Orlando’s hottest hotel is the Orlando Hard Rock, located adjacent to Universal Studios. It offers classic California architecture and luxury with a rock and roll twist.

Each room is designed with your comfort and entertainment in mind, from spacious standard rooms up to the Graceland suite, where you too can live the life of the King of Rock and Roll.

You can’t get much closer to the Universal Studios than the Hard Rock Hotel, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Like all Hard Rock Hotels, the pool here is out of this world. Your trip wouldn’t be complete without spending some fun in the sun at the 12,000-square foot pool, the crowning centerpiece of the Hard Rock Hotel. Whether soaking up the rays on the poolside beach, serving it up on the sand volleyball court or making waves in the water, you won’t miss a beat of the best rock and roll with the underwater sound system. The Beachclub offers nonstop refreshment and several cabanas are available for that perfect beach side party.

There’s plenty more to do during your stay, including beautiful jogging and walking courses, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and special access to the best golf courses Orlando has to offer. Take part in numerous sports and artistic activities throughout the season or have some fun in the game room. Tour the memorabilia of rock legends and take home some of your own from the Hard Rock Store.

When you’re ready for the best in dining, look no further than the Palm Restaurant, New York’s famous steakhouse. From American to Italian cuisine, there’s something for the whole family.

The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, either. Spend your nights at the Velvet Bar, featuring the once-a-month “Velvet Sessions” with live music from your favorite bands. Slip back poolside for the Dive-In Movie or Concert Nights, featuring live DJs, bands and concert shows of today’s top artists.

Universal Studios has plenty for kids to do at the Hard Rock too. For your rockers in training, Camp Lil’ Rock is open late with supervised activities for the kids to have as much fun as the grown-ups.

The very best part of staying at the Hard Rock? Guests get free front of the line access to all the major rides and attractions at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure! There’s no better theme park perk out there right now than this.

Come for the weekend and live the life of a rock and roll star. Rates start as low as $229 and package options are available to make your stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort an experience you and your family will never forget.

Want an even better bargain? Many people don’t know it, but all three of the Universal are on Priceline. Before you book directly with the hotel, try Priceline and see if you can get a better deal. Sometimes you can get a room at the Hard Rock for right around $150.

While everyone can agree that a trip to Universal Studios Orlando can be fun for the whole family, many people are worried they can’t afford to spend money on a vacation, especially with the economy the way it is. What many people are surprised to learn is just how affordable a family vacation can be. With millions of people visiting the area each year, there are so many hotel, flight, and ticket options available that prices are cut rate.One of the best ways to get top value for your dollar is to buy a Universal Studios Vacation Package.

These packages combine all your travel needs into one package, including airfare, hotels, rental cars, and sometimes even meals and theme park tickets. Buying everything all at once like this can save you big bucks on your trip. I really like these packages by FunJet because I used them for a trip to Orlando last year and got a much better deal than I could have gotten on my own. They gave me airfare and a hotel for my trip for the same price as the hotel alone would have cost me if I’d booked separately, plus they don’t have all the crazy fees that Orbitz and Travelocity have these days.

If you can’t find a package that meets your needs, don’t worry. You can build your own package using some cheap travel providers. Start by finding your flight on Priceline. They’re my favorite place for Orlando flights because not only can you search for deals the normal way, you can also name your own price for flights and see if any airlines will accept that price for a ticket. It’s called bidding for travel and you’ll get a response instantly.

Once you have your flight, check out hotel options at Priceline as well. I was a little nervous the first time I used Priceline, but you select exactly where you want your hotel to be and what star level you want before you bid. It feels really good to know you only paid $30 for the same room the hotel normally charges $200 for! I pretty much only use Priceline for my hotel bookings these days because of the great deals I’ve gotten.

For the cheapest rental car options, try E-Z Rent A Car.  When I used them to book my rental car on a trip to Walt Disney World last year, I think I ended up with a rate around $15 a day. It’s hard to get much cheaper than that.

By using these resources to book you’re trip, you’ll be able to have plenty of fun on your vacation, knowing you got the best deal. Plus the money you save will come in handy for buying souvenirs at the parks!

