Universal Orlando Shares First Details of Helios Grand Hotel at Epic Universe

Aug 22, 2024 in "Universal Orlando Resort"

Universal Helios Grand Hotel
Posted: Thursday August 22, 2024 9:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Universal Orlando Resort is set to expand its portfolio with the introduction of Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a Loews Hotel, opening in 2025. This new hotel promises to offer a unique blend of relaxation and immersion, including a dedicated entrance to Universal Epic Universe.

Located within the highly anticipated Universal Epic Universe, Universal Helios Grand Hotel is situated in the heart of Celestial Park, a landscaped area that reflects the hotel's astronomical and mythological themes. The hotel is designed with a Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic, featuring elegant yet casual design elements that create a welcoming atmosphere.

The hotel's architecture and interior design draw inspiration from the Greek god of the sun, Helios, and celestial patterns are a recurring motif throughout the property. The lobby, for instance, boasts floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of Celestial Park and Epic Universe, immersing guests in the park's brilliance both day and night.

Universal Helios Grand Hotel offers 500 guest rooms and suites, many of which offer views of Epic Universe. Family options include the How to Train Your Dragon Kids' Suites, which are inspired by the Viking village of Berk, allowing children to sleep amongst dragons in a colorful, themed environment.




The hotel offers a variety of dining options catering to different tastes and preferences:

Flora Taverna: A full-service restaurant that serves Mediterranean comfort foods, pizzas from a live-cooking kitchen, and offers al fresco dining with scenic views of Celestial Park.


Aurora Market: A contemporary coffee shop and market that provides freshly-roasted coffees, grab-and-go items, and snacks throughout the day.

Lotus Lagoon: A poolside bar and grill where guests can enjoy casual fare such as burgers, salads, and sandwiches, along with refreshing cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks.

In addition to its dining options, the hotel features a variety of amenities designed to enhance the guest experience:

Bar Helios: A rooftop lounge offering 360-degree views of Epic Universe, creative tapas, specialty cocktails, and a stylish ambiance for evening relaxation.


Resort-Style Pool: The hotel's zero-entry pool is equipped with underwater speakers, a hot tub, and poolside cabanas, making it an ideal spot for relaxation. Poolside movies and recreational activities are also available.

Fitness Center: A state-of-the-art facility offering a range of strength and cardio equipment.

Game Room: Guests can enjoy a variety of arcade games, providing entertainment for the whole family.

Exclusive Theme Park Benefits

One of the standout features of Universal Helios Grand Hotel is its dedicated entrance to Universal Epic Universe, providing guests with direct and convenient access to the theme park. This exclusive benefit allows guests to bypass general entry points, ensuring they can maximize their time at the park (valid theme park admission is required).

Additionally, guests staying at the hotel are eligible for Universal Orlando's exclusive theme park benefits, including Early Park Admission, complimentary shuttle bus transportation to the parks and Universal CityWalk, resort-wide charging privileges, and complimentary merchandise delivery to the hotel.

 

New Hotel Categories at Universal Orlando

 

The addition of Universal Helios Grand Hotel also brings three reimagined hotel categories to Universal Orlando.

TheSignature Collection – including Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort – offers full-service amenities, distinguished service, exceptional dining and more.

The Prime Value Hotels – including Universal Aventura Hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort (opening January 21, 2025) and Universal Terra Luna Resort (opening February 25, 2025) – offer a mix of services and amenities made for comfort.

The Value Inns and Suites – including Universal Cabana Bay Beach
Resort and Universal Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites – are fun, affordable options offering standard rooms and spacious suites with kitchenettes.

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drkarcher226 minutes ago

Money

ToTBellHop1 hour ago

These “live action” remakes where major characters are CG make no sense to me. Saw the Lilo and Stitch trailer today and thought, “why?”

danlb_200023 hours ago

I can't wait to see this!.... oh, wait, I don't have to wait, there is already a perfectly good animated version I can watch. :)

BrianLo4 days ago

I didn't know they were making a live action How to train your Dragon. Certainly fortuitous timing.

UNCgolf5 days ago

Yeah, that's why I added the "if maintained and functioning properly" disclaimer.

JoeCamel5 days ago

And Spidey just got another TEA award at IAAPA, amazing for an "old" ride

drkarcher225 days ago

River Adventure can get moved back up when they finally get around to fixing all the Dino’s and scenes that just don’t work anymore

SplashJacket5 days ago

Yeah, the FJ screen domes have aged really poorly. Also think part of the issue is screens often direct your focus towards some time of specific action or event whereas non-screen scenes have a less focused attention, leading to more diversity of experience and thus increased re-ride ability, because the moments perceived are different each time. Thankfully, I think Universal realizes this, and thus the premiere dark rides here are done right.

UNCgolf5 days ago

I personally think screen heavy attractions suffer from this in general. It's happened to Flight of Passage for me too -- I still like FoP, but I honestly find NRJ more enjoyable now. I'm sure it varies from person to person, but there's something about being in a physical environment that feels different/less replicable than watching something happen on a screen. Attractions like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Spaceship Earth haven't lost any of their appeal to me compared to ones like FoP and Spiderman. FJ and Spiderman are both obviously more than just screens (unlike FoP) but they're still a major part of the experience.

SplashJacket5 days ago

Spider-Man and FJ were both super high on my list when I first experienced them but now they’re no where near the top. It is interesting that both have fallen so much in comparison to other attractions like Indy or RSR. Perhaps because both focused more on technology? I don’t think the Epic premiere attractions will suffer the same fate, but we’ll see

UNCgolf5 days ago

Forbidden Journey wasn't even the best ride at Islands of Adventure when it opened -- both Spiderman (which I'm also nowhere near as high on as other people) and Jurassic Park River Adventure were (and are) better, at least when maintained and functioning properly. FJ has more impressive technology for sure, but it doesn't really use it very well.

sonoma155 days ago

It's still my third favorite dark ride of all time, right behind Spiderman and Tower of Terror!

TalkToEthan5 days ago

Could you elaborate on that below as I’m not understanding what you mean—— I must be missing an obvious point you’re making. Thanks thanks

SplashJacket5 days ago

Look at what opened 15 years after Indy opened and then look at what opened 15 years after FJ opened. Not exactly a similar slate