Review: Surfside Inn & Suites at Endless Resort
As one of the newest resorts at Universal Orlando, it's by far the most affordable! Surfside is the ideal hotel for those wanting an inexpensive place to stay that includes some perks like Early Park Admission.Do you have the mentality of, “ I just need a place to sleep?" In this review, I’ll share information on the rooms, pros & cons, and how this budget friendly hotel is perfect for the your next Universal Orlando vacation!What’s the Vibe like at Surfside Inn?
Relaxed and easy, with a fun surf and beach theme.
The Room Set Up
Standard rooms are average in size. For comparison, I'd say they're a tad smaller than Cabana Bay's Standard rooms.Lots of storage space. There's a desk chair + wall table situation if you're needing to do any remote work. Not the most comfortable work set up. I ended up using the lounge chair for work on my laptop.
I really love how many USB + Outlets there are in these rooms!And Yes, there’s a Coffee Maker!In addition to standard rooms, there’s spacious, two-bedroom suites, ideal for families.The 2 bedroom suites are 440 square feet and sleep up to 6. They have 2 queen beds in the main living area, a picnic style dinning table with kitchenette, and a queen bed in separate, smaller room with its own door, closet, tv, and wall nightstand.We normally stay in the 2-bedroom suite since it has a separate, closed off bedroom. We'll put Carson in the closed off smaller room, so we can enjoy the rest of the hotel room after he goes to bed. 
Room Design:
No elaborate theming.I'd describe the design as shabby chic beachy vibes. Clean lines and lots of light. Wood finishes. Light blue bedspreads, Surf related artwork, light fixtures, and throw pillows. You'll see “Eat. Sleep. Surf” distressed wall art with the sunglasses on one wall.NO Carpet! Just a small, colorful floor rug at the side of each bed.
The Bathroom Situation
Spacious! There’s only one sink at the vanity with a large mirror above it. Even with one vanity, there’s plenty of space to store your toiletries on the counter.Some room types come with a standing shower and no tub option — something to double check if you’ve got littles still needing a bath set up.The bathroom DO have a separate toilet room making it more convenient when getting ready for the day. The retro theming even goes down to the Alberto V05 shampoo and Zest soap! 
*The* Place to Stay on a Tight Budget
I’d compare Surfside Inn to a Fairfield Inn in terms of quality.Price point wise- The standard rooms at Surfside Inn are tough to beat. Believe it or not, Surfside and Dockside will often be cheaper than some of the nearby off-site hotels.Add the perks like EPA, souvenir delivery from the park to your room, and the free shuttle, its a steal!Endless Resort (Surfside and Dockside) is considered a “Value” resort. Endless Resort offers 2-bedroom suites that can sleep up to six for roughly $80.00- $140.00 a night. It’s important to note-depending on when you’re visiting Universal Orlando, particularly throughout the summer, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort- Surfside rates are normally over $140/night.
Surfside Inn Amenities
-Spacious, ocean-themed lobby.-1 Large food court.-You can use the amenities at its sister property, Dockside Inn.-Lobby Starbucks-Game room-Moderate sized fitness center-1 pool & outdoor pool bar-Smaller sized gift shop.-Free Wi-FI throughout.-Free shuttles to and from the Universal theme parks.-Ability to schedule shuttles to SeaWorld and local water parks.
Dining at Surfside Inn
There's no full-service restaurants, but Surfside has a Starbucks in the lobby, and there's cafe with a wide variety of food and drinks. You can also get pizza delivered to your hotel room.
Beach Break Cafe
Hot food counter that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. SoCal-focused dishes that all around $13.00 or under – which is AWESOME! There's option to grab food from the deli, pizza, burger, or rotisserie stations. If you have picky eaters, this is the perfect place for you as the menu offers items like pizza, burgers, and sandwiches.There's a convient grab and go snacks area inside the cafe as well. (Pop-tarts, Monster's, chips, etc.)
The Sand Bar
Located at the outdoor pool area, it serves drinks-only.They serve a variety of fruity cocktails, beer, and frozen beverages, I Personally always grab a non-alcoholic smoothie to share with Carson.
The Pool at Surfside Inn
1 large pool in the shape of a surfboard.No bells and whistles like the other pools that have slides, splash pad areas, lazy river, etc.Lots of chairs around the pool, but depending on the time of day, there very limited shady in or around the pool in my opinion.From my stays, the Pool can get a little crowded since there's only 1.You are not able to pool hop unless its between Surfside and Dockside.
Exclusive Theme Park Benefits
Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of AdventureResort-wide charging privileges with your room key card. Complimentary merchandise delivery from the theme parks to your room.
Where is Surfside Inn located?
Located across the street from its sister property Dockside InnTo get to Universal Orlando, you'll need to take the complimentary shuttle. It takes about 7-10 minutes with traffic.The shuttle buses from Surfside are really efficient. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus to arrive or depart from the hotel.If you're re planning to use the shuttle from the Surfside to the park, The first shuttle to Universal Orlando departs one hour prior to Early Park Admission.
Things to Keep in Mind When Booking Surfside Inn:
Surfside is smaller than Dockside.There are no club-level rooms.Although the rooms can easily accommodate large families, I really love there's an actual door separating the main living area to one queen bed. If I had to choose between Cabana Bay’s family suite of Surfside’s Suite- I’d choose Surfside every time. Their suite has 2 distinct rooms. Cabana Bay only has a sliding partition door.Express Passes are NOT included. ALWAYS do the math on the savings/cost before deciding if one of the 3 premier hotels is a better bang for your buck.No pets allowed$18.00 per night for parking
My Overall Review on Surfside Inn
If hotel price is the bottom line for you, Surfside Inn is more than likely the best option, since it’s the cheapest on-site Universal hotel.There's nothing fancy amenity wise. For me, that’s fine. I’m the type of person who spends no time at the hotel apart from sleeping. I’d rather save money on hotel and splurge on for other experiences.I personally really love the compact design of the hotel. After long days in the park, its nice having a short walk from your room to the buses, a short walk from your room to the pool or lobby. The opposite of Cabana Bay!If you're wanting a more relaxed, pampered resort-heavy vacation experience, I would splurge a little, and go with another hotel like Adventura or Cabana Bay.The walls are THIN. If you’re a light sleeper like me- It may be too noisy for you to sleep well at night. I'd bring ear plugs or a travel sound machine.If you've got family or children with you who may struggle during long park days- There’s SO many activities and things to do at the resort. No one will feel bored if they choose to go back to the hotel early, or even switch to a resort day over a theme park day.The buses can be crowded during peak times, but they’re coming and going really frequently, with one close to every 5-10 minutes (or less).Yes, you can find a cheaper hotel off-site, but the easy access to Universal’s theme parks — including Volcano Bay, the early park admission — and all the themed hotel amenities make Cabana Bay worth staying at.
Comparing Surfside Inn to Walt Disney World’s Value Resorts
Surfside Inn's room layout is about the only similarity you'll see. Particularly, most similar to All Star Movies and Pop Century.WDW’S Value Resorts far exceed Surside Inn when it comes to size, themeing, amenities, and the room decorations.Price wise- Surfside Inn is less expensive than any of WDW’S Value Resorts.
Looking for information on Universal’s Dockside Inn & Suites? Click here to read my review on staying at Dockside.