7 Reasons to Stay at Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Written by Jerry Joyce in Universal Orlando Hotels,Universal Orlando Resort

The Aventura Hotel is one of the newer hotels at the Universal Orlando Resort having opened in August 2018 and features 600 rooms in a single 17-story tower building. It is a Universal “Prime Value” resort which offers a host of on-site hotel benefits which will be discussed below.

This hotel features more of an urban / modern design than the other hotels at Universal and is the only on-site hotel that does not have a distinct theme.  It has a trendy design with a curved glass exterior facade, open lobby area with a polished concrete floor and open breezeway at the front entrance.

While it appears that this hotel has been geared more towards adult travelers, it also has a number of features that would appeal to families traveling with children. 

The Location

The Aventura Hotel is well located on on-site at the Universal Orlando Resort and is adjacent to the Lowe’s Sapphire Resort and the Volcano Bay water theme park.  It is a short drive to the Orange County Convention Center, International Drive and several of Orlando’s major shopping & entertainment destinations.

Universal’s Aventura Hotel

6725 Adventure Way

Orlando, Florida  32819

407.465.6100

It will take approximately 20 minutes to get to resort hotel from the Orlando International Airport and about 15 minutes to get to the Orlando / Orange County Convention Center.   

Other Orlando area theme parks and local attractions are also a short distance to the hotel and per Google Maps, travel time is as follows (non-peak hours):

  • SeaWorld Orlando: Less than 15 minutes.
  • The Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort: approximately 25 minutes.
  • EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort: approximately 20 minutes.
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort: approximately 20 minutes.
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort: approximately 25 minutes.
  • Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort: approximately 20 minutes.
  • Downtown Orlando: Approximately 20 minutes.
  • Vineland Premium Outlets: Approximately 10 minutes

 Click here for current rates and availability at Universal’s Aventura Hotel

 

 

Why stay at the Aventura Hotel?  Here are 7 reasons why you will love staying here.

The Endless Summer Florida family has stayed at every single on-site hotel at Universal and depending on our plans for the individual visit, find that each hotel has their specific benefits. While we can make a long list of reasons to stay at Universal’s Aventura Hotel, here are the top reasons to do so.

Early Park Admission

One of the greatest benefits in staying at Universal’s Aventura Hotel (or any on-site at Universal Orlando for that matter) is early park admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as well as other select areas of the theme parks. 

Since the reopening in June 2020, early park admission has typically started at 8:00 AM at Universal Studios Florida (one hour early) and at 8:30 AM at Universal’s Volcano Bay (one-half hour early).   Islands of Adventure is does not offer early park opening at this time.

In Universal Studios Florida there are two attraction which are open during early park admission.  These include Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts which is located in Diagon Alley at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

During the early admission guests can easily get on both attractions and then be the first in the queue for the next ride when the park opens.  We would recommend that to be either the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit or the Revenge of the Mummy. Both of these rides are roller coasters and the wait times can get lengthy on a typical summer day.

At Universal’s Volcano Bay the follwoing attractions are available during extra half-hour of early park admission.

  • Krakatau Aqua Coaster
  • Ko’okiri Body Plunge
  • Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
  • Ohyah of Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slides
  • Ohno of Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slides
  • Honu of the Honu Ika Moana
  • ika Moana of the Honu ika Moana
  • Waturi Beach

During early park admission we recommend that after you put down your “stuff” on a lounge chair in the shade (there are plenty of shaded areas available), go straight to the Krakatau Aqua Coaster.  You should be able to ride at least 2 or 3 times in the first 15 minutes (it’s worth it as wait times will exceed one hour on a typical summer day). 

Depending one your preference, the body plunge/drop slides should be next followed by Honu and ika Moana of the Honu ika Moana (raft slides).  The park will be open at this point so use the Tapu Tapu system on the raft slides near the rear of the park.

Free Transportation to CityWalk and the Theme Parks

The Aventura Hotel provides complimentary bus transportation to CityWalk and the theme parks.  The bus departs from the front of the hotel and drops guests off just under the security checkpoint at CityWalk. 

Endless Summer Tip:  Guests can walk across to the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and pick up the water taxi outside the rear of the hotel.  It’s a pleasant ride but it can get quite busy first thing in the morning.  Check out our video of the water taxi ride below.

If you don’t mind walking, follow the path alongside the water taxi route past the Lowes Royal Pacific Resort and you can enter CityWalk near Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant.  If you are going to Islands of Adventure, this just might be an easier route to take if you don’t mind the walk.

Proximity to Volcano Bay

If spending a day or two at Volcano Bay is part of your plans then the Aventura Hotel is the perfect place to stay as the main security entrance is just outside of the rear gate of the hotel.  You will find it very easy to go in & out of the park and back to the hotel room if a break from the crowds is needed. 

Guests just need to walk out by the pool, past the hot tub and exit the rear gate (don’t forget your room key).  At this point you will see the security station and the bus transportation area.

17th Floor Rooftop Lounge

Bar 17 Bistro is the Aventura Hotel’s rooftop lounge that is located on the 17th floor of the tower.  Bar 17 Bistro is open daily from 5:30 PM to midnight and serves a variety of beer, wine and cocktails as well as appetizers, salads and sandwiches.

