# Which Universal Orlando hotel is best for kids Written 2026-10-06 by Play Day. Ten Universal Orlando hotels for kids: kids' suites, rooms for five or six, pools with slides, and whether you walk, take a boat or ride the bus. For a room built for kids, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and Universal's Aventura Hotel. For a family of five or six in one room with a kitchenette, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort or Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites. For a pool with a slide, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort or Loews Royal Pacific Resort. The other thing that splits these hotels is how you reach the parks. Six of the original hotels have a walking path, four of those also run a boat, and the Endless Summer hotel is bus only. With a stroller and a tired kid at the end of the day, that matters as much as the room. Short on time? The one we'd book for most families is Universal's Aventura Hotel: a kids' suite with the kids' beds behind a partial wall, a walk to the parks and a splash area at the pool. For more space and a kitchenette, Cabana Bay. ## How we picked Every hotel here is run by Universal Orlando or its hotel partner Loews, and every one is in the directory. We left out Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Surfside Inn and Suites because it isn't listed yet. Distances below are the operator's description of the route unless we say they're our straight-line measure. ## Rooms made for kids Two hotels have suites designed around the kids, with their own beds and a theme. Both have a walking path to the parks. ### [Universal's Aventura Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-s-aventura-hotel-orlando) Getting to the parks: Walking path and bus Why we picked it: A kids' suite with twin beds behind a partial wall, plus a walk to the parks, which is why it's our pick for most families. The Kids' Suite at Universal's Aventura Hotel sleeps up to five. Two twin beds for the kids sit behind a partial privacy wall from the king bed, and a couch in the main area turns into a bed. There's a splash area by the pool, and the hotel has a fridge in the room. It isn't for you if you want a resort with a lot of grounds to wander. Aventura is compact, and you walk or ride the bus to the parks. - Suites: Yes - Fridge: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [Loews Portofino Bay Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/loews-portofino-bay-hotel-orlando) Getting to the parks: Boat, walking path and bus Why we picked it: The Despicable Me kids' suite and three pools, one with a slide in a Roman aqueduct, make it the full-resort answer for kids. The Despicable Me Kids' Suites at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel are themed on Gru's lab, and the kids sleep in missile beds. The suite has a king bed and two twins. Outside there are three pools, and the Beach Pool has a slide built into a Roman aqueduct. You can walk, take the bus or take the water taxi from the dock to CityWalk and the parks. It's the one for a family that wants the full resort, and it isn't the one for anyone who just needs a bed near the gates. - Suites: Yes - Pool: Yes ## A pool with a slide Three hotels put the pool first. All three have the boat as well as a walking path and the bus. ### [Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando](https://ourplayday.com/places/hard-rock-hotel-at-universal-orlando-orlando) Getting to the parks: Boat, walking path and bus Why we picked it: The big pool has a slide and underwater music, and the game room inside keeps the evening covered too. The big pool at Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando has a slide and music that plays underwater, and there's a game room inside. The hotel has suites and a fridge in the room. It's a rock-and-roll hotel, so if you want a calmer evening, Royal Pacific is the better pick. - Suites: Yes - Fridge: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [Loews Sapphire Falls Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/loews-sapphire-falls-resort-orlando) Getting to the parks: Boat, walking path and bus Why we picked it: A waterslide pool with a sandy beach and a game room, and you can walk over from Cabana Bay or Aventura to catch the boat. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort has a pool with a waterslide, a sandy beach and a game room. It has suites. Cabana Bay and Aventura are the next hotels along the same road, so you can walk to Sapphire Falls to catch the boat. It's not the hotel for a family that wants a kitchenette in the room, because the directory doesn't list one. - Suites: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [Loews Royal Pacific Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/loews-royal-pacific-resort-orlando) Getting to the parks: Boat, walking path and bus Why we picked it: The calmest of the three pool hotels, with a water play area for smaller kids, so it's the one we'd pick for a toddler. Loews Royal Pacific Resort is island-themed, with a lagoon pool, a sandy beach and a water play area for the smaller kids. It's the calmer of the three, and the one we'd pick for a toddler. The directory lists no suite, fridge or kitchenette here, so a family of five should check which room sleeps everyone before booking. - Pool: Yes ## Room for five or six, with a kitchenette These two sleep a bigger family in one room and have a kitchenette. They differ on how you get to the parks. ### [Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-s-cabana-bay-beach-resort-orlando) Getting to the parks: Walking path and bus Why we picked it: The Family Suite sleeps six with a kitchenette, and the lazy river and bowling give a big family more to do than the pool. