If you’re seeking fun, affordable accommodations in the heart of Orlando, check out the stylish, ultra-modern Loews Aventura Hotel. Tucked among the landscaped boulevards of Universal Orlando Resort, this 17-story hotel boasts incredible views of the city, a chic rooftop bar, and an ideal location between downtown Orlando and Walt Disney World. With impressive theme park perks and dreamy amenities, Aventura is perfect for theme park junkies and casual vacationers alike. Grab a poolside cocktail, explore the Universal Orlando family of hotels, and drink in the views from the rooftop bar.
The best part is, you can have it all without breaking the bank! Aventura has a considerably lower cost per night when compared with other Universal hotels like the Hard Rock Hotel. Room rates start at just $132 per night for two guests. Enjoy fun amenities, killer views, and convenient access to a world of adventure, all included in the cost of your room. Theme park tickets for Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay are not included in your hotel stay. Let’s take a look!
Welcome to Aventura
Vacation mode sets in from the moment you enter Aventura’s breezy, high-ceilinged lobby. With floor-to-ceiling windows, plenty of low, modular seating, and modern light fixtures suspended over polished-cement floors, the hotel feels sleek. It feels new. It feels completely different from the other hotels at Universal, with a laid-back, unpretentious vibe that immediately welcomes you home.
A cool breeze tickles your neck as you check in at the front desk. Through the windows, you catch a glimpse of the resort-style pool. Then it’s up the elevators to your room! With 16 floors of guest rooms, Aventura is a fantastic spot to get a bird’s-eye view of Orlando. Be sure to stop by Bar 17, the open-air rooftop lounge, later in the evening for incredible 360-degree views of the city.
A Room With a View
The Loews Aventura Hotel has a range of room types to suit every style, from standard double queen rooms to kids suites with a skyline view. All rooms have separate bathroom and vanity spaces, a roomy desk with several clothes drawers, and a large closet. Rooms can accommodate 4-5 guests each, and come equipped with standard hotel amenities like a coffee maker, toiletries, in-room safe, mini fridge, and television. You won’t find a TV remote, though! The TV, lights, and air conditioning can all be controlled via a convenient bedside tablet for an entirely modern experience. You can even sign in to stream your favorite shows from Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime on the television.
The real attraction, though, is the view! Every single room at the Loews Aventura Hotel has floor-to-ceiling windows to let the light in. Book a Skyline View room on one of the upper floors for incredible views of Central Florida and the Orlando theme parks. From our room on the 14th floor, we had a killer view of Volcano Bay, roller coasters at Sea World, and even a hazy glimpse of Walt Disney World’s Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror, and Contemporary Resort over ten miles away. Rooms on the opposite side of the building, meanwhile, had breathtaking views of the Universal Orlando theme parks, including the brand-new Velocicoaster in Islands of Adventure.
Awesome Amenities
The Loews Aventura Hotel may be a “Prime Value” hotel in Universal’s hotel hierarchy, but it has plenty of amenities to compete with hotels in the Preferred and Premiere categories. Let’s dive into some of the incredible ways to spend a day at Aventura.
Go for a Swim
Spend the afternoon relaxing at Aventura’s zero-entry pool with a cocktail or two from poolside hangout Bar Sol. A refreshing Aperol spritz and a dip in the hot tub are the perfect combo to break up a day of park-hopping or sightseeing. In the evening, enjoy a glass of wine and roast s’mores out by the fire pit. S’mores kits are available for purchase inside the lobby’s Urban Pantry. There is also a poolside splash pad that’s perfect for kids to burn off a little energy. As a resort guest, take advantage of your pool-hopping privileges to explore the pools at neighboring Loews hotels. Check out the enormous lazy river, poolside cabanas, and themed water slide across the street at Cabana Bay Beach Resort, relax in the Italian villa style pool at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and more!
For the ultimate day in the water, follow a short walking path to Universal’s Volcano Bay water theme park. Whether you spend the day careening down water slides or idling around the lazy river, Volcano Bay is practically a guaranteed good time for all. The Loews Aventura Hotel is perfectly situated for a fun day at the Bay.
