Review: Loews Royal Pacific at Universal Orlando Resort

Hotel ReviewUniversal HotelsPremier HotelRoyal Pacific
Written By Megan Hamilton
Royal Pacific is one of Universal Orlando Resort’s 8 on-site hotels with just a short walk to the theme parks! Its Polynesian theme will make you think you’ve been transported to an island somewhere in Pacific Islands! 
Loews Royal Pacific Resort is one of Universal Orlando's premier hotels.  The landscaping is lush with white sand beaches, and relaxing waterfalls. Pack your bags, and get ready for a vacation to Loews Royal Pacific Resort! 
For the foodies-- Loews Royal Pacific offers yummy Polynesian exotic food, and creative themed drinks. One thing I love about Universal's hotels is that each have a chill theme. When you step onto the property  at Royal Pacific you're going to feel like you've been immediately transported to a remote South Pacific island.
Recently I spent 3 nights at the Loews Royal Pacific. This hotel is a fabulous choice for your next vacation to Universal Orlando Resort! In this review, I’ll share information about amenities, the pros & cons of Royal Pacific, and what you can expect when staying.

Hotel Layout

Not too large. No where near as spread out as Cabana Bay. At Royal Pacific you won’t have to worry about your room being really far from the boats or the pool. 
Loews Royal Pacific Resort has rooms in 3 towers. Tower 1 and 2 are closer to the front entrance, and tower 3 is closest to the pool. Don't panic! These are NOWHERE near as spread out as Cabana Bay!I really love how everything for the most part is pretty close together no matter where your room Royal Pacific
We usually book the standard room in tower 2 if possible.

At the center of all the hotel towers is the lobby.  This makes it super convenient when you're trying navigate around the hotel. 

Lobby

At check in we got welcomed with leis, making it feel like we were visiting Hawaii! On the other side of the lobby is where you’ll find the concierge.

Proximity to the Parks

Where are my Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure fans?? One of the things I love most about this hotel is how close you are to the theme parks.  Particularly how close you are Islands of Adventure.  
It a short boat ride, 15 minute walk along the walking path.
Pro Tip: If you're rope dropping IOA, I suggest walking. If you take a boat, you then have to walk through CityWalk to get to Islands of Adventure since the boat drops you off closer to the Globe at Universal Studios.

Rooms at Loews Royal Pacific

Royal Pacific offers 3 room types:

  • Standard

  • Premium

  • Suites

 I'll cover information on all 3, but this  hotel room review will be based off staying in a Standard room.

Room Decor

Modern Island vibe. The rooms are sleek and modern with beautiful pops of South Sea flare. I love that the overall theming of the hotel was carried into the hotel rooms as well.  

Loews Royal Pacific Standard Rooms

Standard rooms at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort currently start at $252 a night with 2 different views to choose from.

  • Garden View

    • 335 sq. feet

    • The double queen Garden View can sleep up to 5 guests

    • King Garden View can sleep up to 3

  • Water View 

    • The water view room overlooks the lagoon style beach or the theme park waterway passages outside

    • 335 sq. feet.

    • The double queen Water View can sleep up to 5 guests

    • King Water View can sleep up to 3

Loews Royal Pacific Resort Suites

This is there roomy type you go with if you want to splurge + feel fancy. The suites have a living area, fun tropical decor and the option to reserve connecting rooms. If you or your family love Jurassic Park, Royal Pacific offers Jurassic World Kids Suites

King Suite

  • King Suites

    • Rates starting at $400

    • King suite sleeps up for 4 guests, with a king bed and pull out sofa bed.

    • 670 sq. feet

    • Has a separate living area + private bathroom

  • Jurassic World Kids Suite 

    • This suite has 2 separate bedrooms 
    • Rates start at $572 a night
      • 1 for kids and 1 for parents. 
      • The kids room is themed floor to ceiling with Jurassic World scenes.

Royal Pacific Resort – Club Level Rooms

Roughly 335 square feet.

When you upgrade to one of the club level rooms or suites, you’ll get additional perks and privileges, including access to the Royal Club Lounge, where guests can enjoy personalized concierge service, complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon snacks, hors d’oeuvres in the evening, and sweet treats at night.

