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Hotel overview
Property information
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Hotel details
Hotel advisories
General policies & fine print
General Information:
Room taxes are included in vacation price. Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Parking Fee:
A minimum self-parking fee of $14 per room, per day, per vehicle will be charged and collected by the hotel for overnight hotel guests, at check-in or check-out.
Fees are subject to change without prior notice. The information published here is to give the client an estimate of additional fees they may be responsible for but not a guarantee of the final amount due.
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
1742 reviews
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Aug 28, 2023Perfect base
Stayed here for the middle 2 weeks of August with my husband. We chose the hotel as we wanted easy access to the universal parks and we really utilised the transportation - not so much early admission as only 3(?) rides open early which meant wait times were way above mid afternoon. Couldn’t fault the bus service we never waited longer than 5 minutes either at the hotel/city walk/volcano bay. Our room was pleasant - clean, good sized and powerful shower, 2 queen beds, good size tv (which did disconnect during power cut but was resolved later that night). Bed was very comfy and our room was cleaned with fresh towels every day. Our bed linen was changed after one week as we stayed for 2. My only gripe about the room was how noisy it could get. Our room had an adjoining door to the next room and we worked out it was a family with young children in it who were quite loud early in the morning and late at night. One night we ended up banging on the walls at 3am as they were being so disturbing. I told reception the next day and they said if it was to happen again, call reception and they’d send security, luckily it didn’t happen again. But we would hear their every conversation and alarm! Our other improvement could be allowing the secure gate onto international drive to be in operation later than 9pm. We would’ve felt safer getting onto hotel property sooner than having to walk far down to the hotel’s main entrance. We made good use of the pool and never had a problem with a sun bed. Always a lifeguard on duty. Every staff member we dealt with was extremely pleasant and helpful. We also made use of the fitness suite and locker rooms and showers on our last day as it meant we could freshen up before our late departure. We had a wonderful time here and wouldn’t hesitate to stay again if we wanted the same kind of trip. Good base but if you’re wanting quiet and relaxing it’s not for you.
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Aug 28, 2023Endless Summer Experience
Great Hotel super clean and friendly but charging for parking and decent wifi is poor in 2023. I think both should be communicated in advance cause its not a nice way to start your holiday after a long day traveling. Beds were comfy but tv channel offering could have been better and the sound at times went out of sync with the picture. Room could have had more immenities the lack of a kettle and toaster limited in room food options
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Aug 27, 2023Great lower cost option for visiting Universal
My family and I had a wonderful stay at the Dockside Inn. Exceeded our expectations for a budget hotel - room was clean, and relatively spacious for the price (bigger than our D****y budget hotel room last year). High ceilings make it seems airy even though the square footage is not enormous. Included refrigerator and coffeemaker. We received service in the room each day - beds made with fresh sheets, clean towels, and replenished coffee supplies (somewhat of a rarity after COVID). Large pools and logging areas with plenty of seating great for unwinding after a busy day hitting the parks. Bus service to and from Universal parks is continuous and easy to use - never had to wait more than 2 or 3 minutes to get on a bus and get on the road. Ride is only 5-10 minutes. Definitely worth the extra $10-15 per night over other budget hotels in the neighborhood just for the bus service. Highly recommended.
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Aug 25, 2023
Azingly enjoyable!
I honestly had an amazing time on the Dockside half of the property that is divided in The Dockside and The Surfside halves. As a wheelchair user I enjoyed the entire resort that is essentially flat with speedy large elevators that transport you up the towers where the rooms are located. I was in tower 1 that was busy with families BUT I did not experience any of the noise and commotion in other reviews. My room was spacious for one, would be tight for a family. I was booked into a two BR suite because it was a roll in accessible room that I needed. Equipped with 2 TVs on the Xfinity network, coffee maker, microwave and refrigerator (no freezer section). Paper and foam cups but no plates or containers. Again the kitchenette area is a great touch but so tightly designed it does not lend itself to a wheelchair user. Three beds and curtains with automated controls. The lighting system was interesting in that your room key had to be inserted into a switch on the wall to operate. There is one very small closet very close to the bed so it does not allow reach or usable space for a guest in a wheelchair. It does have a luggage rack, hangers, an iron and ironing board. There is a large spacious picnic bench in the kitchenette area of the room that adds to the beach feel. There is a coffeemaker with small coffee pods and paper and foam cups. There are no metal or ceramic cutlery and dishes in the room. This is an interesting childcare safety precaution. There are hanging hooks and plugs all over the room. The bed was comfortable and spacious. It is not hoyer storage friendly as it is solid underneath and is standard height. The AC was COLD so I mostly had it off after the room cooled down. The bathroom that was very important to me as an ADA guest was spacious with rails, roll up sink, roll in shower. The controls were problematic in the placement and usage in relationship to the shower bench, wheelchair and height in unison. ( wheelchair users will understand) There were plenty of bath and body towels but no face cloths. As a wheelchair user the bathroom was well designed overlooking the shower controls. One of my favorite features was the chat system in place of phones. You can chat with the front desk and concierge directly on your phone in your messaging app. I loved this and used it several times as well as checked out with it. It was fast, attentive and conversational. They responded very quickly, much quicker than the phone. While I did not use the pool, there are two one in each tower with bars. The resort itself naturally has a large Univer Studios store, a Starbucks and a very family and wallet friendly eatery called the Pier 8 Marketplace. It has a nice variety of simple foods and snacks with everything under $12 and tons of space in booths and tables to eat. The free shuttles to and from the parks were fantastic, numerous and frequent. It seemed to me much faster than the every 15 minutes they say but that was because 2 pulled off and the next one pulled up. Locally I visited the Walmart, Waffle House, Red Lobster and Ripleys Believe it or Not. The premium outlets were nice as well. The Lynx public bus and tourist Iride trolley were all very convenient.
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Aug 24, 2023Be prepared to stay in a room that is cleaned only once a week
With the false argument of reducing the impact on the environment, the housekeeping service only makes beds, changes towels and replaces bath amenities. They don't sweep the floor or clean the bathroom. The room includes a table for 4, a microwave and a kitchen sink that are practically useless due to the lack of basic equipment. There are only a few DISPOSABLE plates, glasses and cutlery available, with which a lot of garbage is generated every day.