Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando

Malissa Stritikus

Place is great, more of an adult vibe. Families with kids staying there were not distracting at all. The room I had was very nice, but I truthfully expected it to be nicer. The room was like any typical Hilton Garden Inn in terms of "nice". The bed was comfortable which is a plus. Enjoyed having the option to use the water taxi or walk into CityWalk. I held a team meeting at the property and the arrangements for my business meetings were top notch with catering that actually had food that not just looked good but tasted good, also an impeccable service team always present for anything we needed.

Wendy Orton

Pros: Absolutely brilliant location. Amazing surroundings. Wonderful pool. Club level - great and so convenient to grab snacks, early breakfast, water, drinks etc. And of course the express passes. I’d stay here again based on these reasons alone. Cons: a $600 dollar credit card hold on check in is completely preposterous. $32 a day for parking when you’ve already paid for club level also leaves a bad taste. Feels like you’re being nickel & dimed. Should be complimentary. Housekeeping didn’t turn up for turn down on two of the three nights we were there. Lastly our first room was right next to the ice machine and the noise was horrendous. We requested a move, got it no problem but no apology, nothing to make up for having to pack up and move rooms at 20.00 hours after spending a tiring day out. Finally the hot tub is really small and the same family hogged the it all night, every night we were there. Aware thats not the hotel’s fault but another larger option wouldn’t go a miss.

Tanner D

Location Location Location— We stay almost every year at Portofino bay which finally now after some construction is much better and you can actually get a view vs a blacked out window and view of scaffolding. This year though we chose to mix it up and do the Hard Rock simply for its proximity to the park. Now Portofino and Hard Rock are really two massively different experiences. Portofino is transporting and makes you feel like your in Italy or a theme park version at least.. while Hard Rock feels like a fairly standard large hotel/ resort. The rooms were ok, we stayed in a club room which gives you access to food snacks and free drinks..it was very underwhelming. The club room is very small and the options incredibly limited. I wouldnt pay the pretty big upcharge for club level for just these amenities again. The hotel room was fine, dated feeling tub shower, but all the standard things you may need in the room. House keeping was excellent and very accommodating. The Pool was the star of the show in my eyes, my kids loved the pool and water slide and what a fantastic place to decompress after a day at the parks. Overall its a very good hotel, 5 min walk to Studios, 10 to Islands of Adventure, excellent pool, easy to navigate hotel, good food on property. I would happily stay here again.

JDZ HR

Our family enjoyed our stay at this property. AJ was so kind and helpful in getting us checked in and made sure that our son’s birthday celebration was memorable. His customer service is what every employee should strive to achieve. We were assigned room 7010 which is by an exit and the view is a rooftop and a lil bit of the Universal Studios theme park. AJ did tell me that he wishes he could select the room for the guests but that the system does not allow them to do that. If I had a choice that room is not in a great viewing area and not an ideal location on their property and you have to walk a long way to get to the lounge and elevators. Also to get some ice for your drinks was extremely far away. They only have 1 ice machine on the 7th floor. The property is conveniently located right beside Universal Studios so it was nice to just walk over to the theme park when we went. It took us less than 10 minutes. The club lounge area was always stocked and clean for the guests. The bartender on this floor was very kind and friendly. The different musicians displays throughout the property was cool to see!

Jessica Nicholson

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal is hands-down my favorite place to stay. I truly can’t say enough good things about this resort — it hits the mark in every way. The Express Pass benefit that comes with your stay is unbeatable and adds so much value, especially if you're planning to spend full days in the parks. And you really can’t beat the location — it's the closest hotel to Universal Studios, and being able to walk to the parks in just a few minutes makes a huge difference. The rooms are clean, spacious, and beautifully decorated with that signature Hard Rock style. The whole hotel has a fun, upscale vibe, but it's also welcoming and relaxed. The atmosphere, music, and overall energy of the resort just put you in vacation mode right away. We also appreciated that there was plenty of parking, and everything from check-in to check-out was smooth and efficient. If you’re looking for a Universal hotel that combines convenience, comfort, and a cool vibe, Hard Rock is it. It’s easily our top pick, and we’re already looking forward to staying here again.