Complimentary coffee, tea, and soft drinks are available throughout the day, with beer and wine offered in the evenings.

The majority of the club level rooms are on the top floors of tower3, and are your typical standard rooms

In-Room Amenities at Royal Pacific Resort

  • Hair dryer + makeup mirror
  • Iron + ironing board
  • Mini refrigerator
  • Keurig coffee maker
  • Telephone 
  • Smart room technology for automated heating and air conditioning
  • Blackout curtains
  • Room for a rollaway bed/crib
  • Large TV
  • Split bathroom
  • Lots of device charging outlets
  • In room safe

For my most recent stay at Royal Pacific— we were in the Standard Room, Garden View. Here’s my in-depth review on this room type.

Standard Room 2 Queen Layout Review:

Oof. Carpet. The overall  room atheistic makes up for as its the perfect mix of tropical and modern finishes.
When opening the hotel room door you'll notice a small entrance hall with a closet on one side, and the bathroom on the other. The closet is a good size for a short stay In the closet there are Loews branded robes, an iron and ironing board, a safe for your valuables, and on top of the shelf is where you’ll find extra blankets.
Just past the closet and entrance to the bathroom is the bedroom area. There’s a spacious dresser which has 6 larger than expected drawers for clothes storage.

In the center of the dresser are 2 doors that open and reveal a small mini fridge AND coffee maker. Although the mini fridge is small, it easily held several bottles of water, a half gallon of milk, etc. coffee maker! 

The 2 queen beds are located on the opposite wall with a side table and large light fixture between them. Since the Standard rooms at Royal Pacific are 335 square feet, I found the bedroom area always feeling a little tight. 
There’s a desk that has several plugs which means everyone can recharge their devices at the end of a long park day. 
The standard rooms have been quiet. We've never had any issues with hearing guests on either wall of us.
On my last morning, we ordered room service for breakfast. You’ll notice that some of your favorite breakfast dishes have a tropical twist to them. We played it safe and got Royal Pacific’s signature item— the Hawaiian Pancakes. These came topped with pineapples, toasted coconut, and maple syrup. They were surprisingly filling and yummy!

Standard Room Layout

Standard Room Bathroom Review:

There is a storage shelf underneath the sink. Some of the under sink storage space is taken up by towels plus the hair dryer. 
The toilet and shower/tub combo are in a separate room with a sliding barn door with an opaque glass center. It was nice to have the sink separate so we could can get ready simultaneously. 
The bathtub and toilet room were okay overall, but felt a little cramped with the door closed.
The bathroom vanity faces the closet across the entrance hall and is open to the room. Unfortunately, having the bathroom sink open to the rest of the room made it harder to get ready without waking up Carson.

Dining at Loews Royal Pacific

There are lots of great options to eat and drink at Loews Royal Pacific Resort.  24 hour Room Service,

Orchid Court Lounge & Sushi Bar

A full bar with a wide selection of, sushi, and sashimi. Located on the lobby level of the Royal Pacific Resort with gorgeous views of the pool. Cozy seating areas. One of the best places inside the resort to relax after a long day in the parks.

Don't sleep on trying their signature South Seas-inspired martinis - the Cherry Blossom saketini!

Bula Bar & Grille 

Caual poolside dinning. Enjoy tropical dishes while you relax by the pool. Fun tropical drinks, sandwiches, fish tacos, wraps and the Big Bula Burger is Clayton's favorite! 
 For a cold treat- stop by the Bula Ice Bar (open seasonally), stocked with ice cream, smoothies, cocktails, and more.

Wantilan Luau

You can’t leave Loews Royal Pacific without attending their festive and unique Wantilan Luau party! Every Saturday night guests can experience a Luau with a Polynesian style all-you-can-eat buffet, live music, hula dancers, fire breathing tricks, and so much more. 

Reservation required and tickets are required.