Grab a Bite
With an open-concept food hall, a Starbucks, two downstairs bars, and a rooftop lounge, Aventura has plenty of dining options. Stop by Urban Pantry for a wide selection of handcrafted meals, from gourmet burgers to custom-fired wok bowls and sushi. In the morning, Urban Pantry serves up breakfast staples like scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
Enjoy Urban Pantry’s dishes in the spacious dining room, or take them out by the pool with a drink from Bar Sol. BarVentura, in the lobby, offers a comfortable and contemporary place to sit in the evenings while you sip on a classic paloma, daiquiri, or old-fashioned. (Bar Sol and barVentura remain temporarily closed.)
Relax in Style at Bar 17
The most exciting offering at Aventura is Bar 17 Bistro, the rooftop bar and lounge on the top floor. Take the express elevator to the 17th floor for cocktails and bites, a relaxed upscale ambiance, and jaw-dropping views of Central Florida. The open-air lounge has plenty of comfortable, colorful seating, surrounded by tall plexiglass walls—perfect for breezy Florida evenings!
Sip on Bar 17 favorites like the Almost Sangria (rosé, peach liqueur, dry vermouth, thyme, and strawberry) or One in a Melon (Tito’s Handmade Vodka, St-Germain, melon, pear, and lemon) as you soak up the views. Snack on a selection of small plates and entrees, like a cheese board, herbed french fries, or ginger brussels sprouts.
If nothing at Aventura calls your name, there are lots of tasty dinner options nearby! You could walk or take a free shuttle to Universal’s CityWalk and eat at one of their delicious restaurants. I recommend Bigfire for wood-fired steak and seafood in a chill lakeside cabin setting. If you’re up for a drive, you can also find highly-rated restaurants on nearby Restaurant Row (Sand Lake Road), or out in Winter Park.
Universal Park Perks
If you plan on going to the Universal theme parks, staying at an onsite hotel has its perks!
As a guest of the Loews Aventura Hotel, you have the option of attending Early Park Admission. Get into the theme park(s) an hour before the advertised opening time, and knock a few must-dos off your list! Check the Universal Orlando website for current Early Park Admission information, including participating parks and attractions.
Enjoy free shuttle transportation to and from the theme parks and CityWalk, and a dedicated walking path to Volcano Bay. Don’t want to take the bus? Savor a romantic waterside stroll on a lush garden walkway to CityWalk and both theme park entrances.
While in the park, you can charge purchases to your hotel key card. Simply set up charging privileges at the front desk at any point before going into the park. You can also have purchases delivered to your hotel, so you can enjoy the parks without being weighed down by shopping bags.
Finally, transportation can be arranged between the hotel and the airport for an added fee. You can also rent a car from Avis at the hotel if you decide to venture out for the day. It’s a great way to avoid long car rental lines at the airport!
Other Amenities
In addition to theme park perks, fun dining options, and stylish rooms with a view, Aventura has several amenities to complete your comfortable hotel stay. If walking around a theme park all day isn’t enough exercise for you, pop down to the fitness center for a quick workout. At Aventura, you’ll also find a pay-per-use laundromat, a vacation planning center, a game room, and a store with toiletries, sundries, and Universal and Aventura branded merchandise.
Our Experience
The Good
I stayed at Aventura recently with one of my best friends on a much-needed girl’s night. We loved the modern design of the hotel, and were wowed by the Volcano view in our Skyline View room. Aventura offered a refreshing change of scenery from our usual haunts, like the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.
We lounged at Bar 17, where I ordered the Almost Sangria and we shared an order of herbed french fries. The cocktail was delicious, and surprisingly strong given its sweet peachy flavor. For $12, it was a great deal in the world of expensive theme park drinks. The ambiance and service were great, though we were disappointed to find a limited food menu. Our server said expanded food options, like the celebrated Bar 17 bao buns, will return in a week or two. It will be fun to go back when the full menu finally makes a comeback! We returned a while later to catch the sunset and take a few photos. Even I-4 looked relatively serene from our vantage point.
