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Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando

4.4$$No resort feeWater taxi to parksExpress Pass not includedCaribbean theme

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Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando, photo 1

Photos: Photo: Kiran891, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Our take

By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer

Sapphire Falls sits in Universal's top hotel tier and does not come with the perk most people book that tier for. The pool is the draw: 16,000 square feet with a zero-entry white-sand beach, a 100-foot waterslide and a hot tub, one of the biggest pool areas on Universal property. A water taxi runs from the dock to CityWalk in five to ten minutes, from before early entry until around 2am, and a half-mile garden walkway feeds a quieter security screening near Margaritaville. The catch is Universal Express Unlimited. It comes free with a stay only at Portofino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, it covers participating rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, and on a busy week it is worth more than the gap between this hotel and Royal Pacific next door. Sapphire Falls makes sense when that gap is wide, which is what a last-minute drop does to it. Guests rate the pool, the staff and Strong Water Tavern's rum list highly. The complaints repeat too: it reads as a convention hotel, because 115,000 square feet of meeting space and a covered walkway into Royal Pacific make it one; rooms are comfortable but plain; doors let hallway noise through; and parking at $36 plus tax a night lands hard on people who picked Universal for its no-resort-fee pricing.

Quick facts

Express Pass
Not included. Complimentary Express Unlimited comes only with a stay at Portofino Bay, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific
Park access
Water taxi to CityWalk in 5-10 min, half-mile garden walkway, or shuttle bus. Epic Universe is bus only, 15-25 min
Parking
Self-park $36 plus tax per night, valet $45 plus tax
Resort fee
None
Pool
16,000 sq ft, zero-entry sand beach, waterslide, hot tub, kids' play area
Check-in
4pm check-in, 11am check-out

Where you are

Map showing the location of Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando📍 6601 Adventure Way, Orlando, FL 32819

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

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Adventure Way, the on-site hotel row that runs between Universal's Aventura Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific. You're inside the resort, a five to ten minute boat ride from CityWalk.

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Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando FAQ

Is Universal Express Pass included at Sapphire Falls?

No. Complimentary Universal Express Unlimited comes with a stay at exactly three hotels: Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific. It covers participating rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, and it does not cover Epic Universe or Volcano Bay. Sapphire Falls guests can buy Express separately. Epic Universe sells its own Express product too, and no hotel stay includes that one either.

Does Sapphire Falls charge a resort fee?

No. Sapphire Falls does not charge a nightly resort fee, which is unusual in Orlando. Parking is the charge that catches people instead.

How much is parking at Sapphire Falls?

$36 plus tax per night for self-parking, $45 plus tax for valet, per the rates Loews publishes. If you're flying in and staying on-site the whole trip, skipping the rental car removes the fee entirely.

How do you get to the parks from Sapphire Falls?

Water taxi from the hotel dock, about five to ten minutes to CityWalk, running from before early entry until around 2am. There's also a garden walkway of roughly half a mile, about 15 minutes on foot, and shuttle buses that take 10 to 15 minutes. Epic Universe is bus only, 15 to 25 minutes.

Do you still get early park admission at Sapphire Falls?

Yes. Early Park Admission goes to every Universal on-site hotel guest, up to an hour before the parks open to everyone else, and it includes Epic Universe. It's a separate perk from Express Unlimited, and it's the one Sapphire Falls does get.

Is Sapphire Falls worth it over Royal Pacific?

Only when the price gap is wide. Royal Pacific is next door, uses the same water taxi, and includes Express Unlimited for everyone on the reservation. When the two prices are close, book Royal Pacific. When Sapphire Falls drops well below, the pool and the boat still make it a strong on-site stay.

Things to do nearby

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