On a recent visit to Florida, we really wanted to check out Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. We’re big fans of mid-century modern style so it gave us great pleasure to find with this property with an abundance of style and class.
We didn’t stay as guests but just walking around gave us a sense for the wonderful attention to detail given to this “Prime Value” hotel. Universal hotels are split into four tiers — Value, Prime Value, Preferred, and Premiere — so to find such wonderful attention given to what is just a step above “Value” level was uniquely impressive. If you’re familiar with Disney’s three-tier hotel approach, then Universal’s Prime Value would be a step in-between their Value and Moderate levels.
Surely, the style is not unique. In fact, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’re completely obsessed with the perfection of Disney’s Primetime Cafe which has been transporting guests back into a 1950s home for nearly 30 years. It’s a beautiful recreation of the time period and it’s delicious. Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort isn’t content to just duplicate the the style. In fact, the motif is turned on its side and given a modernistic approach. Imagine a beautiful sweeping modern style done in the textures, textiles, and flavors of the 1950s. That’s the mid-century modern approach and it’s done incredibly well at this hotel.
Bayliner Diner
Slightly misleading in its name, this place is less of a tiny dining spot with a server named Barb and more of a massive food court serving “a world of taste.” The expansive space offers various cuisines served from different stations, presented cafeteria-style.
Pool
There are actually two pools: Cabana Pool and Lazy River Pool. For our visit, we only explored the latter which is really fantastic. Lazy River Pool is set in a wide open space with both sand and concrete flooring plus tons of recliners, a hot tub, a lazy river, and a bar & grill. We actually pool hopped here along with four other Universal properties, you can learn more about those adventures below.
MORE INFO: PICTORIAL: We tried to pool-hop all 6 Universal Orlando Resort’s hotel pools!
The Hideaway Bar & Grill
Another little gem here. A split-level restaurant and bar with a feel of being in a 1950s backyard. It’s all so well done!
More to Explore
There’s a lot more to the resort that we didn’t see on our visit including…
- Cabana Courtyard Pool, a completely separate pool area than the Lazy River Pool with its own Atomic Tonic Bar and Grill
- Galaxy Bowl and Restaurant. Yep, the hotel has its own bowling alley (fees apply) and a fully-stocked restaurant/bar
- Sizzle Lounge is a stylish and colorful lobby bar lounge
- Deliziozo is an on-site pizza delivery service
- Starbucks is located in the lobby
- Hotel Dining Shuttle is a handy perk offering free shuttle transportation to and from on-site hotel restaurants
Perks and Benefits
If you’re a guest at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, you automatically get a few perks…
- Early Park Admission To The Wizarding World of Harry Potter with your paid admission into the park.
- Walking distance from the Volcano Bay water park.
- Direct shuttle stop that takes you straight to Universal Citywalk and the Parks.
See it for Yourself
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is available for booking. You can visit their official site for more information.
Secret Season rates are available for stays in January and February. We’re quickly finding January to be our favorite time to be in Florida not just for lower crowds but for the atypical Florida weather. It didn’t rain once during our visit and although temperatures did get a bit chilly in the evenings it was still pleasant enough to tolerate and all the pools are heated!
MORE INFO: Universal Orlando Resort’s Secret Season
