Documenting Lovely Moments
Universal Orlando’s Endless Summer Resort Surfside Inn and Suites
Staying at Universal Orlando resort hotels is certainly the most convenient way to go if you plan on visiting the parks for multiple days. The last time we visited Universal Orlando, we enjoyed our stay at Loew’s Portofino Bay. For our recent trip to Universal Orlando this summer, we decided to check out one of their newest hotels, Endless Summer Resort Surfside Inn and Suites. Scroll down to read what we think of this resort.
Check In
It was smooth and pleasant. Our flight arrived early in the morning (around 7 am), and we had originally planned to leave our luggage at the lobby until our room was ready. To our surprise, the check-in staff gave us our room keys and we were able to access our 2-bedroom suite right away. We were also given access to the resort’s parking garage to park the car that we rented from the airport. After placing our luggage in our suite, we were able to hop on the complimentary shuttle that took us to Universal Studios. The trip was definitely off to a good start.
2-Bedroom Suite with Water View at Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites
We booked the 2-bedroom suite with water view. Before our trip, we had read some negative reviews about loud noises, which concerned us because we are light sleepers. Our suite was located in Tower 2 towards the end of the building, which in my opinion was the best location in this resort because there were less noises and traffics in the hallway. Although we could hear the sound of kids running in the hallway from the living room, we could not hear anything from the master bedroom.
The suite had two Queen beds in the main living area, and another Queen bed in a separate master bedroom. Both the master bedroom and the living area had a gorgeous water view. The suite could comfortably sleep 6 people, and for our family of four, there was certainly plenty of space. The entire space looked brand-new and very clean, and the beach-themed decor added such a fun vibe.
On the other side of the living area was a cute dining area with a decent-size refrigerator, a microwave, a bar sink, a coffee maker, and pantry storage. We found this space very useful, especially after an exhausting day at the theme park and all we wanted to do was to get takeout to eat at the hotel.
Behind the kitchenette was the bathroom. There was a double-sink area located outside the bathroom, which worked out well for multiple people trying to get ready in the morning.
Water View
Our suite had no balcony, but we loved sitting on the bed by the window while enjoying our morning coffee. The view at night was just as beautiful.
Pool – Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites
The resort has a pool shaped like a surfboard (or a fish?), a cafe by the pool for ordering drinks, and an outdoor ping-pong table. The pool was only 3.5 foot-deep throughout, which was unusual, and the interior of the pool was surrounded by seating benches. It felt more like a big hot tub than a pool, only the water was not as warm. Also, inflatable balls are the only toys allowed in the pool. The pool seems small for the size of the resort, but surprisingly it did not feel too crowded when we were inside the pool. There were plenty of lounging chairs around the pool and we never had trouble finding a seat.
Resort Shuttles
The best thing about staying at Universal’s resort hotels is the convenience of transportation. The complimentary shuttles came very frequently. We never had to wait a long time for a shuttle and even when it was full, the next one would arrive shortly. The shuttles going to Universal City Walk, Universal Studios and Universal Island Adventures arrived every 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, the shuttle to Universal Volcano Bay arrived every 20-25 minutes. Resort guests also get to enjoy early park admission at Universal Island Adventures and Volcano Bay. For people like us who enjoy going on rides, this early admission is a HUGE perk, especially during high seasons. The park gets busier after it is open for the public and the lines are longer.
Useful Amenities
- Starbucks on site
- Beach Break Cafe (serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
- Fitness Center (nice-size room and clean equipments)
- Gift shop on site
- Free Wifi
- ATM machine
- Parking garage
Our Review of Universal’s Endless Summer Surfside
The Good:
- Transportation. Shuttles come frequently and conveniently stop right in front of Universal’s theme parks. Heading back to the hotel was easy as well.
- Cleanliness. The hotel is one of Universal’s newest resorts and therefore still looks brand new and clean.
- Staff. Check-in and check-out staff was professional and efficient. They also sent out friendly text messages to make sure that we had everything we needed. Housekeeping did a wonderful job as well.
- Parking. We never had trouble finding a parking spot, and the $15 parking fee was reasonable. It would be nicer if there was a covered pathway from the garage to the lobby so we would not get wet on rainy days.
Could be improved:
- Car Rental Desk. The hotel has an on-site Avis car rental desk, which we thought would be convenient. However, the lady working there at the time seemed reluctant to help.
- TV. The televisions in our suite did not have a built-in Netflix or Chrome Cast and the channels were very limited. We brought our streaming stick, but the free wifi was too slow to stream movies. Not a deal breaker for us since we brought games and spent most of our time at the theme parks anyway.
- Food. There is only one restaurant on site and a Starbucks, so options were limited. We could go to Universal City Walk which had more restaurants. However, we were not too impressed with the food at Universal City Walk and the wait times could be long. It was useful to have our rental car so we could go out and find good food in Orlando.
Endless Summer vs. Loew’s Portofino Bay
Having stayed at both Loew’s Portofino Bay and Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites, we can look back and evaluate which hotel we would go back to in the future.
Loew’s Portofino Bay is a very nice hotel and we had an amazing time at our previous visit to Universal Orlando. It also offers a convenient transportation to the parks, both by water taxis and shuttles. Portofino Bay has three nice-sized pools. Every sunset, they have a lovely live opera performance at the main balcony. This resort made us feel like we were in Italy. In addition, Universal Express Passes were included with our stay at Portofino Bay.
Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites is one of Universal’s more budget-friendly resorts. Although it does not provide water transportation, the shuttles are just as convenient. The 2-bedroom suite is affordable, and it has more space, a microwave, and a dining area. The resort only has one pool which is less spectacular than Portofino Bay’s. However, our kids still enjoyed swimming in it.
At the end of the day, the price difference just could not be ignored. For the price, we felt like Endless Summer provides a better value for us during this last trip. Especially because the included Universal Express Passes did not apply to Volcano Bay and we did not go to Universal parks every single day of our stay. Should we decide to do a similar trip in the near future, we would choose Endless Summer resort and the same room type.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts about our latest Orlando trip, including our experiences at Universal Studios, Universal Island Adventures, Universal Volcano Bay, Aquatica Water Park, Seaworld Orlando, Disney Springs, and ICON park.
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About Us
I'm a happily-married mom of two. Our family enjoys an active lifestyle and spending quality time together. We love creating memories through travel, learning about different cultures around the world.
