We stayed at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at a discounted rate as part of the Family Forward Conference. All opinions are my own.
Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
This summer we drove from Ontario to Florida to attend the Family Forward Conference in Orlando. It was our first visit to Universal and we were impressed the moment we pulled into the driveway at our on-site hotel — Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. A friendly staff member greeted us at the vehicle, explained where to park, and helped with unloading. They escorted us into the lobby where the kids were immediately excited. Check-in was quick, we received themed room keys for everyone, and the staff even handed our boys balloons while we waited.
As international guests we didn’t use the hotel’s text messaging service, but many American guests preferred texting to calling the front desk and were enthusiastic about that convenience.
Loews Sapphire Falls is a Caribbean-themed hotel and, at the time of our visit, one of the newest on-site hotel options. Aventura Hotel is scheduled to open nearby next summer.
We stayed in a cozy 321-square-foot standard guest room. With the rollaway bed for our third child the space was tight, but we planned to spend most of our time enjoying the resort and parks. The room is decorated in Caribbean colors and features separate shower and vanity areas, free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and a useful small fridge. Having a fridge helped us save on breakfasts and drinks— we stopped at a nearby Walmart to pick up snacks, yogurt tubes, cereal, milk and water. Another convenient option is to use Amazon Prime Now for hotel delivery.
Our first stop was the hotel’s impressive 16,000-square-foot pool. It’s the largest among Universal Orlando Resort’s on-site hotels and includes a fun water slide, shallow areas for young children, and plenty of beach balls for play. The pool area delivers a relaxed vacation vibe with palm trees, lounge chairs and small sandy areas to dip your toes. Lifeguards were attentive, which gave us confidence to let the children explore different parts of the pool while we relaxed. The water was inviting and even we couldn’t resist splashing around with the kids.
Note that the pool can close unexpectedly even in good weather, which was occasionally frustrating. There were afternoons when we returned from the parks hoping to cool off only to find the pool closed, while other nights we swam despite lightning in the distance and no closure. Complimentary towels are provided, and cabanas with big-screen TVs are available to rent.
Dining at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
Poolside dining at the Drhum Club Kantine offers a variety of favorites—burgers, fries, nachos and sandwiches. I highly recommend the Mojo Pork Tacos. There’s a children’s menu with grilled cheese and chicken fingers, desserts (mostly ice cream), and adult beverages served in souvenir cups.
Tip: Keep the souvenir cup—bring it back for refills on a future visit. If you leave it in the room, housekeeping may remove it during cleaning.
Other dining options include Amatista Cookhouse, Strongwater Tavern and The Dutch Trading Co. for grab-and-go items. We enjoyed poolside meals and ended up dining at Drhum Club multiple times. The hotel also features a small arcade, a fitness room and poolside activities like ping pong.
Getting to the theme parks
While the hotel is enjoyable on its own, most guests come for the theme parks. To reach Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure or Universal CityWalk you have three main options.
1- Water Taxi
Sapphire Falls has a water taxi dock at the back of the resort with complimentary service. Wait times vary depending on the line; the taxi can fill up and you may wait for the next one, so plan extra time for reservations. Typical waits are 10–20 minutes. The ride itself is about 10 minutes and goes directly to CityWalk without additional stops. The hotel dock has its own security screening, allowing you to bypass the main entrance check at CityWalk. Water taxis may suspend service during inclement weather, so have a backup plan.
2- Shuttle Bus
Universal provides a complimentary shuttle bus between the five on-site hotels and CityWalk. The bus stop is at the main entrance and buses usually arrive quickly; they rarely appear full. The shuttle makes stops at other hotels before the final CityWalk stop, so it is not a direct route.
Tip: There are two bus routes—one to CityWalk and one to Volcano Bay. Confirm the destination before boarding.
3- Walking Path
If the water taxis aren’t running or you prefer a walk, take the garden walkway that runs along the canal to CityWalk. It’s a safe, scenic 10–15 minute stroll to the CityWalk entrance near Margaritaville. Volcano Bay is about a 5-minute walk from Sapphire Falls but involves busier streets; the shuttle is usually the easier option for that destination.
On-Site Perks
A major perk of staying at Loews Sapphire Falls is Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and Universal’s Volcano Bay™ one hour before the parks open to the general public.
You can also use your room key card to charge purchases across the resort to bill them to your room account. Set this up at check-in and the staff will assign a spending limit. This worked well for hotel dining, though some guests experienced issues using the room charge in the parks and needed to resolve it at the front desk. It’s wise to carry a backup payment method for your first day in the parks.
Select merchandise purchased at resort outlets can be delivered to your room free the next afternoon—handy when you don’t want to carry souvenirs all day.
Guests also have access to the pools at the other on-site hotels including Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Resort and Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
For more information about Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and planning a Universal vacation, consult Universal Orlando’s official information channels.
Heading to Volcano Bay? Check out our insider tips for visiting Volcano Bay and a guide to the rides.
