I rented a $300 cabana at a luxury Universal resort. It was totally worth it, especially since we stayed at a much cheaper property next door.
Terri Peters
- I recently stayed at Universal's Aventura Hotel and visited the pool at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.
- We rented a cabana at Sapphire Falls, which costs between $250 to $300 depending on the location.
As a Florida-based travel writer, Universal Orlando Resort has become a favorite destination for my family in recent years, especially because of the quality of its on-property hotels.
Universal divides its hotels into value, prime value, preferred, and premier categories, each of which offers different levels of amenities to guests at different prices. But resort guests can use the pools at all of the hotels regardless of the tier.
I recently stayed at the prime-value Aventura Hotel, which shares a parking lot with the more expensive preferred-level Lowes Sapphire Falls Resort. Because my friend and I were saving money on our hotel, we decided to splurge and book a cabana at Sapphire Falls for the first day of our trip.
Booking a cabana at Sapphire Falls was quick and painless.
I booked my cabana about two weeks in advance by calling the front desk of the hotel and speaking with the concierge. The concierge was extremely helpful and explained the two levels of cabana rentals available.
The premier cabanas, located closest to the pool, cost $300 for the day. The standard cabanas, which are situated a little further back, cost $250. Other than that, all cabanas come with the same amenities.
Because the pool at Sapphire Falls is gorgeous and one of my favorites on Universal property, we went with the higher-level rental. For $300, we had full use of the cabana from pool open to pool close.
Our cabana had plenty of shade, fans, and drinks.
All cabanas at Sapphire Falls have two lounge chairs, a couch, and a table that seats four people. Because our ceiling fan had been malfunctioning earlier in the week, the staff set up two additional fans to make sure we were comfortable.
Our fridge was also stocked with 16 nonalcoholic drinks of our choosing, and when we asked for lots of water, the staff quickly removed the sodas inside and filled the fridge with ice-cold bottles.
We had everything we needed for the day.
There was a TV in the cabana — which would be great for families who are trying to keep their kids entertained in the shade — as well as a safe, plenty of towels, and storage space.
Our cabana host came by and told us the restaurant would open at 11 a.m.
We weren't in the cabana long before our host stopped by to introduce himself and let us know he'd be there to take our lunch and drink orders when the Drhum Club Kantine opened at 11 a.m.
The menu had everything from salads to meals for kids.
We spent the time before lunch alternating between dips in the pool and working from the table in our cabana — we're both journalists and had some deadlines to meet before the real fun could begin.
We really enjoyed our delicious poolside lunch.
My friend and I ordered a summery watermelon salad ($19) and a flatbread pizza ($15) to share.
The food was delicious and just light enough to nibble on during a hot day by the pool.
There were lots of fun drinks to pick from.
We also started with a glass of wine ($12) and a cocktail ($16), respectively, before switching to a bucket of hard seltzers ($48) later in the afternoon.
In total, our bill for our food and drinks was $160, which included a 20% added service charge. We were also sure to tip extra, as our cabana host was amazing.
We received a complimentary fruit plate.
Later in the day, our cabana host brought us a complimentary fruit plate with pineapple, melon, blueberries, and strawberries.
It was a welcome treat after a day in the sun and water. We snacked on it while wrapping up work emails for the day.
We spent more than half our time at the pool under the cabana.
We stayed at the pool from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. Out of those seven hours, we probably spent four in the shade of our poolside safe haven.
We loved having the ability to go out into the pool for a bit to get some sun, and then retreat into the cool shade when we'd had enough.
When we ventured outside, we flocked to the shallow end of the pool.
Sapphire Falls' pool also had a shallow sandbar area where guests could sit in the water and soak up some sunshine.
That spot became our go-to and really made the afternoon idyllic.
The cost of the cabana seemed well worth it to me, and I'd rent one again.
Although we didn't stay at the cabana into the evening hours, doing so would've made it even more of a value. Even for our seven hours, the $300 price seemed worthwhile.
The cabanas would also be great for a family who's looking to take a break from the Orlando theme parks for a day and just relax.
I'd absolutely rent a cabana at Sapphire Falls again. The pool has always been among my favorites on Universal's property, and enjoying it like this made me love it even more.
In the Florida heat, having your own dedicated place to cool off is key. Combined with a friendly host, lots of water to hydrate, and a delicious poolside lunch, a cabana rental feels like a no-brainer.
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