Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort Family Activities

Pool
The Hard Rock Hotel has plenty of kid-friendly entertainment. The main attraction is the pool -- which is enormous at 12,000 square feet, and has a small sandy beach, an underwater sound system, interactive fountains, a zero-entry pool for toddlers, and the highlight for our kids, a 260-foot water slide. We were the last ones in the pool the evening we arrived, and the first ones in the following morning. Truly, the pool alone is reason enough to stay, the kids enjoyed it as much as the park itself. There is always music playing at the pool, a touch we appreciated -- but if you aren't a fan of rock music (why are you staying here?) it could get tiresome.

Our kids love hotels that offer dive-in movies, and Hard Rock does them four nights a week. You feel like you're breaking the rules, watching a movie outside in the dark in your bathing suit. During the day there's pool basketball, water balloon tosses, rock and pop culture trivia contests, and tie-dyeing. We also love the fact that the pool is open late, until at least 10 p.m. most nights. There is also an arcade by the pool that's open until midnight.

Camp 'Lil Rock
Camp 'Lil Rock, located in a quiet corner on the first floor, is the hotel's supervised evening children's activity center for kids ages 4 to 14, which has arts and crafts, computers, and board games. It's only open in the evening, designed as a place for parents to drop off the kids and enjoy a night out on their own. The cost is $15/hour and children can eat dinner for $15 a meal, no more than you'd pay in any of the restaurants. It's open from 5 to 11:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The concierge can arrange for area babysitting services.

The Groove
There is no separate teen club at Hard Rock, but if they are looking for something to do on their own, there are booze-free "teen nights" held a couple nights a week at The Groove, a nightclub in the CityWalk complex. It's $10 to $15/teen and a photo ID is required.

Mandara Spa
The Y-Spa program is geared to teens, including the "heavenly massage," the "fake bake" self-tanning treatment and "surfers scrub" body exfoliation. If it's a celeb sighting they're after, at Hard Rock it's a very real possibility!

Universal Theme Parks
The two Universal theme parks, Universal Studios and Island of Adventure are both within a few minutes' walking distance from the Hard Rock Hotel; but the free water taxi is the way to go. Those who have been there, done that at Disney (like us) will love experiencing cool attractions like Shrek 4-D, and Simpsons ride, and the Revenge of the Mummy coaster. We were a little concerned there might not be enough to do for our 4-year-old, but between Feivel's Playground, Barney and the E.T. Adventure, we had no reason to worry.

Universal's other park, Island of Adventure, is home to the much anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter, with the towering Hogwart's Castle, Dragon Challenge, and buildings draped in the realest fake snow and icicles we've ever seen. But be warned, if you are planning to visit Wizarding World, be prepared for shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and long lines everywhere. Our 8-year-old loved Marvel Super Hero Island, Spider-man in particular, while our youngest could have stayed in Seuss Landing all day.

Hard Rock
Just around the corner from the hotel is the Hard Rock Cafe itself, as well as Hard Rock Live Orlando, a 3,000-person concert venue where big-name artists come to perform, both must-sees if you have teenage kids.