Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites
Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites are Universal’s most budget friendly hotels located opposite one another. Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites are Universal’s answer to a truly ‘value’ hotel, though from staying there you would not think it. The hotels are newly open so still have that fresh feeling and everything is extremely well kept, bright, modern, and clean.
We had the opportunity to see both the standard rooms and 2-bedroom suites when visiting Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites which offered great insight into the range of options available to guests. Though, notably, the standard rooms were very large with plenty of room for 4 guests, suitcases and moving around the room.
The key differences between the suites and the standard rooms, apart from the extra bedroom, was the addition of a dining table which was very on theme and a kitchenette. This is not too important for those staying for a couple of nights but if, like us, you are visiting for a longer period of time then having this extra space and flexibility to have, say, breakfast in the room can save you a lot of money. Oh, also the surfboard was a very nice touch that added to the overall ambience of ‘a day at the beach’. Not to mention, the view from both the standard room and 2-bedroom suite was lovely – it’s certainly worth opting for a room with a pool view.
The Standard room:
The 2-bedroom suite
Though before entering the room, we first had to encounter the lobby: it is designed to emulate the feeling you get after a long day at the beach, and though at times this theme can be hard to convey, the hotel really does a good job of it. The lobby features a Starbucks you can enjoy daily and to your left you will also find a lobby bar, Sunset Lounge, and the restaurant / self service area ‘Pier 8’ which was pleasantly surprising and served an array of lovely food.
Over at Surfside Inn the room layouts are very similar and the standout differentiating feature is the slightly different theming centred around ‘surfing at the beach’ – highlighted by the very Instagram-able surfboards in the lobby and surfboard shape pool!
Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites are also both home to a fitness centre, game room, food court and In-room pizza delivery! We found both hotels to be surprisingly upscale and not too busy (though Dockside Inn and Suites was noticeably busier than Surfside Inn), and we were able to get sun loungers by the pool whenever we wanted without the stress of ‘claiming’ them at 6am as we have been known to do at Caribbean resorts.
Both hotels offer direct shuttle bus services to and from City Walk so guests can access Universal Studio Florida and Islands of Adventure. There is also complementary transportation to Volcano Bay Water Park. Unlike other Universal hotels, such as Cabana Bay Resort, you cannot walk to the theme parks so will need to rely on either your own transportation or Universal Studios’ shuttles – but these are very reliable and arrive approximately every 15 minutes.
A key element of staying at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites is guests’ ability to gain early access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Park. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a fan favourite attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and because of this it can get very busy during peak park hours. Having early access to this part of the park is a great way to get on some of Universal’s best rides, like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Flight of the Hippogriff, which can attract long queues later in the day. Alongside early access to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites guests will have early access to Volcano Bay. This is a great way to hop on the Volcano Bay water slides before they get too busy and even to secure your spot at the waterpark and have a base throughout the day!
Overall, if value for money is your main priority but you also want to have access to specialty perks like early park access then Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites are the hotel options for you! The hotels are in excellent condition and are ideal for if you are planning on being up and out most days exploring Universal Studios and Walt Disney World and are not overly concerned with extra amenities like fire pits and jacuzzies but rather with proximity to the theme parks and great pricing.