Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort

“Cabana Bay Resort”

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Cabana Bay resort. I took my daughter, my cousin, and her son. The kids had sooooo much fun but I think I had more fun than them lol. The building we stayed in was PERFECT! As soon as we step foot out the front door of the lobby, we were immediately at the volcanos b… more

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Cabana Bay resort. I took my daughter, my cousin, and her son. The kids had sooooo much fun but I think I had more fun than them lol. The building we stayed in was PERFECT! As soon as we step foot out the front door of the lobby, we were immediately at the volcanos bay back entrance. It was raining in the first day of arrival, so we left our blown up floats in the lobby until we got all of our luggage out the car. You need your own floats or you can rent a float from the resort for the pool. Well, someone took our floats and we never saw them again. On day 2, I ran until this precious angel, Sylvia. I explained to Sylvia what happened and I just started to cry. Sylvia immediately took my number, gave me a hug, and hopped right in to finding a solution. She gave me and my family floats for the pool and left a special treat in my bed when we returned. That made me feel so good. Carla, Celeste, and Black were also very helpful in ensuring we enjoyed the remainder of the trip. What meant most to be is that they all cared about how I felt. I could cry now leaving this review lol. Thank you so much to Cabana Bag and their awesome staff Sylvia, Celeste, Carla, and Black. We will be returning.

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“Epic Stay at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort”

We visited Universal Studios Orlando and stayed at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort from July 18 though 25. Every year for the past eight years, we've typically stayed on a Disney property. This year, we decided to change things up and try out staying at a Universal resort. We stayed at Universal'… more

We visited Universal Studios Orlando and stayed at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort from July 18 though 25. Every year for the past eight years, we've typically stayed on a Disney property. This year, we decided to change things up and try out staying at a Universal resort. We stayed at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach resort. Our party of four included myself, my wife, our 14 year old son and his friend of the same age. We booked a Volcano Bay 2 Bedroom Suite in the Bayside Tower. First, let's talk about the property itself. I found the property interiors and the grounds to be well-maintained. We found the retro-style theming to be whimsical and fun. We checked in around 1 pm and were informed that our room was not ready at that time. We were given a resort map and our room keys and informed that we were free to access all areas of the resort while waiting to receive the text message that our unit was ready. Shortly after checking in, half of the resort lost power (including the lobby/check-in area). We learned that this was likely the result of a nearby substation failure. Not to worry, however. We were able to pass the time and our room was ready by around 4:30 pm. Our room was terrific. It was clean, comfortable and spacious with plenty of room for us and the kids. We thoroughly enjoyed the views of the Volcano Bay volcano (Krakatau) courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Prior to our arrival, I'd read other reviews indicating that the walk from the towers to the main area (lobby, restaurants, shops, etc.) was quite lengthy. I have to say that we didn't find this to be the case at all for our party of four that included two teens. I would say the walk from our tower to the main area took about 5 to 10 minutes tops. The only real downside to the unit was that we were positioned directly behind the Kohola Reef Restaurant and Social Club at Volcano Bay and we could hear the nightly and early morning loading and stocking activities. Also, there were some issues with accessibility and access doors. We noticed that a couple of the wave-to-open accessibility door sensors did not work between buildings on the Americana side. And with one of two pool gate sensors not working, this caused a minor issue accessing the pool from the tower. Next, I'll address the level of service. Throughout our 7-day stay, we found the staff to be courteous and accommodating. I can honestly say that I never had a negative interaction with any of the staff at Cabana Bay. Remember, our bar is Disney so, we had high expectations. I especially want to shout out Jas, the young lady who initially checked us in. She made it a point to look out for us before, during and after the power outage. Thanks Jas! Now, let's talk food. Our first night on property, we made reservations to bowl and dine at Galaxy Bowl. We ordered appetizers and entrees and devoured everything. The food was delicious. We frequented the Bayliner Diner for breakfast and dinner and the food was of pretty good quality. The food court offers a wide variety including a grill station, an international station, pizza station, grab-and-go items, etc. During our stay we also ordered pizza to the room one night and ordered takeout from the nearby Hideaway Bar and Grill. We were never disappointed with any of our meals. We treated ourselves to Shakes Malt Shoppe after dinner one night and, it was absolutely delightful. Lastly, I'll discuss the amenities. Cabana Bay Beach Resort has two large pools. We never visited the lobby area pool, staying close to our room and frequenting the pool close to our tower. The pools and surrounding areas were surprisingly clean given the size of the resort and never felt over crowded. We did experience one pool closure when the pool near us closed for several hours due to broken glass in the pool from a nearby broken outdoor light. The maintenance crew and lifeguards did their due diligence, taking every precaution to ensure that the pool was safe for reentry. The lazy river was the perfect relaxing retreat after full days at the amusement parks. The gift shop was great and the boys (and adults) enjoyed the arcade. And, we had an awesome time bowling at Galaxy Bowl. Pros - Courteous and accommodating service staff - Property and unit clean and well-kept - Food was good - Excellent amenities - Complimentary transportation to and from Universal theme parks and City Walk Cons - Could hear noise from nightly and early morning loading and stocking in our room - A couple of the wave-to-open door accessibility scanners between the Americana buildings did not work - One of the key card scanners at the pool access gate near the towers did not work Overall, we all quite enjoyed our stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort. I find this hotel to be a great value for the price range. The staff treated us kindly and we felt quite comfortable at the property. Any drawbacks I noticed were minor. I absolutely recommend this resort and would definitely return for another vacation.

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“Fab week stay”

Last minute package holiday to Universal. We chose this hotel for the perks of staying onsite & the value for money. Pros- fab location to city walk, volcano bay & free transportation across all hotels. Cons- slow check in- be prepared to queue & busy busy restaurant area but lots of people to fe… more

Last minute package holiday to Universal. We chose this hotel for the perks of staying onsite & the value for money. Pros- fab location to city walk, volcano bay & free transportation across all hotels. Cons- slow check in- be prepared to queue & busy busy restaurant area but lots of people to feed. Room upgrade to a family suite for the 2 of us. No complains from the room as very clean. Our block was right next to the walking path to city walk which was great. A little tired in areas but great theming. I preferred using the pool at the nearby Sapphire falls- felt a nicer atmosphere for the two of us. Was a nice touch that we could take advantage of this & also the water taxi from there- 100% recommend that just for the views

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“This Resort is a Destination by itself!”

This is my favorite resort in Orlando but I do want to have full disclosure of the most and least favorable elements. Pro: excellent proximity to Volcano Bay. There really is no better location for the water park. Con: There is no luggage assistance other than storage. This resort is HUGE. If you h… more

This is my favorite resort in Orlando but I do want to have full disclosure of the most and least favorable elements. Pro: excellent proximity to Volcano Bay. There really is no better location for the water park. Con: There is no luggage assistance other than storage. This resort is HUGE. If you have a lot of luggage be prepared. Pro: The pools here are the best on Universal property (slide AND lazy river) Con: This family resort gets a lot of wear and tear. Be prepared for carpet stains and scratches on furniture and walls. Pro: Retro theming can’t be beat! Con: Not enough places to charge your phone. Everyone has usb outlets these days. Come on cabana bay! Do better :) Con: Room lacks storage Pro: Best hotel gift shop on property imo Pro: Best arcade on property Pro: Bowling! Pro: Starbucks! Pro: So many bars… Con: Dining is good but could be better I once stayed here for 4 nights with 3 kids and only went to volcano bay one day. This resort is a destination by itself!

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