One of the best ways to save money on your Universal Orlando vacation is by using hotel points to cover your stay, and fortunately, there are several hotels within walking distance of the original Universal parks that participate in major loyalty programs.
The Universal Orlando Resort has long been a top destination for theme park lovers, but with the opening of Epic Universe, interest in Universal’s parks has reached a whole new level. What started with just Universal Studios Florida has grown into a massive resort complex that now includes three theme parks, a water park, a dining and entertainment district, and a mix of hotels, both on-property and nearby.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, a Halloween Horror Nights regular, or just excited to explore Universal’s newest attractions, staying close to the original parks — Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay — can be a smart move. These parks remain at the heart of the resort and are still where most visitors spend the bulk of their time.
Note: The hotels listed in this post are located near the original Universal Orlando theme parks. Epic Universe is in a different location, a few miles south of the main resort. If your visit is centered around Epic Universe, these hotels may not be the most convenient options.
Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
Lowes Hotels runs the hotels located on Universal Orlando Resort property. Lowes did away with their hotel loyalty program in 2018, but even at that time, the hotels at Universal Orlando were excluded from the program.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use points to redeem free nights at the on-property hotels. The Universal hotels are listed on the Chase portal so that you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for free hotel nights.
If you have a Sapphire Reserve, your points are worth 1.5 cents each when booking hotels like the high-end Hard Rock Hotel and the mid-priced Cabana Bay Beach Resort (which is so darn cute, with their Alberto VO-5 and Zest soap amenities).
Off-Site Hotels
If you’re interested in using your points to stay near Universal Orlando, you can choose one of several chain hotels located on or around Major Boulevard. These properties are right across the street from the main entrance to Universal Orlando, and depending on your route, some are actually closer to the parks than Universal’s own hotels.
Reminder: These hotels are best for visiting Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. Epic Universe is a few miles away and not within walking distance of this area.
I’ve listed the hotels below roughly in order of walking distance to the Universal Orlando entrance.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando
This hotel is located directly across from the entrance road to the Universal Orlando property. Since Hilton doesn’t publish award charts for their hotels anymore, it appears that award nights at this property run between 31,000 and 45,000 points a night. The hotel also charges a self-parking charge of $31 a night or $41 for valet parking.
Holiday Inn & Suites across from Universal Orlando
Located just across the street from the DoubleTree is the Holiday Inn & Suites. Currently, a reward night at this hotel will cost you 13,000 to 17,000 IHG Rewards Club points. I’d suggest checking cash prices and using the estimate of 1/2 cent per IHG point to see if it’s a better deal to pay with cash or points.
Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Universal Orlando
The Hyatt Place is a Category 2, and Hyatt House Universal Orlando is a Category 3 Hyatt property, with standard award nights costing 8,000 to 12,000 points per night. They can also be booked with the free night certificate earned with the World of Hyatt credit card.
Both of these hotels offer larger-than-normal rooms, with the Hyatt House offering a room with a full kitchen and the Hyatt Place offering 400 square feet with a sofa bed. Additionally, both hotels offer free breakfast.
Rooms at these hotels often go for $160 a night and up. Make sure you’re getting good value before redeeming World of Hyatt points for a free night.
Clarion Inn & Suites across from Universal Orlando Resort
The Clarion Inn & Suites is part of Choice Hotels, and you can book rooms using your Choice Privileges points. A free night at this hotel costs 15,000 Choice points per night. Cash rates seem to run between $80-$120, so make sure it’s a good value before booking with your Choice points for a free night.
Residence Inn near Universal Orlando
The Residence Inn near Universal Orlando charges 38,000 to 43,000 points a night. Depending on which Marriott co-brand card you have and the price for the night you’re looking at, you should be able to use a free night certificate at this hotel.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites nearest Universal Orlando
This standard Holiday Inn Express is located a little further down Major Blvd. Currently, rewards nights at this hotel cost 19,000 to 30,000 IHG Rewards Club points. I’d suggest checking cash prices and using the estimate of 1/2 cent per IHG point to see if it’s a better deal to pay with cash or points.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham – Orlando Universal area
If you find availability, you can take advantage of one of the Wyndham Rewards sweet spots and book a suite for the same 15,000 points a night.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Near Universal Orlando Resort
Another Marriott Bonvoy property near Universal, free nights here go for 24,000 to 46.000 points a night. Dubbed “The Closest Marriott Hotel to Universal Orlando Resort”, you’re really parsing how you measure distance, comparing this to the Residence Inn.
Final Thoughts
There’s no shortage of hotels to stay at if you want to be close to Universal Orlando’s original theme parks. Whether you use flexible points to book a night at one of Universal Orlando’s on-property hotels or redeem hotel points for a place just across the street, there are plenty of good options nearby. No matter if you collect Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, Choice, Wyndham or Best Western points, you’ll find something that works.
Reminder: These hotels are best suited for visits to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. If you’re planning your vacation around Epic Universe, keep in mind that it’s located several miles south of the main resort. A different set of hotels will be more convenient for that park.
We’ll be covering the best points-friendly hotels near Epic Universe in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!
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2 comments
Don’t the on-site locations that you list at the top include some entrance benefit or line-jumper pass or something like that or am I being delusional?
Am I the only one who thinks that almost 40k of Chase UR points (or any CC transferable currency) is a huge waste for a single night at a hotel? From the screenshots, it looks like you *still* have to pay over $200 on top of it!
@Christian, IIRC, only a few of the on-site hotels include the line jumping benefit (Express Pass?). The Hard Rock and the Royal Pacific are two of them.