There is plenty of seating throughout the entire lounge area and guests can relax while taking in the outstanding views of the theme parks as well as the International Drive area.

Click here to see a menu for Bar 17 Bistro.

The Chic Vibe

From the modern design to the interior decor, the Aventura Hotel gives off a very trendy and chic vibe.  The lobby is very tasteful and minimalist while the polished concrete floor add another dimension to the overall feeling of the hotel.  The amenities including the the pool area, indoor and outdoor lounges and the food court area is also understated but elegant.

The rooms follow the same pattern as the wood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows highlight the “cool” nature of the design and decor.

High-Tech Features

If you enjoy high-tech gadgets and gizmos, than this hotel is the one for you.  Each room has a tablet (iPad) that can be used to control the temperature, turn on/off the lights, watch television, order food and beverages, make dining reservations and find theme park information.  

In addition to the in-room tables the Aventura Hotel also uses robot to make room deliveries like cups, toothpaste, shampoo or even coffee.  It is a really neat feature but we have never used the service so we can’t vouch for its reliability.

Free Club-to-Club Access at CityWalk

For those over 21 that enjoy the party scene, one of the benefits of staying at the Aventura hotel is the free club-to-club access at select CityWalk clubs.  Guests can party the night away in a number of different themed clubs while not having to pay a cover charge upon entry.

 Click here for current rates and availability at Universal’s Aventura Hotel

The Rooms at the Aventura Hotel

There area several different types of rooms at the Aventura hotel which are as follows:

  • Standard King Room:  
  • Standard Two-Queen Room:
  • Skyline View Two-Queen Room
  • Deluxe Two-Queen Room
  • Kids Suite and Skyline Kids Suite
  • Kids Suite with connecting room

Each room is well appointed has features a flat screen television, in-room control and information tablet (as indicated above), work desk, mini-refrigerator, coffee maker and bathroom with separate sink area.

The Skyline view rooms give great views of the theme parks or the International Drive area.

Aventura Hotel Amenities

While the Aventura Hotel does not have some of the features of several of the on-site hotels at Universal, it still has plenty to offer.  These include:

  • Resort style pool and kids’ splash zone
  • State-of-the-art fitness center
  • Virtual reality game room (closed at this time)
  • Universal Studios Store and Kids Camps

Dining & Lounges at Universal’s Aventura Hotel

While there is a host of food and beverage options nearby at Universal’s CityWalk, the selection at Universal’s Aventura Hotel is more than sufficient for your next theme park vacation.

  • Urban Pantry:  A food court style dining experience offering burgers, pizza as well as an Asian station.
  • Bar Sol: A full selection of beer, wine and cocktails poolside.
  • Bar 17 Bistro: Aventura’s 17th floor rootop bar.
  • barVentura: Lobby bar that is perfect for evening drinks.
  • Starbucks: Get your speciality coffee, tea and snacks right in the lobby.

Hotels Rates at the Aventura Hotel

The follow rates are the rates for each of the resort varies for different dates throughout 2020.  The rates shown below are the best available rate for two adults and two-children in each individual room type offered at the Aventura Hotel.  

The rates were obtained from the hotels web site at the time of publication of this article.  

  • Standard 2-Queen Room:  $119.00 per night
  • Skyline View 2-Queen: $144.00 per night
  • Deluxe 2-Queen Room: $154.00 per night
  • Kid’s Suite: $205.80 per night
  • Skyline Kids Suite: $223.30 per night
  • Skyline Kids Suites with connection Room:  $324.80 to $367.30 per night.

There are no resort fees at each of these hotels but there is a 6% resort tax on top of a 6.5% sales tax on rates for each of these hotels.  Self parking is also $14.00 per night.

What We Think the Aventura Hotel is Perfect For:

This hotel is perfect for a wide variety of travelers visiting Universal Orlando and is perfect for:

  • Guests planning on spending considerable time at Volcano Bay.
  • Adult travelers to Universal due to the nature of the hotel.
  • Florida weekend staycations for a quick getaway.
  • The budget conscious visitor that still wants a quality resort hotel.

Our Endless Summer Hotel Rating

Endless Summer Florida has been to many different economy, moderate and luxury hotels in the in the Orlando tourist area and have stayed at all the on-site hotels at Universal Orlando.  As result, we feel that this hotel represents a fairly good value for the money as compared to other similar type properties at Universal and in the Orlando area.

With all the benefits of staying at an on-site hotel, Aventura represents an affordable option for those not looking for more than Cabana Bay or Endless Summer has to offer.

Endless Summer rates the Aventura Hotel 4.0 out of a possible 5 stars and recommend it for your next trip to Universal Orlando visit.

Planning Resources for Your Next Universal Orlando Trip

Jerry Joyce

Jerry Joyce has been a Florida resident since 1988 and has lived in a variety of places in the South Florida area. Jerry is an avid boater & water sports enthusiast, beach aficionado, a lover of great food, muscle car fan and a theme park annual passholder for many years. Some of his favorite places in Florida include the Florida Keys, Walt Disney World, Cedar Key, the Loxahatchee River, St. Augustine and Ten Thousand islands.

Recent Posts