Cabana Bay Resort Universal, Orlando, Florida
Walking into the lobby at Universal Orlando’s new Cabana Bay Beach Resort is like stepping into the 1960s cartoon “The Jetsons.” The vibe is both retro and modern, with funky, midcentury-inspired furniture designs in orange and electric blue shades. The Swizzel Lounge, a nod to the famous stir sticks found in martinis and other iconic drinks of the 1960s, shares the lobby with a huge terrarium that leads up to a skylight, flooding the space with Florida sunshine. The Cabana Courtyard is home to a dive tower and a 100-foot water slide that curves before dumping you into a huge zero-entry pool. Most of the rooms here are family suites that sleep up to six with two double beds and a pull-out sofa. Each has its own kitchenette that includes a small refrigerator, sink and microwave, so you can whip up a snack or breakfast without leaving your room. Cool wooden pocket doors separate the living area from the bedroom and give you (and the kids) privacy when you need it. The bathrooms were brilliantly designed as three separate areas: a room with a shower and sink connects to an open dressing area and a second sink, which connects to a third room with a toilet. If you have little ones, it makes it so much easier to get ready at the same time when every family member can claim a spot and you can keep an eye on everyone. Two flat-screen TVs?one in the living area and one in the bedroom?are a godsend if you?re not into late-night cartoons like your kids. Fun details like analog clocks, Zest soap and V05 hair products add the perfect throwback touch.
Heather Brohm (verified owner) –
A great hotel for families
We had a great time at the Cabana Bay Resort. The pools, lazy river, and small splash area were so much fun, we practically had to drag the kids out of them! The food court area had a wide variety of foods, and we felt that there were enough healthy and good tasting options. We never felt crowded at the food court or in the pools. The room, and entire hotel complex was clean, and really “themed” as well as any Disney resort or better. Transportation to Universal Studios was always available; we never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus, and at times there were 2 or 3 buses out front. Since our kids were little, we didn’t get to experience everything the Cabana Bay had to offer (bowling alley, nighttime poolside movies), but we would love to go back again! The only downsides were: there was no sit down/full-service restaurant, and the nighttime movies were a little loud if your room faced the pools, like ours did. But, we were all so tired that no one had trouble falling asleep, even the baby.
Tips for Families
If your kids are sensitive to sounds at bedtime, try to stay in a room that looks out from the resort. There are two pool areas, and each plays a different movies at night time. One has older kid movies, and the other, younger. There are pool rafts for sale near the lazy river. We found the food was a better quality at the food court, rather than at the bar near the pool.