Epic Universe Hotels: Your Guide to Staying Near the Action

Discover the three Epic Universe hotels at Universal Orlando Resort. Learn about their amenities, benefits, and rooms. The Universal Orlando Resort vacation experience will become even more exciting when the brand-new Universal Epic Universe theme park opens on May 22, 2025. However, the experience will also become more complicated with the addition of a third theme park at Universal Orlando Resort.

In addition, Universal Orlando Resort adds three new hotels to its “on-site” lineup. The three new hotels are located very near Universal Epic Universe. In fact, one of these hotels is situated inside the Universal Epic Universe theme park.

Why Stay at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel?

The reasons groups choose to stay at one of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels are limitless. Many are within a short walking distance of the theme park. In addition, Universal Orlando Resort hotel guests receive unique advantages compared to guests staying elsewhere during their vacation. Universal Orlando Resort states, “Staying at any Universal Orlando hotel is the best way to experience all that the destination has to offer and comes with exclusive theme park benefits.”

What are these benefits? Well, guests staying at any Universal Orlando Resort hotel receive Early Park Admission to enjoy select attractions at the theme parks, including Universal Epic Universe. This means one extra hour to enjoy premier theme park attractions like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Jurassic World Velocicoaster, Starfall Racers, and Mario Kart (attractions are subject to change). That privilege assumes guests have paid theme park admission.

Universal Orlando hotel guests can also take advantage of complimentary shuttle bus transportation to the theme parks and Universal CityWalk, resort-wide charging privileges, complimentary merchandise delivery, and more. Some hotels extend unlimited express passes for guests staying there. Also, some hotels have complimentary water taxi transportation to Universal CityWalk Orlando and the theme parks.

Why Stay Near Universal Epic Universe?

Universal Epic Universe theme park opens May 22. This brand-new theme park will be the first major theme park built in the Orlando area in over 25 years. It promises to entertain guests in ways they have never experienced before.

This brand-new theme park will have five immersive lands. They are:

• Celestial Park
• How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
• Dark Universe
• Super Nintendo World
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.

Universal Epic Universe stands as the most ambitious theme park Universal Destinations and Experiences has ever created. Most expect this theme park to be a game-changer for theme park entertainment. Universal Epic Universe will have over 50 theme park-level experiences for guests. Guests can experience fantastic entertainment, incredible themed dining, and shopping with the groundbreaking theme park attractions at Universal Epic Universe.

Universal Epic Universe Hotels

Another unique characteristic of this brand-new theme park relates to one of the latest hotels being built. Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, will provide 500 rooms on the property with one-of-a-kind views of the theme park. Guests staying here will have the full theme park experience. Universal Helios Grand Hotel will even feature a dedicated entrance into Epic Universe for hotel guests with valid theme park admission.

Guests can also stay at one of the two new prime-value level hotels near Universal Epic Universe. Those are Universal’s Stella Nova Resort and Universal’s Terra Luna Resort.

Universal Orlando Resort stated in a press release that the opening of Universal Epic Universe will transform the resort into a weeklong vacation destination. With the opening of that brand-new theme park, guests can enjoy three theme parks, a fabulous water park, eleven hotels, and the Universal CityWalk Orlando entertainment and dining complex.

Guests staying at one of these three new hotels near Universal Epic Universe can quickly get to the new theme park. That also means guests have an easy trip back to their Universal Orlando Resort hotel after a day of fun and excitement at Universal Epic Universe.

Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel

At the time of writing, Universal Helios Grand Hotel has not opened to the public. However, Universal Orlando Resort shared details about Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel.

This Signature Collection 500-room resort is located within the Universal Epic Universe theme park, which opens in May 2025. Yes, guests can stay within the theme park when they book a stay at Universal Helios Grand Hotel.

The Universal Creative team created this hotel, which is also co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels & Co. Universal Helios Grand Hotel is a majestic Mediterranean-inspired escape rising above the gardens and scenic waters of Celestial Park at Universal Epic Universe.

This hotel is designed to blend immersion and relaxation to create a hotel stay like no other. This resort hotel features tranquil sleeping accommodations, entertaining amenities for the whole family, enhanced dining options, a stunning rooftop bar, and the hotel’s dedicated entrance to the new theme park.

Universal Helios Grand Hotel builds upon Universal’s decades of expertise in world-class entertainment and creative theming. This, combined with Loews Hotels’ hospitality and service excellence, should create a fabulous guest experience.

Only at Universal Helios Grand Hotel can guests unwind in the serenity of a sunlit retreat in one moment and then, within minutes, find themselves in the heart of exhilarating theme park adventures. Universal Orlando Resort stated that the Universal Helios Grand Hotel will be the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the pinnacle of Universal Orlando’s hotel experiences.