So you’ve checked out some of the hotel options near the park and you’re convinced that staying onsite is completely worth the cost. Now which of the three Universal Resort hotels do you choose? Read more »

If Universal’s onsite hotels are out of your budget, don’t worry. There are thousands of hotel choices in Orlando, with something that will fit any vistor’s budget.

Within one mile of Universal Studio’s gates, there are half a dozen affordable lodging options. For the very best deal, try the Comfort Inn Universal Studios. It offers free parking and rates starting around $50 a night. Best of all, you can walk to the theme parks from here!

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The Universal Resort offers three on-site hotels that truly five-star, world-class destinations, with a price tag to match. So why bother reviewing these hotels if the price is so high? Simply put, Universal’s hotels come with the greatest theme park perk ever. Guests of the hotels get free front-of-the-access to all the major rides and attractions in the park! Can you imagine a sweeter deal?! All you have to do is show your room key to the ride attendents and you can breeze past the lines.

So what, you’re thinking, if the prices are too high for me to afford it? While the rack rates at the three hotels are all over $300 a night, the smart traveler can easily get a room at one of Universal’s hotels for $150-175/night by shopping around.

The first place to look is Priceline. Not only do they seem to have some of the best hotel deals around, but they have the lowest booking fees too. There’s nothing I hate worse than finding a low price for a hotel on Expedia or Orbitz then finding out I’m paying an extra $50 or so in booking fees. Read more »

In college, my friends and I would take road trips during spring break and over the summer. Being poor college students, we were always looking for the cheapest hotel possible, and we stayed in some pretty scary places. One of the cities we traveled to over and over again was Orlando, simply because of all the bargains available there. In Orlando, it’s still possible to get a decent night’s accomodations for under $50, making it a great choice for those traveling on a budget.

Many people hesitate to stay in budget hotels because they are worried about safety. While there are some sketchy parts of Orlando, the entire Disney and Universal resort areas and all surrounding hotels are perfectly safe, and sit well outside of the city limits of Orlando.

My absolute favorite way to get a great hotel deal is to use Priceline. They have a Name-Your-Own-Price feature that will save you big bucks. Here’s how it works:

1. You select the area you’d like your hotel to be in. The Orlando area is broken down very specificially into the Magic Kingdom area, the Universal Studios area, Orlando itself, and outlying areas. If you’re visiting Universal, you’d select the Universal Studios area.
2. Choose the star level for your hotel. Depending on what you’re looking for, and what level of service, you can choose from quality levels ranging from one to four stars.
3. Name your price. To get an idea of what hotel rooms are going for on Priceline, check out winning bids on Priceline’s website. A search for the Orlando area, for instance, shows hotels that have been won using bids as low as $28 per night!
4. You will get an answer right away as to whether your bid has been accepted. If it hasn’t, you can try again, or go for one of the low cost options below.

I’ve used Priceline’s website for my last half dozen trips to Universal and Disney. It’s helped me get some great deals and let me enjoy my trip a lot more because I wasn’t so worried about money.

Try using Hotels.com. I prefer them to the other online travel sites because the fees and add-ons are much lower and I’ve gotten much better deals.

If all else fails, check out one of these low-priced Orlando hotel options:

• Super 8 Universal Hotel at 5900 American Way – This hotel is literally within walking distance of Universal Studios, but they also offer free shuttles to Universal, Disney, and SeaWorld. The average rate of $59 also includes free continental breakfast. Add to that clean rooms and a great staff and this deal is hard to beat!
• Best Western Plaza at 8738 International Drive – Just 5 minutes from Universal, this hotel offers rooms ranging from $50 to $80 per night, plus free theme park shuttles and a Ponderosa steakhouse right next door. The hotel features multiple pools, a game room, and a great location convenient to all the major attrations.
• Quality Inn ar 7600 International Drive – Just five minutes or a free shuttle ride from Universal Studios, this hotel offers big perks for a small price. With rooms between $50 and $80, you get two pools and restaurants, a mini fridge in every room, and pets are welcome!

Save your money for the theme parks and stay at one of these Universal Studios discount hotels, convenient to the action and easy on your wallet.