We walked over to Sapphire Falls, the hotel next door, for a stop at Strong Water Tavern. I ordered the seafood tostada and a Cuban Mojito. Back at Aventura, we stopped at Bar 17 to catch a glimpse of the fireworks over Magic Kingdom. We had the same incredible view of the fireworks from our hotel room when we returned to order dinner.
The Bad
Overall, the Aventura Hotel proved to be a fun, relaxing spot for a weekend getaway. Like any experience, of course, some things certainly could have been better.
Limited Room Service Options
Urban Pantry had great casual fare, but slow service and very limited room service options. The room service menu included three types of pizza, drinks, and a couple of side items. A little boring, but I like pizza, so that works. We made it to the checkout screen before the system informed us that our chosen pizzas were out of stock. No big deal, right? We would just go downstairs and order food in person.
Long Lines for Crowded Elevators
Here’s the thing: there are only five guest elevators to service 16 floors worth of rooms. This, by far, was the most frustrating aspect of our otherwise relaxing stay at Aventura. Every single time we needed the elevator, we joined a long line and waited several minutes for one—just one!— elevator to finally open its doors. The elevators were consistently crowded and not social-distancing-friendly at all. We felt super uncomfortable with the entire ordeal, and actively avoided taking the elevator whenever possible. Enter room service pizza.
When we arrived downstairs, we discovered that our room service items were not out of stock after all. I don’t know if the problem was with Urban Pantry’s inventory, or with our glitchy in-room tablet. On the plus side, our dinner options now expanded beyond pizza! I got an Impossible burger with sweet potato tots, while my friend ordered a custom wok bowl. Both took ages to prepare while we waited nearby with buzzers, and then we got back in that long line for elevator.
In Room Poltergeist
Back in the room, our tablet completely went on the fritz, freezing and then performing sequences of events 20 minutes after they’d been keyed in. Cue lots of lights flickering on and off, TV changing channels, turning on and off, logging in and out of streaming services. You get the picture. I reported the problem, and hotel staff delivered a standard TV remote to our room while we waited for the tablet fix. All we could really do at that point was laugh whenever the tablet poltergeist made the lights flicker. Eventually, the tablet worked again as well, making this a momentary annoyance rather than a constant source of frustration.
Final Thoughts
Despite some slow service, slow elevators, and one glitchy tablet, we had a great time overall at the Loews Aventura Hotel. I loved the sleek, modern designs and awesome views from virtually any angle. Bar 17 was incredible, and I will definitely be back soon. Any problems we had were addressed and fixed quickly. The express elevator to Bar 17 even helped to alleviate some of our concerns about the chaotic elevator system. Ultimately, slow elevators are a small price to pay for a hotel that offers so much style and convenience at such an affordable price point. After all, where else can you find aerial views like this in Orlando?
If you’re looking for a place to stay while visiting the Universal theme parks, the Loews Aventura Hotel is a stylish, cost-effective option for families, young couples, and friends. Explore all that the onsite resorts have to offer, including spas, luaus, and lazy rivers, without the luxury price tag.
If you’re interested in buying Express passes for the Universal theme parks, however, I recommend checking out the Premiere-level hotels. Express passes are included in the room cost for all registered guests at Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, and Royal Pacific. This has been an absolute lifesaver for me in the past. Booking a Premiere hotel can actually be a great way to save time and money on your trip! Start by checking out my absolute favorite, the Italian-themed Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.
More Universal Orlando Hotel Reviews
- Vacation in Style at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
- Experiencing La Dolce Vita at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
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- Savor the Flavors of Universal’s Mardi Gras With the 2021 International Flavors of Carnaval Tasting Lanyard
As an employee of Universal Orlando Resort, my room was booked at a discounted rate. I am a genuine fan of the onsite resort hotels, having stayed there many times in the past. This review is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Universal Orlando or Loews Hotels, and I have not received any compensation, monetary or otherwise, for my thoughts.
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