What to Expect at Universal Helios Grand Hotel

The Signature Collection Hotel near Universal Epic Universe takes guests to a different world. This hotel intends to take guests inside a fantastical world within the palace of Helios, the Greek god of the sun. Universal Orlando Resort states that the hotel is adorned with beautiful details of celestial patterns, dazzling constellations, and elegant yet casual Mediterranean design elements. The lobby features floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a breathtaking vista of Celestial Park. This should be some of the best views of Universal Epic Universe. This should immerse guests in the theme park’s brilliance day and night. Universal Helios Grand Hotel provides guests with beautifully appointed sleeping rooms, polished public spaces, and exceptional amenities.

Serene Guest Rooms and Spacious Suites

The rooms should be bright, inviting, and warm. The Universal Helios Grand Hotel guest rooms and suites evoke the tranquility of a blissful garden. Many rooms offer views of the fantastic worlds of Universal Epic Universe. Also, this hotel provides imaginative How to Train Your Dragon Kids’ Suites, where little ones can take to the skies and rest amongst dragons in a colorful room inspired by the Viking village of Berk.

Dedicated Entrance to Universal Epic Universe

The hotel’s dedicated entrance into Universal Epic Universe is located off the lobby. This incredible amenity provides direct, convenient access to and from the theme park for Universal Helios Grand Hotel guests (valid theme park admission required).

Bar Helios

This Signature Collection hotel at Universal Orlando Resort showcases a rooftop bar, Bar Helios. This stylish rooftop lounge at Universal Helios Grand Hotel offers a menu of creative tapas, familiar favorites, and handcrafted specialty cocktails.

Based on the popularity of the other Universal Orlando Resort rooftop bar, Bar 17 at Universal’s Aventura Hotel, Bar Helios should be a hopping place. At the time of writing, we know two menu items will be available when it opens on May 22. They are charred octopus and scallop crudo. Those do not look like standard bar food. Guests at Bar Helios should be in for a wonderful time.

Bar Helios will offer an unmatched 360-degree view of Universal Epic Universe and the surrounding area. This should be a perfect spot for guests to kick back in the evening after a busy day in the parks.

Resort-style Pool

The zero-entry pool oasis is the ultimate spot for rest and relaxation. It offers a pool with underwater speakers, poolside cabanas available for rent, a hot tub, poolside movies, recreational activities, and more.

Additional Amenities at This Epic Universe Hotel

Universal Helios Grand Hotel guests can also enjoy additional amenities during their stay. These include:

• A complimentary state-of-the-art fitness center featuring a variety of strength and cardio equipment;
• A game room for guests to blast, zap, and race their way through a collection of arcade games with the purchase of a game card;
• A Universal Orlando Resort Store where guests can purchase everything from sundries and necessities to Universal Orlando merchandise and more.

Dining at Universal Helios Grand Hotel Inside Universal Epic Universe

Guests looking to have a meal or grab a quick snack between visits to the theme parks can choose from various unique dining options. In addition to the bars, Universal Helios Grand Hotel offers a table service (what Universal Orlando Resort calls full service) restaurant and quick service dining options.

Flora Taverna

This full-service Universal Helios Grand Hotel restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It also has a lobby bar with a light and airy atmosphere. This restaurant features an open-style kitchen with live cooking, Mediterranean comfort foods, pizza ovens, and al fresco seating overlooking the beautiful scenery of Celestial Park in Universal Epic Universe.

Flora Taverna will offer a breakfast buffet. While we do not have official pricing yet, guests should expect the breakfast buffet to cost around $35 for adults and $18 for children ages 3-9. Guests can also order breakfast a la carte.

The full lunch and dinner menus are not out yet. Still, we know a few of the entrees available at Flora Taverna. These include:

• Heritage Tomato & Burrata Salad—This light and refreshing salad features heirloom tomatoes, burrata, agave walnuts, Reggiano pesto, and microgreens topped with mostarda.
• Shish Kebabs—This combination of land and ocean includes Za’atar chicken, spicy harissa prawns, and pimento-spiked beef. It is served with a sauce trio of Moroccan herbs, rich garlic, and tangy daqoos.
• Whole Branzino – This includes an entire butterflied Branzino grilled and served with tangy pickled tomato gribiche, fresh citrus, and a Moroccan herb sauce.
• Mezzes & Spreads – Guests can embrace the Mediterranean style of Flora Taverna with this appetizer. It consists of rich baba ghanoush, marinated olives, muhammara, hummus, tzatziki, whipped summer feta, and roasted red pepper dip. This is served with warm focaccia, pita, and lavash bread.

Aurora Market

This contemporary coffee shop and market offers freshly roasted coffees and grab-and-go food items. Enticing snack and dessert options are also available all day.

Lotus Lagoon

This poolside bar and grill lets guests cool off with refreshing cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. They can also enjoy casual fare options like burgers, salads, sandwiches, and more. Once again, Universal Helios Grand Hotel opens on May 22, 2025. This is the same day Universal Epic Universe opens for business to the public.

