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All About the Extras
The biggest perks to staying at the Hard Rock Hotel are the close proximity to the Universal parks and the fact that you get to skip the lines. Your room key acts as an express pass, allowing you to bypass the lines on almost all of the rides in both Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. That's worth almost $90/day per person. Even though that excludes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a stay at the Hard Rock also gets you an hour of early admission into Island of Adventure; so you can bypass most of the lines there, too.
Staying on property also means you get resort-wide transportation via water taxi or shuttle bus between all the hotels and Universal Studios, Universal CityWalk and Islands of Adventure. You are also given priority seating at select Universal Orlando restaurants, free package delivery to your hotel room, and resort-wide charging privileges.
All Loews have lending libraries of games and welcome gifts. Our kids were given a selection of Hard Rock all-access pins at check-in, which we promptly set aside for grandpa. Families also have free access to cribs, nightlights, baby blankets and outlet protectors. There is free Wi-Fi in the lobby, but there is a fee of $10/day to connect in the room. The Hard Rock Hotel is also pet-friendly: you can get a pet tag and bowl, and even order special room service items for your dog.
The onsite Rock Shop sells Hard Rock memorabilia and all kinds of funky souvenirs, with a super-friendly staff and some pretty cool kids' clothing.
Need to get up early? Order a wake-up call from a selection of famous rock stars!
Fitness Center
The fitness center has cardio and circuit training equipment, as well as steam and sauna rooms, a whirlpool, and lockers. Unfortunately, it's not free unless you are staying in a club-level room. They charge $10/day; but multi-day packages are available starting at $14 for two days. There are also jogging paths with loops of different distances, ranging from half-mile to 3-mile runs. Pick up a map at the front desk. You won't find a spa at the Hard Rock; but you get access to the Mandara Spa, located next door at Loews Portofino Bay. Hard Rock does have in-room massages, as well as poolside massages on select days.
Getting There and Around
There are no hotel shuttles from Orlando International Airport to the hotel. If you want to take a bus, try Mears, which has reasonable rates and a good safety record. A taxi will cost you about $45 each way, which is pretty reasonable considering we priced out Mears, and for the three of us (one adult, two kids) it would have been $75 round-trip by bus as opposed to $90 round-trip for the cab. For us, it was totally worth spending the extra $15 for the taxi. If you're driving, take I-4 and get off at Kirkman Rd./Highway 435 and follow the signs to Universal.
Getting around once you arrive, however, is a breeze. If you're staying at the Hard Rock Hotel, you'll get free shuttle service (either by water taxi or bus) between the resorts, theme parks and CityWalk. The water taxis are the most fun, but also take the longest. There are also free bus shuttles to SeaWorld and Wet & Wild. Self-parking fees at Hard Rock are $15 per night and valet is $22.
The Art of Smart Timing
High season in Orlando is March through April, June through mid-August, and mid-December to early January, while low season is February, late May to mid-June, mid-August, and October. Rooms will be less crowded and less expensive in low season. Holidays and school vacation times are always extremely crowded. Temperature-wise, the summer months are generally quite hot, with temps going into the mid-90s, while November through the winter months can get chilly, with temps getting down into the high-40s at night, and averaging in the 60s or low-70s during the day. Hurricane season is June through November.
For Mom and Dad
If you want to stay within the hotel, The Velvet bar in the lobby is a great place to grab a few cocktails. It's got great atmosphere, and it's one of the few places at the hotel that you won't see any kids! The Velvet bar hosts Velvet Sessions on the last Thursday of each month, where you can catch live music from various rock bands. Try The Palm for a dinner without the kids.
If you want to get out, CityWalk is a 30-acre entertainment complex with bars, clubs, restaurants and live music and even a karaoke bar. Another fun option is Blue Man Group, which plays at The Sharp AQUOS Theatre, between the Hard Rock Cafe and the main entrance to Universal Studios.
If you're a guest at the Hard Rock Hotel you'll have access to the Mandara Spa, which is not on the property, but next door at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. They do it all, from massages and facials to full-body treatments, hair and nails, and there are his and hers steam saunas.
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