Universal's Aventura Hotel

Megan Andzulis

Adventura is a great hotel for proximity to parks and to the neighboring Sapphire Falls. This allows you access to a water taxi (the superior way to travel to parks) and a beautiful walking path as well as the dining at Sapphire Falls. I also appreciated that the parking garage elevator had direct access to the hotel so i didn't have to exit the parking garage to get back inside. But the pros for me end there. The hotel has a very adult vibe, which might be great if you’re on an adults only trip! But in my opinion, it felt sterile and almost hospital-like. The pool is underwhelming and the food we had at urban pantry was not good and overpriced. Our room was a strange shape and very small and the bed was hard. We were excited to have relay the robot deliver something to our room, but our first items had to be delivered by housekeeping instead and the second time we tried, relay never arrived with what we requested. We were tired and it was bedtime so I wasn’t going to push the request further with the front desk. I’ve stayed at 4 of the Universal hotels now and this ranks toward the bottom for me.

MaKayla Clark

The rooms were clean, and the staff was kind and always willing to assist. Room needs were met quickly. Our room had wonderful water pressure for showers and the water got hot. So nice! The beds were clean and comfortable as well, and the atmosphere was calm. We had an issue with the kitchen downstairs running out of most food items one night during our stay (it was a busy time) and the on-site coffee shop closed an hour earlier than stated one afternoon. Aside from this, the room itself and views were great. We had a good stay!

Erik T

This hotel is universal’s best kept secret for adults. The hotel is manageable in size, geared toward younger adults and families with older children. The rooms are well appointed and immaculate housekeeping is top notch. Every last employee is friendly and knowledgeable. Amenities are right for the price point and urban pantry is a gem! I saw people walking over from the more expensive hotel to get food! It’s that good! The hotel even has a rooftop bar with excellent food, drinks AND staff! In addition to those offerings there is a lobby bar, pool bar, universal store and Starbucks. The location is great, with about a 15 minute, shaded walk along the river. Simply cut through sapphire falls to get there. I extended by one more day, I enjoyed this hotel so much. It’s also across the street from Volcano bay, if that’s your thing. As said before, this place is a gems thank you for a great trip. I’ll be back!

Suzanne Baker

Wonderful hotel with just the best staff. Clean, well located with an awesome walking path to Citywalk. The bus transportation to the parks was HUGE. Well worth staying at a Universal hotel for that alone. Room was great with one exception that the lighting was inadequate. Kind of dark in there! Could use an overhead light.

Kristine Carranceja-Gurski

Stayed here for three nights between Christmas and New Year's. It wasn't terribly busy, but getting the attention of these 20 somethings running the front desk was almost impossible. Oddly enough, none of the hotel staff smiled at the front desk. Are they miserable? Even the cleaning staff, who we barely saw because they only clean your room every other day, seemed miserable. Maybe I just got spoiled because I got off a cruise ship where the staff actually acknowledged you. Here, it was worse than being in the motel. Don't get me wrong. Facility is gorgeous. Rooms were very up-to-date and although not the roomiest and somewhat clunky in its design, being a brand new hotel has its perks. Location was exactly what we needed since we were going to Universal. But that's where it ends. Would I stay here again? Yes, because it was reasonable compared to the Loew's next door. And it was a beautiful walk to Universal Studios/ Islands of Adventure. Got loads of steps in. Would I try the Cabana Bay Resort across the street? Probably, because at least with a lower tier hotel, I might expect the lack of warmth and friendliness in the service I got here. I think the kicker is when the valet would gladly take our luggage for storing, but come time to pick it up and after being asked to bring it up to our room, I got that cold "We don't do that." I can bring my own luggage just fine, but it was done with such disdain in the valet's tone that I was really put off. I guess we should just retitle them as baggage storage, not valets. All in all, don't expect much from a hotel that costs over $300 a night. It's like having a very tiny Airbnb, where you do everything yourself. But if you want easy access to the parks, this is a good place.