Holly V. Kapherr
The finishing touches are being put on the 600-room Aventura hotel as it prepares to make an August debut at the Universal Orlando Resort. The Aventura is the second in the resort's Prime Value category, each of which brings something to the game that is all its own.
"No one Universal hotel is the right fit for everyone. We are creating boutique experiences within thousand-room properties. That's the beauty of the Aventura," said Vince LaRuffa, senior vice president of resort sales at Universal Parks & Resorts, during a recent conversation I had with him and Russ Dagon, vice president and executive project director at Universal Parks & Resorts. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Aventura, a property that brings the Universal-Loews partnership portfolio of hotels to six.
Universal Orlando Resort entered the Prime Value category with the Cabana Bay Beach Resort in 2014 and opened the Sapphire Falls Resort nearby two years later in the Preferred category.
The Aventura hotel is the "next evolution" of Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The hotel started with the motel concept, then expanded last year to include two towers. The contemporary feel of the Aventura will contrast sharply with the retro stylings at Cabana Bay.
"Opening this hotel is another way to satisfy our guest and provide additional choices," LaRuffa said. "Cabana Bay has been a huge hit, but not everyone may like that type of experience. Aventura will be more subdued. It's sleek, modern, stylish. It'll be quieter. We know there is demand for that kind of product among our guests."
Aventura will be a family-friendly property but will target a guest who is looking for style and elegance when staying at an on-site property. LaRuffa likens the Aventura guest to his 25-year-old daughter and her boyfriend: young, modern, West Elm shoppers.
With that guest in mind, amenities will include a food hall rather than a signature restaurant, which will combine tastes and dining experiences you might not see at a similarly priced hotel. The food hall concept has never been tried at a hotel, according to LaRuffa, so the Aventura will be the first to have this kind of dining experience for guests, allowing them to taste many different dishes and cuisines in one place. "Loews is known for great culinary experiences, so we're confident they'll come up with something fantastic," LaRuffa said.
A dedicated elevator will whisk guests to a family-friendly rooftop bar and restaurant that will offer a bird's-eye view of Universal Orlando Resort and the surrounding areas.
The Aventura will also have a pool area visible from the lobby. "We think about what will get guests energized as they walk into the hotel. We imagine kids and adults alike being instantly amped when they see the pool from the check-in desk," said Dagon.
Rendering of a guestroom at the Aventura Hotel.
Other signature amenities include in-room pizza delivery from an on-site pizzeria; a dedicated path to walk the short distance to the Volcano Bay water park; concierge service that enables guests to send theme park purchases directly back to the hotel; early park admission; and free transportation to CityWalk and the theme parks.
There will also be a virtual-reality gameroom for guests, with an attendant who will walk guests through the experience. "We're excited to bring the theme park technology to the hotel," said Dagon. "It's a more experiential way to spend some leisure time at the hotel and something everyone will tell their friends about when they leave."
Part of equipping a 21st-century hotel is making sure it lives up to modern needs, according to LaRuffa said.
"One thing we've been challenged with is including more charging stations in the common areas and in the guestrooms," he said. "We know our guests are bringing at least two devices with them, if not more. So we needed to be able to accommodate that need to charge and have full batteries for taking pictures, posting to social media and staying in touch."
Additionally, each room will have a tablet that will include information about the hotel and parks, will control the lighting and temperature in the room and will also serve as a TV remote. Guests will also be able to order pizza from the tablet.
Universal Orlando Resort and Loews will be working with travel agents and trade partners to educate them on new categories of hotels (a Value category, with two additional properties, is also in the works) and assist them in customizing the perfect Universal Orlando vacation package for clients, complete with on-site hotel.
"Because these are themed hotels, each one portrays a different experience," said LaRuffa. "Now, we're allowing guests at every budget level to have an onsite Universal Orlando experience."
This story was updated to correctly report that Aventura is the second property in Universal's Prime Value category and that the Sapphire Falls Resort debuted in the resort's Preferred category.