they have a robot that moves around the lobby and delivers room service. Guests can stop an interact with it, it tells jokes, and it was interesting to see it get on the elevator to deliver food.
Aventura also has a fitness center and laundry facilities available to guests. The laundry can be used with credit card making it very convenient to guests.
Universal Aventura Rooms
The rooms offered at Universal’s Aventura resort are standard rooms and kids suites.
- Standard Room: 2 queen bed rooms that sleep 4, starting at $145.00/night
- Kids Suites: King Bed, 2 twin beds, and sleeper couch, separate sleeping area that sleeps 5, starting at $290.00/night (prices subject to change and are based on accurate information on published date)
We stayed in a standard room and a deluxe room. At this point in our travels as a family of 5 with teens we have shifted to booking connecting rooms for our sanity!
The standard rooms and the deluxe rooms are basically the same except for square footage. The standard is 314 sq ft. and the deluxe is 395 sq ft.
The layout is standard with guests entering to a hall with a closet, bathroom (separate sink area from the toilet and shower), then the sleeping space with 2 queen beds.
The unique part of the room is that the lights and TV are controlled by a tablet. This can be seen as good or bad, depending on who you ask.
I tended to be in the middle. It was cool to use the tablet to turn the lights off and change the channel but there were times when I forgot to turn the lights on from the tablet and had to go back to it.
Once I got used to using the tablet to control things it was a fun feature. Kids will think it is a cool feature too. If you are tech savvy you will enjoy this fun perk! Check Aventura Hotel deals and prices!
The views from our room of Volcano Bay were the first thing we saw during our late check-in on our first night and I was blown away. It definitely led to the excitement for our Universal trip.
Universal’s Aventura Pool & Amenities
If you are planning days at the pool Aventura might not be the best choice for you. The pool is not very big but it has a really nice vibe to it.
Let me explain a bit. There is one pool at the hotel which means all guests spend their pool time there. There is a splash pad and a hot tub as well as a fire pit, pool side bar, and lots of chairs.
We first visited the pool mid-day during a break from the parks and spent about 20 minutes. It was just too busy for us. My kids like to splash and jump in the pool and this pool really isn’t made for that.
On our last night at the resort we stopped at the pool for almost 2 hours. It was at night and there were less people. The kids were able to splash and jump around a lot more and it changed our overall view of the pool.
My opinion is that the pool is great, just not very big. It isn’t a huge issue because overall Aventura Hotel is less busy with families but it is something to consider when planning your visit.
Universal’s Aventura Hotel Rooftop Bar
We almost missed visiting the rooftop bar because I didn’t know if it was kid friendly. If you stay at Aventura you must visit the rooftop bar.
Spending time experiencing Universal’s Aventura Hotel Skyline views was one of my favorite moments from our stay.
Guests can get a 360 degree view of the Universal Orlando resort and beyond. We could see Universal Studios Florida Cinesational night show, Islands of Adventure Hogwarts Always fireworks, and Disney World’s fireworks all from one spot on the roof. It was awesome!
I suggest heading up around dusk to watch the sunset. Guests do not need to go to the bar or order food. Take the elevator up to the rooftop and find a spot to sit. There was a lot of couches and places to hang out.
Perks for the Parks When Staying at Aventura Hotel
All guests staying at a Universal Hotel receive perks to the parks. Aventura Hotel is a Prime Value resort. Guests receive early park admission, transportation, as well as the ability to charge items to your room while in the park.
The best perk, in my opinion, is early park admission. This allows guests to enter the park an hour before regular park hours. If the park opens at 9:00am, hotel guests can enter at 8:00am. We always take advantage of this to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure.
Parks and hours change, always check the website for the latest information.
Guests can also use the garden walk or the bus transportation to get to the parks. The garden walk is really nice but it takes around 15-20 minutes, depending on how fast you walk.
With kids and/or tired feet the buses might be the best option. They take around the same amount of time so do what is best for you.
Universal’s Aventura Hotel Review
This review is a bit more complicated to write because Aventura Hotel is great but is might not be the best option for families.
The value based on the cost make the hotel comparable to Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Surfside Inn and Suites, or Dockside Inn and Suites.
At Cabana Bay you get a water slide, a lazy river, and a bowling alley. Surfside and Dockside have larger pools and 2-bedroom family suites.
So who is Aventura for? I think Aventura is great for couples or groups of adults visiting Universal Orlando Resort. My teens even mentioned they wanted to come back with their friends to the hotel.
It is a less popular hotel for families which means a less busy resort overall. Guests staying at Aventura will have shorter wait times for the buses and a more quiet overall experience.
The hotel was quiet and peaceful which you don’t get with the hotels that are popular for families. There is also a joke telling robot that welcomes you in the lobby so that is a fun perk to consider too!
Universal hotels are so great and this one does the job but we feel like we get more out of other resorts. If you like a small condensed resort this may be a good choice for you.
Want more details on Universal Hotels? Check out this post: Best Hotel Choice for Families at Universal Orlando Resort
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.