You are visiting Orlando and you desire something different. You have done Disney a dozen times. There are two great theme parks just nine miles away that we promise will grab your fancy. When you consider a one day hopper with the two parks or the 7 day unlimited pass which is as cheap as a two day pass….you might want to consider spending this years vacation at the Universal area. If you do here are some hotel choices that we would highly recommend:

Hard Rock at Universal Orlando Resort ... first class accommodations indeed! This hotel is located right in the complex at Universal Studios. Each of the 650 guest rooms are an award winner with AAA being selected as one of the few Four Diamond Hotels in the Orlando market. The architecture is California Mission Style. Since we are talking about Hard Rock be aware that each and every guest room has the utmost in entertainment found anywhere. Catch this, your room will have an entertainment center with a CD player. There are 32” flat panel televisions in every room. MP3 docking stations plus I-home clock radios. Of course two telephones (one cordless) each with dual voice lines, data port, and voicemail are available. There are garden view rooms, pool view rooms and of course Premium Deluxe King rooms. The ultimate is the Hard Rock Club rooms. Here there are 95 rooms that are some 30% larger than a standard room. You will have special access to Club 7 Lounge and unlimited use of the fitness center.

Royal Pacific Inside Universal Studios… here is another of Loews first class entries into the Universal Studios area. This property also won the four Diamond Award with AAA for the ultimate comfort in their 1,000 room Royal Pacific Hotel. If you are a discriminating traveler, wanting to experience the charm and grandeur of the islands, then this will be your choice. The new ro0oms include the hues you would experience of a tropical paradise. Each rooms offers and in-room safe, two duel line telephone (one cordless) with voicemail, Smart room technology for automated heating and cooling of your room, coffee maker and free coffee, hair dryer and make-up mirror, high speed internet access and a Free daily newspaper. Looking for something a bit different to tantalize your wife and have her say WOW…then you might want to choose the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal for your next vacation.

Orlando Portofino Bay Hotel… Imagine you were at the sun splashed shores of the Italian Riviera…if so, you would experience the same atmosphere that the Loews folks have presented at the Portofino Bay Hotel. This resort is a AAA Four Diamond Award Winner as a luxury hotel. Each of the 750 rooms are designed around the luxury of a fine European establishment.  Each room features custom duvet covers with 100% Goose Down inserts. You want amenities you have got them here. Not one but three telephones one at the bed, one at the desk and of course you need one in the bath room. Cotton Signature Bathrobes are in each bath. The oversized rooms each offer a view. The two are the Garden View  or the Bay view rooms. I for one like the Bay view for I felt that I was staying overlooking the Portofino Bay and the Harbor Plaza. If you are looking for a little touch of a romantic Italian flavor to add to your  Orlando vacation…then seriously consider the Portofino Bay Hotel.

Other Hotels to consider in the Universal area are: Hampton Inn Universal, Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando, Doubletree Hotel at Universal, and the Sheraton Studio City.

There are fewer hotels which are near the Universal Studios theme park so the rate might be a little higher per night at these hotels.