Universal Orlando’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a family-friendly value resort with a colorful, retro vibe! Spacious family suites and over-sized pools, make this a must-read review before your next Florida vacation!
We were thankful to partner with Universal Orlando Resort’s for our stay, so that we could get some insider info to share with you! We were provided with complimentary accommodations and theme park tickets in exchange for coverage of our stay.
Curb Appeal
I normally start forming my opinion on a hotel based on how check-in goes. With Cabana Bay Beach Resort, though, we were already swooning before we even stepped foot in the lobby!
We were still driving down the road when I saw the buildings with the brightly colored windows and squealed, “We’re here!” Little did I know, it was only going to get better!!
When you pull in front of the main building, it’s obvious immediately where you should head first. Just look for the friendly valets who are there to help you unload and start your vacation. If you choose to self-park, they’re still friendly as can be letting you know where you can park temporarily while you check-in.
Lobby and Check-In Process
As soon as you step into the enormous lobby, you’re greeted with bright, colorful decorations and a palm tree! Welcome to Florida, amiright?!
Off to the right is the main check-in desk and your first stop! Don’t get intimidated if you see a long line! There are SO many front desk clerks there to help you that it goes super quickly. When we arrived, the line was outside the roped-off queue because there were so many people checking in at once, and it still only took us about 5 minutes total!
If you’re there before the official check-in time of 4 p.m., get in line anyways! They’ll give you your key cards to your room so that you can start enjoying the pools, theme parks or whatever is on your agenda for the first day. As soon as your room is ready, they’ll text you to let you know with your room number.
We arrived about 3 hours before our room was ready and had no problem whatsoever heading straight to the pool while we waited! They even have a specific desk to check your luggage right beside the main check-in desk.
There are locker rooms and bathrooms at the pools, so we were able to change into our suits and jump right in.
Guest Rooms and Family Suites
Once it’s time to check into our room, be prepared to get a big goofy grin on your face! It’s so hard not to be happy with all the fun colors and retro details!
We stayed in a family suite that faced the pool, and it was the perfect amount of space for the 4 of us! I know some people think that a hotel room is just a hotel room, but as soon as you stay in a place like Cabana Bay, you realize that’s not true. There are some rooms that are just better! Rooms that make your whole vacation more enjoyable because you have room to spread out!
Our Room Included:
- separate living room with sleeper sofa
- kitchenette with eating area
- mini fridge
- microwave
- dishes and utensils
- coffee maker
- 2 flat screen TVs
- pocket door divider between living room and bedroom
- 2 queen beds
- walk-in closet
- safe
- bathroom with 3 separate spaces
- clothesline
- hair dryer
- Wifi
- Bath products
- USB ports and outlets on nightstand
I’m pretty much addicted to hotel rooms with living rooms and kitchenettes. I’ve just come to accept this about myself! I like beds for sleeping and having a separate seating area for lounging around. And cold drinks. I love waking up to a fridge in our hotel room, so I can immediately have a cold drink!
The kitchenettes in the family suites were perfect! A fridge, microwave, coffee maker and some dishes if we wanted to make a meal in our suite or heat up leftovers!
Plus, I loved the surfboard counter with stools for the kids to sit at!
The living room was separated from the bedroom by a funky room divider that you could pull shut for privacy. Can’t even tell you how many times that came in handy when it was time to change clothes!
The photo below gives you the best perspective on how the suite is laid out. I’m standing right inside the exterior door and you can see the bedroom behind the partition wall.
The bedroom was just as colorful and spacious with 2 queen beds, an analog alarm clock from the ’60’s and a walk-in closet!
Also, I have to tell you that I am THE.WORST.SLEEPER.EVER.
I’m pretty sure my husband AND my doctor have written this down on their files on me somewhere. I stink at sleeping even in my own bed at home, so when I travel, it’s usually a given that I’m not going to like the bed and/or pillow.
Soooo not the case at Cabana Bay! I was super comfortable with the bed and pillow and also with the room temperature. I didn’t have to get up once to adjust the thermostat which is just unheard of for me! In fact, the first night there I slept for like 7 hours straight and woke up feeling like a new woman! Craziness!
Right off the bedroom is the bathroom. The bathroom is actually made up of 3 separate rooms. There is a vanity with sink and storage space immediately off the bedroom. To the right of that is a small room with just the toilet.
To the left of the vanity is another room with a full-size shower and a second sink. We loved that the shower can be used for a bath as well if you have younger kids.
AND… and!! There is a clothesline you can pull across the tub to dry out your bathing suits! Why doesn’t every resort with a pool think of the little things like this! We used it daily and it was SO nice not to have to pack wet swimsuits in our luggage to travel home!
But the fun part of the bathroom was the 50’s and 60’s bath products! We got such a kick out of the throwback packaging! Can we just discuss how integrated and on-point their branding is?!
And while I only have 4 people in my family, this suite could easily fit 6! There was that much space and bed options!
Between the 2 queen beds and the pull-out sleeper sofa, this is the way to go for larger families!
But even after all that colorful goodness, I think my favorite part of our room at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, was the view out the window!
When we first checked in, I was a little nervous that it would be noisy since we faced the main pool. We never heard a peep, though! It was SO quiet in the room!
But if we stepped out onto our balcony, we had the greatest view of all the fun going on at the resort! And in the evenings, we go to see some pretty cool Florida sunsets!
Tomorrow, I’ll take you outside of these funky rooms to explore the gorgeous grounds! There are so many on-site activities and amenities at Cabana Bay Beach Resort that it deserved it’s own post!
How to Book Your Stay at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort in Orlando, FL
You can check availability and make your reservations directly through the Universal Orlando Resort’s website. Be sure to check out Florida Resident Rates for special offers to stay at Cabana Bay Beach resort!
Be sure to follow along with them on social as well, so you can plan your visit!
Universal Orlando Resorts website
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Cabana Bay Beach Resort on Facebook