Islands Dining Room

Pan-American cuisine featuring noodle bar dishes, rice bowls, wok and hibachi specialties. During breakfast, there's traditional favorites, along with several Polynesian-influenced morning specialties. 
Breakfast here has been by far my favorite meal at Royal Pacific.

Pro Tip: You can get a breakfast buffet or order an item a la carte, like their signature Hawaiian pancakes.

Jake’s American Bar

Open every day from 11am to midnight, t

Features a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Know for their specialty burger. However, don’t sleep on ordering Jake's $10 beer flights! 
The beers you can choose from for these flights included: Stella Artois, Bell’s Best Brown Ale, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, Clear City Jai Alai, Yuengling American Amber Lager, and Goose Island Honker’s Ale. 
Jake’s is located on the ground floor of the Royal Pacific and is right across from the Islands Dining Room.

Tuk Tuk Market

This market is your to-go place if you’re looking for fast and convenient food options.  Coffee, breakfast items, pastries, and their  exclusive Tuk Tarts.
They offer hot and cold sandwiches, wok bowls, sushi to go, ice cream and gelato. On the expensive side for your snacks, drinks, etc. in my opinion. Your best bet is to spend $30.00 on Instant Cart groceries + park snacks to get free delivery to the hotel entrance.

Beach and Pool at Loews Royal Pacific

Hours: 8am-10pm

Loews Royal Pacific has one of the nicest pools in the Orlando area. The sandy beach area leading into the pool and the tropical islands vibes really set this pool apart from the others hotels.   If floating in the pool isn’t your thing they have games to play, like volleyball and ping-pong

Royal Pacific's 1 lagoon style pool has the white sandy beach, 2 hot tubs, and cabana's you can rent. There's also Royal Bali Sea which is a large water play area for children. Carson always has a blast at the splash pad area.

Loews Royal Pacific provides guests with towels, lounge chairs, umbrellas and don’t forget the food and beverage service by the pool at Bula Bar & Grille.
Quiet, clean and my favorite on-site pool to relax at. if you have non-park days during your trip to Universal, or if you have older family members needing to tap out from the parks early, Everyone can easily make an entire day out of the Royal Pacific Pool 
Pro Tip: You can pool hop around the other Universal on-site hotels!  A fun and free way to check out the other hotels.

Royal Pacific Recreation Offerings

  • Fitness Center
  • Shuffleboard, Croquet Lawn, and Ping Pong
  • Dive-in Movies 
    • Movies shown poolside on select nights
  • Wantilan Luau 
    • Enjoy hula and fire dancers performing 
    • Saturday’s at 6pm
    • Ticket for adults + children required
  • Jogging & Walking Paths
  • Lagoon Pool 
    • Family sandy beach lagoon-style pool
    • Cabanas available to rent
  • Royal Bali Sea 
    •  Interactive children’s water play area
  • Torch Lighting Ceremony
  • Game Room 
    • Open 8 a.m .-midnight daily

Treasures of Bali 

The Treasures of Bali gift shop is located down by the pool. You’ll find everything from snacks, ice cold treats, merchandise, and even Kukui (Cocov) necklaces, which symbolize enlightenment, hope, and renewal!

Toko Gifts

Located in the lobby, this gift shop has everything from grab and go snacks, sunscreen, Harry Potter wands, souvenir mugs, shirts, and more!

Royal Pacific Transportation

One of my favorite perks of staying on-site at a Universal hotel is the easy-access to the parks and CityWalk.

Garden Walkway

Enjoy a scenic walk on the Garden Walkway through lush greenery and tropical flowers to get to the parks! It takes about 15 minutes from Loews Royal Pacific. As mentioned earlier, it’ll put you at the entrance by Margaritaville and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

The walking path is a great choice if lots of people are waiting in line ahead of you for the boats. It is about a fifteen minute walk to the gates of Universal Studios Florida and as mentioned earlier, an even shorter walk to IOA.

 Complimentary Water-Taxis

My favorite way to get to the parks is by taking the water taxi. The water taxi runs every about every 15 minutes until 2:30am. The boats takes you  CityWalk dropping you off closest to the Globe.  From CityWalk, it's a quick walk to either Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure.
Shuttle Bus
Right outside of the Pacifica Ballroom you can catch a ride on the complimentary Shuttle Bus that will drop you off at Universal’s CityWalk.

