SURFSIDE VS. CABANA BAY
When families like us want to travel, we don’t want to compromise comfort while trying to save money. At Universal Orlando it is possible to stay in an affordable, comfortable hotel room, while still getting the perks of staying on resort property.
Two of our favorite value resorts that I will compare are Universal’s Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites and Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Both have family suites that allow for 6 people.
FUN IN THE SUN AT UNIVERSAL’S SURFSIDE
Our recent stay at Universal’s Surfside Inn and Suites was incredible. First, we would like to give a huge shout out to the Universal Orlando Resort for sponsoring our two-night stay.
POOL VIEW FAMILY SUITE
Our room consisted of a Queen size bedroom with a closet, a bathroom with an exterior sink, and another room with two Queen beds and a kitchenette. The kitchenette contained a full size picnic table, microwave, sink, and small refrigerator.
PROS
Price: Standard rooms start at $88/night+ tax and 2 bedroom Family suites start at $132/night +tax
Close to the parks, friendly staff, nice pool area, comfortable beds, and a nice sized kitchenette
CONS
Limited storage space in the room, not much insulation between floors (one night it was very noisy), small food court, small gift shop, no express pass with room purchase
A RETRO FEEL AT CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT
INTERIOR ENTRY FAMILY SUITE
In 2019 we stayed in an interior entry family suite with two adults and four kids. Believe it or not there was room for all of us to sleep comfortably and also for the kids to hang out and play.
The suite consisted of a bedroom with two Queen beds and a kitchenette, and a seating area with pull out sofa. There is a sliding petition for privacy between the seating area and the bedroom. The kitchenette has a sink, mini fridge, microwave, and bar for eating. The bathroom is compartmentalized and contains an exterior sink and an interior sink.
PROS
Price: Standard rooms start at $124/night + tax, Family Suites start at $164/night + tax
Walking distance to Volcano Bay, Close to the Parks, large closet for storing clothes and suitcases, sitting area for relaxing, eating, or watching tv, pool area with a lazy river, large outdoor lawn with games and activities for families, large food court with lots of options (my nephew enjoyed the salad bar), bowling alley, game room, nice gift shop
CONS
No express pass with room purchase, large size resort that often has conventions so it can seem crowded at times, Volcano Bay view standard rooms are extremely far away from transportation and the front of the resort, check in process can be long during peak times
UNIVERSAL AFFORDABLE HOTEL ROOM: FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all we prefer Cabana Bay over Surfside for two reasons:
- More space in the room
- Availability of things to do
We know everyone has different experiences and wanted to share ours with you. You will never know until you go for yourself. Life’s Short… Take the Trip!
