Sapphire Falls ~ 5 Reasons To Stay “Inside” The Parks!

Imagine a place where crowds seem to melt away.  An oasis of palm trees and lagoon style pools, plots of sandy beach and pool side service with a welcoming smile.  Picture an escape from your reality as you enter a tropical paradise.  Blue waterfalls, lush grounds, and calming colours.  The newest on-site hotel at Universal Resorts Orlando has a laid back Caribbean vibe and is located mere steps from the action.  Welcome to Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Studios in Orlando.

A whirl-wind girls getaway with my daughter and her BFF allowed me to check out this hotel and all it has to offer.  We stayed together in a lovely Pool View 2 Queen Bed Room on the 8th floor with a stunning view of the resort below.

The room was well laid out with two exceptionally comfortable beds, a flat screen TV, free WIFI, an in-room safe, coffee maker, small dresser, mini-fridge, desk/chair combo, and a comfy chair by the window.

Picture Courtesy of Loews Hotel

The bathroom was divided into two spaces.  The shower and toilet area, were neatly separated from the sink and counter space by a sliding pocket door.  The only draw back to the room was that this pocket door didn’t provide a whole lot of privacy.  Other than this little surprise, I was thrilled with how clean, quiet and conveniently the rooms were located to the lobby, pools and on-site restaurants.  This was a great place to call home for our 4 day getaway.

Ready to plan that next vacation?  Here are five reasons you should consider a stay at Loews Sapphires Falls Resort at Universal Orlando for your next family vacation.

1. Early Park Admission. Guests staying at this on-site hotel enjoy Early Park Admission one hour before the theme park opens.  There is something very VIP about gaining access to Universal Orlando before the crowds.  No need to run to your favourite rides and jump in a cue, you can take your time, snap some pictures and dive into your day of adventure feeling relaxed and even accomplished!  Potter Heads rejoice, as you tackle all the rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter before the gates even open to the other guests for the day!
2. Resort-wide charging privileges.  Charging privileges can be added to your room key card.  No need to carry your credit cards or a lot of cash.  When you check into your hotel you can choose to activate your room card and select how much money to allow to be charged each day.  For instance; I chose to allow up to $200 per day to be charged on each room key.  This gave myself and my girls the ability to pick up the tab for dinners, desserts or any souvenirs we may need or want throughout our stay.
3. Complimentary water taxi and shuttle service to and from the Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.  Although we were close enough to walk to both CityWalk and Universal, one of my favourite features of staying on site was the water taxi.  Before you board your water taxi you are ushered through a short and friendly security line.  Now you are ready to enter the parks!  No need to go through security a second time.  The water taxis came around about every 15 minutes (usually less) and went directly from our hotel to Universal Resorts and CityWalk.  A seamless and relaxing way to travel.
4. The pool.  One of the big draws of this hotel is the spectacular pool.  An oasis in the middle of the action.  Plenty of lounge chairs, an endless supply of towels, and friendly pool side service.   A special shout out to the lifeguards.  In all my years of travel and pool time I’ve never seen more attentive, engaged lifeguards.  I was impressed.
5. The location.   A couple of days walking around in the heat can be…exhausting.  You know what makes Universal even more incredible?  The option to pop back onto the water taxi and head back to your on-site hotel for a quick swim to cool off in the middle of the afternoon.  Nap time and pool breaks are good for everyone.
6. Bonus Reason.  The On-Site Restaurants:  The Dutch Trading Co., The Strong Water Tavern, Amatista Cookhouse, and poolside at Drhum Club Kantine.

Insider Tips:

*When you are getting towels, ask for a chair cover.  Ingenious “towel like” covers that fit over the loungers and stay in place.  Can you have a crush on a towel?

*Consider purchasing a re-fillable mug from the New Dutch Trading Co.  A one time purchase you can re-fill as often as you like for the duration of your stay.

*New Dutch Trading Co. is fabulous spot for a “grab and go” breakfast as you head out in the mornings.

*Don’t miss the waterslides and children’s area complete with small splash pad.

*If your thinking about spending an entire day at the pool, consider renting a cabana.  They come equipped with dedicated pool chairs, a shaded area complete with couches, a patio table and chairs, a stocked mini-fridge with sodas and waters, and a small safe to lock up your valuables when you go for a swim.

*At time of posting, Standard Rooms began at $204.00 per night, multiple nights were discounted.

*As at most resorts the cost of food both on-site and off can add up so plan accordingly.

The staff were friendly and helpful, the room quiet and comfortable and the proximity to the park can’t be beat.  We loved our stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and hope to return one day soon.

Happy Travels!

Disclosure:  I was provided accommodation in order to facilitate this review.  As always all opinions on this blog are my own.