The opening day of anything comes with its ups and downs, and the opening of Universal’s newest resort, Stella Nova, was no exception.
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This Prime Value resort, located adjacent to the all new Universal Epic Universe theme park, was one I had opening day reservations for since April of 2024. And on Tuesday, January 21, I was excited to experience its grand opening.
In this article, I’ll let you know my first day thoughts that kicked off my five day four night stay at Universal’s newest resort hotel and how it compares to the Disney resort hotels I have experienced.
Landing At Stella Nova…
I was notified via email by the Stella Nova resort that I could arrive at the hotel by 11 am and I arrived by 11:30 am on opening day.
Despite the unusually rainy and cold weather in Orlando, the multicolored mosaic bricks sparkling off of the resort and the welcoming smiles of the Universal Team Members (TMs) made me forget about the bad weather.
The exterior of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
I was very warmly greeted by two TMs who were happy and excited that I was there. After entering, I was greeted by another Team Member who offered me a lovely glass of violet lemonade.
Heads up–there is a large revolving door to get into the resort.
Follow the ‘stars’ to see where the door ends and you can step in.
Let The Chaos Commence…
And now comes the chaos.
I stepped into the lobby proper to find a lot of noise, sound, movement, and smiles that reminded me of Disney’s Contemporary resort. Of course I was on a mission to find the Check-in line among all the people in the lobby and thanks to yet another helpful TM,I was guided to the end of the line…which at that time was about 100 people long.
Needless to say, that is an insane amount of people to check into a hotel, but given this was opening day of a new hotel, and all the vloggers were there to cover it, it made sense.
The lobby of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
To control confusion and let guests know they weren’t being forgotten, there were plenty of Team Members walking the check in line to welcome us, thank us for being there, thanking us for our patience, and asking us if we had any questions. And of course, Team Members coming through the line collecting empty lemonade cups and offering us complimentary refills.
The ‘Stella Nova’ lemonade was much better than plain water in my opinion.
Lemonade offered in the lobby of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
As if that wasn’t cool enough, Universal had more tricks up its sleeve to make the guests waiting in line feel more like they were having an experience to enjoy instead of endure.
The lobby had Astronauts in costume for photo ops and they walked the check in line as well. One astronaut with his own sound system backpack rocked out 80’s tunes with cosmic themes (think ‘Cosmic Girl’ by Jamiroquai) and kept the crowd entertained.
Of course the kids (and kids at heart) weren’t forgotten as there was a photo-op with Poppy, Branch, and Guy Diamond from the Trolls movie. Judging by the excitement of the guests and characters, this went over extremely well. Kudos to Universal for their approach in keeping guests comfortable, entertained, and noticed during this epic check-in line experience.
Guests meeting characters from Trolls in the lobby of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
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To be fair, Disney does have Cast Members walk the check-in line at some of its resorts (especially Art of Animation). And as this was an opening day experience, I don’t expect character meet and greets and roaming astronauts to happen every day at Stella Nova.
Checking In With Sticker Shock…
After waiting in line for about 45 minutes (with all the entertainment, the wait did not seem that long), check-in was a breeze. My reservation details were reconfirmed and I was happy to find that my room was ready–not that I was surprised given this was opening day.
I was informed of the hotel’s amenities and it was also suggested I visit the third floor for the ‘Star Corridor.’ All of the TMs at check-in were efficient and there were several supervisors on hand to help resolve any issues. The whole process was very comparable to Disney check-in with respect to efficiency. Unlike with Disney, there isn’t an option to do online check-in so you can skip the main line. Perhaps Universal will add this perk in the future.
Parking rates at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
Universal has always had a parking charge for its resorts. And I’ve paid as much as $25 per night at Royal Pacific (Premium resort) to $15 per night at Cabana Bay (Value Plus Resort). So I was seriously thrown for a loop to find out parking at Stella Nova resort for overnight guests was $30 per night! Given the look on the TM’s face when she told me, I got the impression this didn’t go over well with some guests. It could have been worse though–the daily parking rate is $65/day for non-hotel guests for any period over 30 minutes.
There’s free 20-minute check-in parking, but thankfully this time limit wasn’t enforced on opening day due to the volume of guests trying to check in.
Disney doesn’t charge (anymore) for parking for its hotel guests, but given this resort’s location, it makes sense as it is literally across the street from the Orange County Convention Center and would deter conventioneers from parking at Stella Nova. Also when Epic Universe opens, this could deter people from parking at the hotel instead of the park. While Stella Nova is a Prime Value resort, keep the parking charges in mind when budgeting a stay here.
Launching To My Room…
Of course on the way to my room I stopped by the 3rd floor to check out the Star Corridor.
Once you step off of the elevator and go to the right, you are treated to an amazing view of lights in a glowing pattern within the darkness of space. The glowing effect along with a Tron-vibe carpet makes you feel like you’re on some exotic Starcruiser…but at Universal.
The Star Corridor located on the third floor of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
I joke with that comparison, but the backlight design elements outside of each room and the design of the hallways made me think just that.
Perhaps Universal took some design notes from Disney?
My room was on a high floor (my request) with a pool view. It was approximately the size of a room at one of Disney’s value resorts.
The resort-view rooms give a view into the park comparable to the view from the Contemporary resort into the Magic Kingdom (Helios has a more direct view into Celestial Park).