Benefits of Staying at Loews Royal Pacific Resort in 2022

  • Express Pass is Included 

    • Built in Unlimited Express Pass is included with your hotel stay. Express pass allows you to skip the line at almost all the attractions at Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure.

    • 1 night at Royal Pacific will often cost significantly less than staying at a Universal budget property (or off-property hotel) and adding express pass to your tickets separately.

  • Early Park Admission

    • If you’re wanting to get a head start before the crowds, you can utilize EPA at Universal Studios or Universal’s Island of Adventure 1 hour prior to the park opening for regular admission.

    • This includes The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

  • Complimentary Transportation to the Theme Parks & CityWalk 

    • It only takes a matter of minutes to get you from the hotel to the adventure at the Universal theme parks with their complimentary water taxi, shuttle bus, and walking paths.

  • Priority Seating at Restaurants 

    • Skip the wait at most of the restaurants at Universal’s CityWalk! Just show your Royal Pacific room key to the hostess and you’ll be at your seat in no time!

  • Complimentary package delivery to your room

    • Get your merchandise from the parks delivered right to your hotel from most of the shops across Universal and CityWalk so you don’t have to lug it around with you!

  • Resort-wide charging privileges with your room key

Royal Pacific— A Pet Friendly Option

$50 per day charge, with a maximum of $150 per stay fee will be charged per room. At Royal Pacific, non-smoking standard rooms only are available for guests with pets. These rooms are usually on the lower level, so if you’re not interested in staying in a hallway where you’ll hear barking, double check you room location at check.

Tips for Staying at Loews Royal Pacific

1. Your room key is also your Unlimited Express Pass

  • Prior to your trip, I’d buy your lanyards. Not only will you save money, but you'll be less likely to loose them or accidentally leave them in the lockers.

2. Have groceries delivered to the hotel to save money

  • Order your breakfast meals, park snacks, drinks, sunscreen, etc. 
  • Utilize Instacart or Amazon Fresh delivery.

3. If driving

  • Don’t forget to factor in the daily resort fee for parking. 
  • Currently, it’s $28.00 + tax per vehicle, per night.

4. Don’t wait around to book Royal Pacific 

  • Since Royal Pacific is the cheapest hotel that offers Express Pass, it can often times sell out fast during peak season.

My Overall Review of Loews Royal Pacific

Royal Pacific is My 2nd favorite Universal on-site Hotel. Portifino  is still  #1.  Family + kid friendly without being overrun with lots of tiny humans. At the same time,  Royal Pacific is a great choice for couples wanting a romantic tropical  getaway, honeymoon trip, etc.
I personally really love Royal Pacific's fun, tropical theming, and chill pool area. Although this hotel is not a budget friendly property, it will end up being cheaper than booking a value resort and buying the Express Pass al a carte.
The staff are always  extremely kind and helpful. The close proximity to Universal makes that hot, mid-day afternoon trek to and from the park WAY more manageable.
The check-in process is much smoother than other Universal hotels (cough cough Cabana Bay)
The Royal Pacific standard rooms have a sleek in design, but feel tight compared to a Loews Portofino Bay Resort room's. For families, this could be challenging.
If you’re wanting to feel pampered after a long day in the parks, I would definitely recommend staying at Loews Royal Pacific Resort! Since Royal Pacific is one of the 3 premiere resorts, you’re going to get amazing amenities,  and more dining options.
As I mentioned, it is significantly more expensive than Adventura or Cabana Bay Beach Resort, but the Unlimited Express Pass for up to 5 people in your room is 100% worth it!

Pro Tip

Staying at Royal Pacific is Unviersal Orlando’s least expensive premier on-site Hotel. It’s the cheapest hotel option that includes Universal Unlimited Express Passes for up to 5 people in your room.

If you can— book your flights for an early arrival into Orlando so you can maximum your day of check-in Express Passes.

Megan Hamilton
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Review: Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal Orlando