Orlando’s Best Value Theme Park Hotel - Review

Orlando has a lot of theme park hotels to stay in from the cheap to the Ultra Luxury or Ultra expensive on this channel I've been a bit critical on some of Disney's higher end offerings and their terrible value proposition but today I want to look at the opposite I'll take a trip down I-4 to another Theme Park complex Universal Studios Orlando and check into one of if not the very best value Theme Park Hotel in North America [Music] before context I have only stayed in Disney resorts for my theme park trips never at a universal Hotel I've toured a few of them and I've generally heard positive things and it's always been something I've wanted to try Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort was first announced in summer 2012. it being the Resort's first value hotel with the theme of a vintage family vacation from the 50s and 60s the property broke ground in 2013 and opened in two phases the following year like all of Universal Hotels though it's not actually managed by Universal instead the property is treated as a Lowe's Hotel chain property and Cabana Bay is no different the hotel also went through an expansion in 2017 with the addition of Two Towers on the southern end of the resort property which accompanied the construction of the volcano Bay water park this is actually where we stayed for this trip a volcano Bay View standard room at 300 square feet the room was generously sized with a large walk-in area a decently large bath bathroom and enough room for all the amenities you would expect for this price point the room was very well appointed with very comfortable beds soft linen and a mini fridge a little puddle of hand sanitizer was provided which is also very appreciated however complementary water was not which is a bit disappointing what really shined however were all the small details to accentuate the room's theme from the colors used the lighting and even the bedside alarm clock I would say accent pillows too but for whatever reason our room didn't have them but they do exist for the little sitting area they put what I assume are fake Ames DSX chairs and in the bathroom vintage looking soaps which just makes the space feel so unique and classic the theming in this room is absolutely superb and really the whole Space is truly comfortable and enjoyable to be in since this was a volcano Bay View room we of course had a fantastic view not as great as others I've seen but this view was super unique giving you the opportunity to gaze over the Vista of the water park just feet away and in our case seven floors up day and night it's such a cool View and I think it's totally worth the slight premium for the room type in fact this hotel offers a few room variants from your standard two bedrooms to larger family suites which occupy a decent number in both buildings you can also select a room type that has indoor or outdoor access meaning you can choose if you want to be in a building that has an interior hallway or an exterior one the latter is more like a classic motel and arguably closer to the pools although you are missing out on the floor-to-ceiling windows The Towers Overlook volcano Bay and also have Suites of their own the two-bedroom family Suite being the highest category you can select here but where the hotel really shines is when you're out of the room and roaming the vast 35 acre property Cabana Bay was designed by a miami-based architectural firm called Shulman and Associates and they were tasked with creating a mid-century modern hotel that would invoke the themes of the 1950s and 60s Coast still Motel travel dare off design were hired to dream up the interiors and the end result here is nothing short of brilliant from every angle the space feels purposeful and well thought out the resort Embraces the unique touches of the errors it takes inspiration from yet makes it feel modern and Timeless in execution daref designs were quoted saying the Interiors were meant to be bigger than life rather than a slavish Recreation of the past the lobby structure in the middle of the resort best exemplifies this with its wide open Lobby and circular carport with vintage cars out front there's a Lobby Bar here a gift shop a Starbucks a full bowling alley a very well-equipped gym a milkshake bar and a massive fourteen thousand square foot quick surface dining hall this dining hall is bordered by four television screens playing vintage commercials I ate here just once for breakfast and it was pretty decent however other reviews have been a little mixed this building also has a second floor which has some more quiet seating areas this space sort of reminded me of the design of the abandoned neverley Resort I filmed a while back it has that very wide open 50s architecture and now that I'm thinking about it if I'm comparing it to an abandoned building that I filmed before that was designed in the 50s they did a pretty good job here anyways the second floor also connects to the outdoor pool decks flanking it on either side both with these long Meandering Pathways it makes it all feel so Dynamic and looking at the pool deck much like the other common areas it's indicative of the romance 1950s and 60s