Two More Epic Universe Hotels

Two prime-value-level hotels have already opened near Universal Epic Universe theme park. They are Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort. These hotels function as sister hotels. The amenities and offerings are very similar at each hotel. However, these two hotels provide a more budget-friendly option compared to the Universal Grand Helios Hotel.

Universal Stella Nova Resort

According to Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Stella Nova Resort transports guests to the center of marvelous galaxies for a resort experience unlike anywhere else in the universe. Now, that may be overselling it a bit for a prime-value hotel. Still, this hotel utilizes a space theme, which allows guests to take a break from their everyday world. Like the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Hotel was brought to life by the Universal Creative team and is co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels & Co. It offers 750 rooms, dining, and other amenities.

Universal Stella Nova Resort’s design reflects the infinite vastness of the universe. The hotel’s guest rooms accommodate up to four guests in two queen beds and feature station-style space windows. This enhances the stay and provides an escape for guests looking to rest amongst the stars.

The bathrooms offer a glass divider and blackout curtains that separate the vanity from the bedroom space. A sliding door separates the vanity from the bathroom itself, with one toilet and one shower.

Dining and Amenities at Universal Stella Nova Resort

The resort also offers a variety of unique dining options, including Cosmos Cafe and Market, Galaxy Bar, and Galaxy Grill. Cosmos Café and Market functions as Universal Stella Nova Resort’s primary dining location. It offers quick service, food areas, and grab-and-go items. This dining option offers some unique menu items, including banana-walnut buttermilk pancakes, gooey monkey bread, and hot honey chicken pizza.

Guests can relax at the resort-style pool with a splash pad and fire pit, work out at the fitness center, unwind and enjoy fun activities in the game room, and browse the Universal Studios Store.

Universal Stella Nova Resort is adjacent to the all-new Universal Epic Universe theme park, which opens May 22, 2025. When the theme park opens, guests at Stella Nova Resort will also enjoy a walking path from the hotel to Universal Epic Universe.  It is also a short bus ride from Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay.

Universal Terra Luna Resort

Universal Terra Luna Resort, a very similar sister resort hotel to Universal Stella Nova Resort, recently opened for guests to enjoy. Universal Orlando Resort, this alluring hotel, places guests in the center of marvelous galaxies and diverse planetary elements for an experience unlike anywhere else in the universe. In addition, Universal Terra Luna Resort presents guests with tranquil sleeping accommodations, entertaining amenities for the whole family to enjoy, and various cosmic-inspired dining options.

Universal Terra Luna Resort represents another world within Universal Orlando Resort. It invites guests to explore the unknown and step onto planets that have yet to be discovered. Here, guests will find themselves amid an extraordinary landing zone within a solar system, accented with fresh surroundings and terrestrial greens and golds.

Like Universal Stella Nova Resort, it offers 750 two-queen guest rooms that sleep up to four guests and feature spaceship-styled windows. This makes it the ultimate escape for guests looking to rest amongst stars and planets.

Dining at Terra Luna Resort

Universal Terra Luna Resort offers a variety of dining options for guests looking to have a meal or grab a quick snack between visits to the parks. For example, Omega Cafe and Market serves quick service made-to-order American classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a selection of grab-and-go items. On the opening day of this hotel, we purchased the Crispy Cod Sandwich from Omega Café for lunch. Like Universal Stella Nova Resort, this hotel offers large portions for quick service meals.

Also, guests can visit the Moonrise Bar and Moonrise Grill at Universal Terra Luna Resort. At this location, guests can enjoy burgers, quesadillas, and salads at these walk-up service pool bars and grills. We enjoyed some shrimp tacos from the Moonrise Grill on the hotel’s opening day. Plus, guests 21 and older can purchase cocktails, beer, and wine (with a valid photo ID). The lobby bar, Luna Bar, also provides specialty cocktails curated with unique ingredients and the classics.

Amenities at these Epic Universe Hotels

Both Universal Terra Luna Resort and Universal Stella Nova Resort offer plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy. These include:

• Resort-style Pools—Each hotel features a nearly 10,000-square-foot pool with a relaxing hot tub, comfortable lounge and table-top seating in the pool area, a fire pit, and more. The whole family can also enjoy the resort’s recreational activities like poolside movies and outdoor games.
• Fitness Centers—Guests can take advantage of complimentary, state-of-the-art fitness centers featuring a variety of strength and cardio equipment. Locker rooms with showers are available on arrival and departure days.
• Game Rooms—The hotel’s dedicated game rooms offer a variety of standard arcade and video games for guests of all ages.
• Recreation Rooms – each hotel features approximately 1,000 square feet of multi-purpose space for small gatherings.
• Universal Orlando Resort Stores: Guests can purchase everything from sundries and necessities to Universal Orlando merchandise to commemorate their vacation.

Planning a Vacation to Experience Epic Universe?

Do you want to stay at one of these Epic Universe hotels? Does one of them sound like a good fit for your group? The talented and experienced staff at Universal Family Vacations can help you book your next Universal Orlando Resort vacation. Their services are entirely free to you. Check out their website for a free quote today.