Review: Universal Stella Nova Resort, Orlando
This is our review of the new Universal Stella Nova Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Universal has opened a brand-new hotel in Orlando, just in time for the growing anticipation around Epic Universe. Stella Nova Resort is one of the latest additions to Universal’s lineup, offering a budget-friendly option for visitors looking to stay within easy reach of the parks.
We stayed at the hotel for six nights, paying $120 per night, which felt like excellent value—though we visited prior to the opening of the Epic Universe theme park. Expect this to climb significantly once Epic Universe opens in 2025.
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Getting to Universal Stella Nova Resort
The hotel is located off Universal Boulevard, within walking distance of Epic Universe and with easy access to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, I-Drive attractions, and the Orange County Convention Center.
This is one of the closest hotels to the new Epic Universe theme park, making its location even more desirable.
Stella Nova falls under Universal’s “Prime Value” category, meaning it sits above the Endless Summer resorts but below Sapphire Falls or Royal Pacific. To compare it to Disney, we’d say it falls somewhere between a Value and a Moderate resort.
Despite being categorized as a budget-friendly option, the hotel offers solid amenities, including a pool, grab-and-go café, quick-service food court, games room, gym, pool bar, and lobby bar—the latter of which is something Disney’s Value Resorts lack.
Lobby & Check-In
Walking into the lobby, you’ll immediately notice the modern but simple design. It’s bright and airy, with plenty of seating. However, the overall décor feels more budget-friendly than mid-tier, with a lot of white that could start looking worn quickly.
With a theme centered around space, there was so much potential to go bold with the design, yet it felt bland and uninspired. The exterior of the hotel had more color than the interior, which was a little disappointing.
Within the lobby area, there is a basic lobby bar called Nova Bar, a Universal gift shop, free luggage storage for guests with a $5 parcel fee for package deliveries, and an Avis rental counter for those needing a car.
Check-in was smooth, but service throughout the stay was slow, particularly in the food outlets.
Our Room at Universal Stella Nova Resort
One of the biggest highlights of the hotel is the size of the rooms.
Even in a standard room, there was plenty of space to move around, featuring a comfortable bed, large TV, desk, and coffee-making facilities. However, the sink area had little storage, with limited shelving for toiletries, which isn’t ideal for longer stays.
Housekeeping was another downside. Rooms are only cleaned every other day, and during our six-night stay, we only received one clean—mainly because, at 6 PM, housekeeping was still working through rooms, and we had already returned for the evening.
One key tip: WiFi is free, but be careful when logging in. The paid option appears first, so make sure to select the free standard connection.
As the hotel got busier, noise levels increased. While the rooms were comfortable, soundproofing wasn’t great, and we noticed an increase in noise from the hallways as more guests checked in.
Universal Stella Nova Resort Amenities
Pool, Gym & Games Room
The pool area is a solid addition, large enough for guests to enjoy with ample seating. It’s not a feature pool like at Universal’s higher-end resorts, but it does the job. The pool area includes a whirlpool, a splash-and-play area, and various lounge spaces scattered throughout.
The gym is well-equipped, and the games room offers arcade machines, making it a nice touch for families.
Food & Drink
Stella Nova features several dining options, including Galaxy Bar, the poolside grill Galaxy Grill, the quick-service food court Cosmos Market, and the grab-and-go café Cosmos Café.
This is where the hotel struggled the most. The food was basic and hit-or-miss, with slow service at peak times. Some menu items were decent, but others were disappointing.
The chicken sandwich was surprisingly good, but the grilled cheese was underwhelming for such a simple dish. Pastries were overpriced and unimpressive, and the famous Monkey Bread, which is only available at breakfast, was out of stock every morning.
A positive note is that Universal Annual Passholders (UOAP) get 10% off food purchases, which helps make the prices a little more reasonable.
If you’re looking for a better meal, we recommend heading to CityWalk or I-Drive instead.
The Galaxy Grill at Stella Nova Hotel
Shuttle Service to Universal
The free shuttle buses to Universal are a great perk, but they come with some frustrations. The ride takes around 20 minutes, longer in traffic, and shuttles aren’t very frequent. We waited up to 25 minutes each time, though it’s unclear if we were just unlucky.
Another issue is that the drop-off is at CityWalk, meaning you still have to walk through CityWalk to reach Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.
If you’re an Annual Passholder with free parking, driving is much quicker.
Laundry & Vending Machines
For those on longer stays, the hotel offers self-service laundry at $3.50 per wash and $3.50 per dry, with detergent and dryer sheets available for $1.50 each.
Each floor has vending machines, ice machines, and water fountains, which are convenient additions.
Parking
One major downside is the expensive parking fees.
If you’re driving, be prepared—the nightly parking charge is higher than expected for a budget-friendly hotel. You’ll need to factor this into the total cost of your stay, which could make it less of a bargain than it initially seems.
Conclusion
Overall, Universal Stella Nova Resort is a good value option for those looking for affordable accommodation near Universal Orlando.
The spacious rooms, free WiFi, and good amenities make it a comfortable stay, especially for those planning to visit Epic Universe in the future.
However, the food quality and service need improvement, housekeeping is inconsistent, and the shuttle service could be more frequent.
At $120 per night, it was a good deal, but if prices increase significantly, it may not be as competitive compared to Universal’s other hotels.
Would we stay here again? Yes—for the right price.
For a one- or two-night stay, it’s a great choice. For a longer stay, the parking costs alone might put us off.
If Universal improves service and food quality, this resort has the potential to become one of the best budget-friendly options near Epic Universe.
👉 You can find out more and book Universal Stella Nova Resort here.
We paid for our stay ourselves. This post contains an affiliate link, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through our link, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are 100% our own.
