5. Sapphire Falls Resort

Image: rain0975, Flickr (license)

Themed to the Caribbean islands, Sapphire Falls Resort is a beautiful and bright hotel that seems to want guests to feel at home and relaxed every second they stay within its walls. Unlike Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Sapphire Falls is a more modern, toned—down version of the Caribbean style — with fewer bright colors and cartoonish buildings, and more open-air spaces and aquamarine. 

It’s what is referred to as a “Preferred Hotel” in Universal’s parlance. Essentially, it’s a Moderate-Plus resort that offers many of the amenities you’d find at a high-end resort but for a slightly lower cost. There are table-service restaurants, craft coffee bars, and even extensive walking paths. In scale and scope, it’s most comparable to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort — with the room sizes of a moderate resort but the trappings of a deluxe.

The show piece for Sapphire Falls is its astonishing 16,000 square-foot pool, with tons of lounge space, games, and even a water slide. It is absolutely massive, and it is worthy of a day’s enjoyment in its own right. Universal’s hotels generally have pretty excellent pools, but Sapphire Falls boasts what might be the best of them all.

It is slightly more expensive than other Universal resorts, but that cost doesn’t get you a complimentary Universal Express pass like what you’ll find at the high end “Premier Hotels.” Additionally, the airy and modern feel to the resort gives it something of the feel of an airport concourse — which isn’t exactly the most relaxing feeling in the world.

That said, the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are luxurious (subway tile showers!), and the proximity to Universal’s resorts is tough to beat. It’s fitting that the middle-priced hotel finds itself roughly at the middle of this list. 

4. Royal Pacific Resort

Image: shawnzlea, Flickr (license)

Of Universal’s three “premier” resorts, Lowes Royal Pacific Resort opened the most recently — all the way back in 2002. It has, in the intervening years, earned a reputation for being something of a knockoff Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Yes, the two hotels share a theme and, yes, they have similar aesthetic sensibilities. But the idea that the Royal Pacific Resort is a beautiful and relaxing interpretation of the South Seas is pretty unfounded. This resort is absolutely beautiful, and its abundant horticulture causes the building itself to nearly recede into the trees themselves. It can seem like the resort exists on its own tiny island — which is a thematic success, indeed.

In addition to sizable and comfortable rooms, this resort features an enormous lagoon-style swimming pool, multiple table-service restaurants, a character meal, and even a luau show. Guests staying at this resort get a complimentary Universal Express pass — allowing them to skip the line at the park’s major attractions — in addition to a host of benefits that all Universal resorts have, from free shuttle and ferry transportation to room charging privileges. 

The parks themselves are just a short walk away, down a beautiful tree-lined path with sandy beaches and secluded wonder. In this way, Royal Pacific is almost too nice of a resort. A stay here feels like its own kind of vacation — one far removed from the hustle and bustle of Universal Orlando and CityWalk. For some, that can be a godsend. For others, it can feel like a missed opportunity.