with its concrete bases and tasteful uses of bright color the resort has two pools a large one and a quieter second Pool Plus a lazy river there's plenty of space to Lounge there's little picnic pavilions everywhere and a few fire pits to use throughout the day one of my favorite spots was The Hideaway Bar and Grill it's this sunken Lush eating and lounging area which I absolutely loved and apparently the food is pretty good here too as is the atomic tonic The Grill at the other pool which also has pretty good reviews when the sun sets the resort feels so cozy with its many winding Pathways a great way to explore the property or just go out for a stroll although for whatever reason they've placed the smoking areas along these main Pathways every few meters not great considering this is the Resort's main thoroughfare with kids regularly walking past them now besides all of the unique theming and atmosphere you do get a few special perks for staying here those being early Park entry and free Transportation with all of this considered I found it pretty hard to believe that we only paid 219 dollars per night or 297 dollars Canadian that's pretty damn good for a theme park hotel at this level of quality in the off season for a standard room rates can get as low as 140 dollars a night and if you're a Florida resident or know someone who is I found prices as low as 126 dollars which is shockingly cheap now obviously the higher the room category including those family suites the more expensive it's going to be but honestly it's only by a marginal degree now if you look down the road over in Disney the situation is kind of interesting Disney has a few Resorts under their value category and if you look at the right dates you can get them for a decent price like here at Disney's All-Star Music Resort you can get a standard room for 136 dollars a night while it is slightly cheaper than Cabana Bay I think you're arguably getting a worse room worse amenities worse perks and a worse overall Resort I'm sorry for those who like these hotels but they're so hideous the situation is even worse off property with your standard run-of-the-mill hotels around Universal like this Holiday Inn across the street which is around 128 dollars a night all for a place that isn't themed doesn't come with any of the perks and has reviews like this so let's give this an actual rated score I give each product I try a rating out of 10 from 5 different categories for a possible perfect score of 50 out of 50. I'll start with a low location while Cabana Bay doesn't have the most convenient Universal Transportation which are the boats you are a short bus right away and you are especially close to volcano Bay with your own dedicated walking path considering where you are in Orlando and where you're at on the Universal Property I think it's a six out of 10. for the price point amenities are exceptionally good with lots to do no matter what vibe you're seeking out the only drawback is maybe the food with most of it being a hit or miss pretty expensive and lacking any premium eateries food is honestly something Universal has always missed a mark on for me it's an 8 out of 10. luxury also in the context of what you're paying for is fantastic everywhere feels premium clean and particularly well thought out honestly my only complaint was the soap in the bathrooms they look nice but honestly felt pretty low quality compared to rivals in this category overall though it's fantastic for what we paid which is an easy 9 out of 10. service was also fantastic with friendly knowledgeable staff at all positions they deserve a 9 out of 10. finally there's value these days it's hard to find a themed hotel property at this level of quality for such a low price I think everything considered here gives this an easy 10 out of 10. that gives universals Cabana Bay a total score of 42 out of 50. while we were here I couldn't help but make the comparison to Disney's contemporary resort which has also leaned towards the mid-century modern theme just with shoehorned IP I really don't know how Universal has made a budget hotel some hundreds of dollars cheaper but still themed it better and has an arguably more luxurious experience I was absolutely taken back by how great the value proposition is here and anyone spending their vacation here I have no doubt will be very happy and that all reflects it in its final score to close out this video an article I read on architectural record I think says it best when they say quote the complex with its logical spatial organization clean lines and jaunty Vibes saluting Simple Pleasures communicates the idealism while bringing dignity to a building type that typically lacks this quality my name is Jake and thank you very much for watching

Channel: Bright Sun Travels

Views: 162,647

Keywords: orlando resort, disney world, universal orlando resort, review, honest review, universal studios, florida resorts, disney world hotels, hotel review, 4k, family resort, cabana bay resort, disney value hotel, theme parks, walt disney world, bad hotels, disney all star, low cost resorts, jake williams

Id: l1jTQ60-lM4

Length: 9min 53sec (593 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 10 2023