A guest room at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
Aside from that great new hotel room smell, the curved lines and solar white contrasted with violet purple and blue is very relaxing. The large ‘starship window’ along with the starfield art keep the theming of the resort intact. The room is so new, the refrigerator wasn’t even plugged in. Coffee maker was plugged in (most important) but why not the fridge? It seemed like a small thing that shouldn’t have been overlooked by hotel Operations on the first day.
I plugged in the fridge myself instead of calling the front desk and verified it was working.
That Pool Though…
When it comes to the pool at Stella Nova, on opening day it was so cold the pool was not open. But it looked gorgeous.
Comparable in size to the huge Hippy Dippy pool at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, it’s definitely heated as I saw steam rising up with outside temps below 50 degrees.
The pool at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
There are a lot of chairs and several ‘areas’ to enjoy, plus two play areas for kids.
Galaxy Bar and grill seating area next to the pool has a futuristic vibe with plenty of seating. The bar is scheduled to close at 5 pm each day (sounds way too early for a bar closing), but the Grill would be open according to the schedule for that day. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Bar and Grill wasn’t open due to the cold temperatures.
Gift Shop Goodies…
At the Universal Studios store in the Stella Nova Resort, there are many Epic Universe items not found at the preview center at Universal Citywalk.
You’ll find items from Dark Universe, Super Nintendo World, Isle of Berk, and the Ministry of Magic, plus general Epic Universe logo merch. The store also stocks the standard sundries you’d find at other gift shops at the resort and at Disney.
A gift shop in Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
Unlike at Disney, prices are kept just a little above what you’d find at a convenience store. In other words, you’re paying for convenience and a theme park markup.
There was some dripping water in a small area near the Harry Potter Ministry of Magic merchandise, but there were buckets on the floor to capture it all. Still not a good look to have water dripping in a brand new hotel.
The Evening Wind-Down
The evening after-parks dining rush is always my benchmark for efficiency.
Unfortunately there was no mobile order for quick service dining, but TMs had printed menus available for guests. And no, you can’t order food at the hotel in the Universal App. My guess is because the hotels are run/owned by Loews Hotels, so it’s a different system. There’s a menu QR code you can scan in the screens in the hotel lobby and on the in-room TV, but the only item available for mobile order is pizza delivery from 5 pm to 12 am.
Menus on the wall at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
I’d heard great things about the Hot Honey Chicken pizza, so I ordered that along with the tomato soup and grilled cheese.
After placing my order, I received a buzzer to let me know when my order was ready. When the buzzer goes off, you go up to the window to get your order. As for the time it took to get my order, I gave a bit more latitude as it was opening day.
It took about 20 minutes to get my food–10 minutes more than I would have liked, but the dining room was full of people trying to order. My items were received at the right temperatures and all items tasted wonderful. I would have liked the grilled cheese to be more ‘stretchy’ but it tasted fresh as did the tomato soup.
And all the positive buzz about the hot honey chicken was all true.
Pizza and soup at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
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Both the grilled cheese ($15) along with the pizza ($15) and two refillable mugs for 7 days of refills ($50) came to $80 before my 10% passholder discount. Refillable mugs are easy to get your money’s worth out of, especially as, unlike with Disney, Universal has the Coca Cola Freestyle dispensers that have over 100+ selection of beverages.
Disney charges about $22.99+ Tax for each refillable mug for the length of stay but does not have the Coca Cola Freestyle machines with all of those amazing choices–including my favorite: Fanta Zero.
The refillable mug at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
Winding down in the evening at Stella Nova should be a breeze. And it almost was when I found out I could get Netflix on the amazing wall-mounted 55” 4K HDTV.
As soon as I’d settled in to watch the latest episode of My Happy Marriage, I suddenly heard SO MUCH NOISE in the hallway, above, and below me.
Herein lies one of the main downsides of the Stella Nova Resort hotel.
Soundproofing is practically NON-EXISTENT.
A hallway in Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
If someone flushes a toilet, moves a chair, slams a room door, or cracks a fart in the hall (I exaggerate on that fart thing) you WILL most likely hear it. Granted, people are tired after being in the parks all day, so this may be a non-issue. But if you’re a light sleeper, it could be a deal-breaker.
To be fair, I have the same issue with Disney’s value resorts and with the likes of Hampton Inn when it comes to noise. If you’re willing to sacrifice the price for soundproofing (bring some earplugs to play ambient noise), it’s worth it.
So Let’s Keep It Real…
Overall, Universal’s Stella Nova resort is a bold step up in providing an elevated hotel experience at a price point that’s more accessible to guests on a budget. It’s easy to get value from your stay here, especially given Epic Universe is accessible via a short walk and Universal Orlando’s other parks and Citywalk are accessible by bus.
A pair of astronauts in the lobby of Universal’s Stella Nova Resort – Photo Credit: La Reina Creole
The resort is also located where a Chick Fil A, CVS, and Publix are within walking distance, as is the Orange County Convention center. There are issues with the lack of soundproofing, water leaks, and appliances not plugged in on day one, but overall the opening day launch of Stella Nova was more fun than frenetic.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the hotel manages these issues in the coming days of my stay.
So what do you think of my experience at Stella Nova’s opening day? Is this a hotel you would book for an Epic Universe or Universal Studios Orlando stay? Would you book this hotel over a Disney resort? Let us know the real deal in the comments!
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