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Universal Studios Orlando Resort in Florida is a very popular vacation destination. If you are planning a vacation there, then there are a lot of advantages of staying at one of their on-site hotels. Today, I want to talk about these hotels and how you can save money on a stay there.
So why is staying at an onsite Universal Orlando hotel so great? Well, for starter, you get onsite perks like getting into the park early or dedicated bus or water taxi transportation to the theme parks. As someone who stayed offsite when visiting Universal and onsite, I can definitely say staying onsite is so much more convenient just for the transportation alone. There are also three onsite hotels that get you a free Express Pass, which you can use to skip the lines at select rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Plus, Universal Orlando has a lot of great onsite hotels. Here is a list of them, as well as links to some of our reviews of these hotels:
- Hard Rock Hotel
- A cool, music-themed hotel
- You get free Express Passes here
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
- An Italian Riviera village-themed hotel
- You get free Express Passes here
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort
- A Southeast Asia-themed hotel
- You get free Express Passes here
- You can read the Green Vacation Deals Royal Pacific review here
- Universal Helios Grand Hotel
- A Mediterranean-inspired hotel
- Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
- A Caribbean-themed hotel
- You can read the Green Vacation Deals Sapphire Falls review here
- Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
- Themed like a 1950s & 60s beach hotel
- You can read the Green Vacation Deals Cabana Bay review here
- Universal Terra Luna Resort
- An exploration and discovery-themed hotel
- You can read the Green Vacation Deals Terra Luna review here
- Universal Stella Nova Resort
- A space-themed hotel
- Universal Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
- A laid-back, marine-themed hotel
- You can read the Green Vacation Deals Dockside Inn review here
- Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites
- A laid-back, surfing-themed hotel
- Universal Aventura Hotel
- A modern and stylish hotel
How to Save Money on Universal Orlando Hotels
If you’ve looked into staying at one of these hotels, you’ll notice that they can be more expensive than other hotels in the Orlando area.
But if you really want to stay at one of the hotels, don’t just write the idea off. There are ways to stay there without having to pay huge amounts of money.
And luckily, Green Vacation Deals excels at helping you with that. Here are 5 ways you can save money on a hotel rate. Hopefully, you can find a few that can help you. This is definitely a must read if you are planning on a Universal Orlando vacation in 2026!
- Priceline: I have had the most success finding discounted Orlando hotel rates through Priceline, including Universal Orlando official hotels. Their prices are consistently lower than other websites, including Universal’s.
- Book through Undercover Tourist: Another website I like to go to find good rates on Universal hotels is Undercover Tourist. I have had good success booking discounted hotel rates there that have helped me save money on my Orlando vacations. Another reason I like using Undercover Tourist is that you can book your hotel along with your Universal tickets, and that can give you an extra discount.
- Tripster: You can find some great rates for Universal Orlando hotels over at Tripster. For example, right now, you can save up to $58.71 at Terra Luna, $55.51 at Surfside Inn, $20.60 at Dockside Inn, etc. Another plus of Tripster? You can also bundle a hotel with your Universal Orlando theme park tickets, too!
- Look for Rates Through Kayak: When all else fails, I like looking for rates through Kayak. If there are discounts on any other websites, it will show up on Kayak.
- Use Swagbucks: Another option you can do to pay for your hotel room is start earning Swagbucks. Swagbucks, in case you’re not familiar with it, is basically a way to earn points online which you could redeem for hotels.com gift cards. You could then use those gift cards toward your hotel stay, which could significantly reduce how much you would have to pay. Here’s a guide on how to use Swagbucks.
How to Save Money on Universal Orlando Tickets
If you are staying at an onsite Universal hotel, there’s a pretty good chance you’re visiting the theme parks, too. You can find discounted Universal Orlando tickets here.
Virtual Tours of Universal Orlando Hotels
Want to get more of an idea of what a Universal Orlando hotel looks like? Then check out these virtual tours!
Terra Luna:
Portofino Bay:
Surfside Inn & Suites:
Cabana Bay: