Universal's Aventura Hotel

Universal's Aventura Hotel Information: Rooms, Pools, Dining, and More

In the summer of 2018, Aventura Hotel opened as the resort’s sixth property and second Prime Value option. Squeezed next to the lushly tropical Sapphire Falls and across the street from the colorfully retro Cabana Bay, Universal’s Aventura Hotel may seem a bit under-themed in comparison to its neighbors. But if you’ve ever seen the luxury skyscrapers lining Miami’s waterfronts, this 16-story Y-shaped tower will make you feel right at home with its ultramodern curvilinear glass-covered design (which looks suspiciously similar to a giant fidget spinner).

Aventura Hotel Review

From the sleek, spacious lobby to the streamlined guest rooms, Aventura embodies that trendy aesthetic that Universal describes as simplified style, and which cynics might describe as IKEA stark; if you’ve stayed in a European micro-hotel, Aventura’s rooms will feel familiar. Standard rooms start at a miniscule 238 square feet—about 22 square feet smaller than Disney’s All-Star Resorts—for a king room with a pullout couch, while the standard room (with two queen beds), at 314 square feet, is a smidgen smaller than those at Sapphire Falls next door. Deluxe rooms, available with two queen beds or a single king, have a little more elbowroom at 395 square feet but still sleep a maximum of four. Because the deluxe rooms are located at the ends of the hotel’s wings, you’ll wake up to a dramatic 180-degree view. If you need more room, 16 Kids Suites are available; at 575 square feet, they have space for six, including a separate interior room with two twin beds and a play area with a pullout couch but no special theming.

Aventura Hotel Rooms

All of the hotel’s rooms share the same minimalist design scheme, featuring faux-hardwood tile floors and a monochromatic palette with a noticeable absence of color or artwork. Floor plans are oddly shaped, owing to the hotel’s curved footprint, but floor-to-ceiling windows and translucent dividers between the bed and bath help the rooms feel more spacious. The beds are passable, though not plush, and all of the electronics work. However, the shower curtain doesn’t extend far enough down, resulting in a wet floor every time.

In addition to the standard amenities, such as separate vanity and toilet areas, a minifridge, a coffee maker, and a 43-inch TV, Aventura’s rooms integrate smart home technology. Not only are USB plugs preinstalled in the power outlets for recharging your digital devices, but every room also includes a tablet that you can use to adjust the air-conditioning, tune the TV, or even order a pizza and clean towels. If you have a Chromecast compatible device or subscribe to Netflix or Amazon Prime, you can stream your own videos on the TV set. The iPad integration is innovative but also annoying if you need to use the sink in the middle of the night; thankfully, there are still physical switches for illuminating the toilet.

Aventura Hotel Pool

The pool at Aventura Hotel is also in the chic South Floridian style, with a compact crescent-shaped main pool surrounded by white decks and strategically placed palm trees. There’s a splash pad and underwater speakers (all the better to hear the dive-in movies) for the kids, and a fire pit and hot tub for the grown-ups; anyone with a couple of bucks can enjoy the Foosball and pool tables. Rainy day recreation includes a free fitness room, a Universal Studios Store, and an arcade with HTC Vive virtual reality headsets ($10 for 5 minutes of game play; 50% discount for annual pass holders). Aventura is also home to Universal Orlando’s first V-Hub lounge, where Virgin Holidays travelers staying at any on-site hotel can stash their luggage, grab some snacks, and relax on their departure day.

Dining at Aventura

Aventura Hotel doesn’t have a full-service restaurant, but that doesn’t mean you’ll starve. Along with the de rigueur Starbucks in the lobby, you’ll also find a href="/universal-orlando/dining/urban-pantry">Urban Pantry, a fast-casual food hall serving international entrées like ramen, artisanal pizza, and rotisserie chicken, plus a rooftop bar that serves craft cocktails and small plates. There are two additional bars, in the lobby and at the pool, but you’ll want to take the dedicated elevator up to Bar 17 Bistro on the rooftop for its million-dollar views of Volcano Bay’s namesake peak and the surrounding city.

There is a Starbucks in the Aventura hotel lobby. Be aware there will be long lines there in the morning.

The Bar 17 Bistro rooftop bar is a big selling point of the Aventura. There is nothing like it at any other Universal Orlando hotel. Bar 17 is a large open-air bar with sweeping 360 degree views of Universal Orlando Resort.

There are two other bars at Aventura. The Bar Sol is the pool bar. It is large and shaded with plenty of seating. The barVentura is the lobby bar. It has limited seating and depending on how busy the lobby is, you may find the area overtaken with families checking in or out of the hotel. When we stayed, the barVentura had a Happy Hour from 4 PM to 6 PM daily.

Room service at Aventura is ordered through the room tablet.

Getting to the Universal Orlando Theme Parks from Aventura Hotel

There are two main options and one slightly out-of-the-way one when getting to the parks. The main two are the bus and your feet. The bus picks you up at regular intervals right outside of the hotel and deposits guests near the security checkpoint for CityWalk. The walking path winds along Sapphire Falls and Royal Pacific before popping out near Margaritaville in CityWalk. The bus is only few minutes ride but you still have a several-minute walk through CityWalk to get to the park entrance. The walking path will take 15-20 minutes to Islands of Adventure with Universal Studios being 5-8 minutes further.

The alternate way is to walk into Sapphire Falls, which shares an entrance driveway with Aventura, and take the boat from there. It is likely slower than either way listed above, but will have the least amount of walking to get to the park entrance, especially Universal Studios Florida.

Guests at Aventura have a very short walk to Volcano Bay. A path behind the pool takes you directly to the the security screening. From there, the walk to the entrance of Volcano Bay from Aventura is less than five minutes. Guests may also use the free bus service to Volcano Bay, but this will take longer than walking.

Early Park Admission at Universal’s Aventura Hotel

Guests at Aventura do get Early Park Admission to Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal’s Volcano Bay water theme park. Early park admission includes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Free Universal Unlimited Express at Aventura

Guests at Aventura do not get complimentary Universal Express with their stays.

Arrival and Check-In

The parking garage for the hotel is directly adjacent to it and has an elevator that goes straight to the lobby. Aventura shares a drive with Loew’s Sapphire Falls and is directly across the street from Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The lobby itself is modern, but a little on the bland side with a large, open space full of nothing. The check-in area, lobby bar, Starbucks, and Urban Pantry food court are all located in the large open space separated by tinted glass dividers. The look of some of the furniture and the glass dividers are very good, but the larger areas are reminiscent of a decent airport: clean and functional but not particularly memorable.

Universal Orlando Trip Planning at Aventura Hotel

Tickets to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay can be purchased at the Vacation Planning desk in the Aventura lobby. It is next to the check-in desk.

There is an Avis rental car desk in the Aventura hotel lobby.

Guests who booked through Virgin Holidays and are staying at any Universal hotel may rest in the v-hub on the 2nd floor of the resort. It is a lounge with snacks, wi-fi, and device charging exclusively for Virgin Holidays guests.

Hotel Videos

Universal Orlando's Aventura Hotel Room Tour

Tour of Universal Orlando's Aventura Hotel

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Universal's Aventura Hotel

Unusually, room upgrades are priced not based on direction of view but altitude: “skyline” rooms on the topmost floors charge an extra $25 per night for panoramic views of the City Beautiful from one side of the tower or of Universal Orlando from the others. Oddnumbered rooms XX01–XX15 and even-numbered rooms XX30–XX44 face I-4 and International Drive; odd-numbered rooms XX31–XX45 and even-numbered rooms XX50–XX64 face Cabana Bay and Volcano Bay; and even-numbered rooms XX00–XX14 and odd-numbered rooms XX51– XX65 face toward Sapphire Falls and IOA.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Universal's Aventura Hotel Dining

• Bar 17 Bistro (Bar or Lounge)
• Bar Sol (Bar or Lounge)
• Barventura (Bar or Lounge)
• Starbucks at Aventura (Quick Service)
• Urban Pantry (Quick Service)