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort is the retro beach hotel. The Family Suite sleeps up to six, with two queen beds, a sleeper sofa and a kitchenette with a sink, microwave and mini fridge. There are two pools, a lazy river and a bowling alley, and the hotel lists cribs. It's the big one, and you have the walking path or the bus to the parks. With a stroller, the bus is the easier call at the end of a long day. - Suites: Yes - Cribs: Yes - Fridge: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes ### [Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-s-endless-summer-resort-dockside-inn-and-suites-orlando) Getting to the parks: Bus only Why we picked it: Two-bedroom suites that sleep six, with a kitchenette and separate bath areas, so a big group can share one suite. The two-bedroom suites at Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites sleep up to six: two queens in one bedroom, a queen in the other, separate bath and vanity areas and a kitchenette. There are two pools and a food court. There's no walking path, so every trip to the parks is a bus ride to the hub at CityWalk. It's the one for a big group sharing a suite, and not the one for a family who wants to walk back for a nap. - Suites: Yes - Kitchenette: Yes - Pool: Yes ## Near Epic Universe These three sit south of the original resort, under three miles from Cabana Bay by our straight-line measure, next to Universal Epic Universe. Pick one only if Epic Universe is the park you're going for. The directory lists them with a pool each, and Helios Grand has suites. ### [Universal Helios Grand Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-helios-grand-hotel-orlando) Getting to the parks: At Epic Universe Why we picked it: Attached to Epic Universe with its own guest entrance, so it's the closest bed to the park, with How to Train Your Dragon kids' suites. Universal Helios Grand Hotel is attached to Epic Universe with its own guest entrance, so it's the closest bed to the park. It has water play and kids' suites themed on How to Train Your Dragon, and guest laundry on site. It isn't a base for the original parks, which are a bus ride away. - Suites: Yes - Pool: Yes - Laundry: Yes ### [Universal Stella Nova Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-stella-nova-resort-orlando) Getting to the parks: Walking path and bus Why we picked it: The shorter walk to Epic Universe of the two sister hotels, with a big pool, a splash pad and a game room. Universal Stella Nova Resort is space-themed, with a big pool, a splash pad and a game room. It has a walking path to Epic Universe, shorter than Terra Luna's. The directory lists no suites, so a family of five should check the rooms. - Pool: Yes ### [Universal Terra Luna Resort](https://ourplayday.com/places/universal-terra-luna-resort-orlando) Getting to the parks: Walking path and bus Why we picked it: Stella Nova's adventure-themed twin, with a splash pad and a game room and a walking path to Epic Universe that's a little longer. Universal Terra Luna Resort is the adventure-themed twin of Stella Nova, with a splash pad by the pool and a game room. There's a walking path to Epic Universe, and a bus too. Stella Nova is the shorter walk. - Pool: Yes ## How the tiers differ Universal sorts its hotels into price tiers, and the tier decides the perks you get with a stay, so read what each tier includes on Universal's own hotel pages. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando and Loews Royal Pacific Resort are the top tier. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort is the middle one. Universal's Aventura Hotel and Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort are the value tier, and Endless Summer is a separate resort. ## Walk, boat or bus Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls have a walking path, a water taxi to CityWalk and a bus. Cabana Bay and Aventura have a walking path and a bus. Stella Nova and Terra Luna have a walking path to Epic Universe, shorter from Stella Nova, and Helios Grand is attached to the park. The Endless Summer hotel is bus only. ## Questions ### Which Universal Orlando hotel is best for kids? Universal's Aventura Hotel and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel have kids' suites with their own beds. Aventura's Kids' Suite sleeps up to five, and Portofino's are themed on Despicable Me. ### Which Universal hotel is best for toddlers? Loews Royal Pacific Resort has a water play area and a sandy beach at the lagoon pool, and Universal's Aventura Hotel has a splash area. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort lists cribs. ### Which Universal hotel is best for a family of five? The Kids' Suite at Universal's Aventura Hotel sleeps up to five. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites have rooms that sleep six, with a kitchenette. ### Is Cabana Bay worth it for a family? If you want the room more than the resort, yes. The Family Suite sleeps six with a kitchenette, and there are two pools, a lazy river and bowling. It's a bigger walk to the parks than Aventura, and you can ride the bus. ### Can you walk from a Universal hotel to the parks? Yes, from Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, Sapphire Falls, Cabana Bay and Aventura. Four of those also run a water taxi. The Endless Summer hotel has no walking path, only the bus. ### Which Universal hotels have a pool with a slide? Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort have a pool with a slide, and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel's Beach Pool has one built into a Roman aqueduct. Page: https://ourplayday.com/guides/united-states/florida/orlando/family-hotels-at-universal-orlando