Best Onsite Hotel For Boys 8 & 11yrs

[albeers]

WHICH ONSITE HOTEL IS THE BEST FOR A FAMILY? WE HAVE TWO BOYS, 8 & 11 YRS. WHICH HOTEL HAS THE BEST POOL AND IS CLOSES TO IOA?

THANKS FOR YOU HELP

 

[Tigger&Belle]

HRH is closest to the parks--a 5 minute walk from Universal and 10 from IoA. It has a nice pool with a water slide and underwater music. My kids enjoyed that pool more than the RPR pool. RPR is probably about a 10 minute walk from IoA, but you have to go through City Walk, which one time for us was very crowded and hard to get through. It is a nice walk, though. The RPR had a water play area instead of a water slide. We haven't stayed at PB yet.

T&B

 

[ktglads]

I have only stayed at the Royal Pacific, but I love it so much that I debate even trying to stay at the Hard Rock or Portofino. The Royal Pacific was a 7 minute walk from the gate of IoA to our hotel room. You just turn right at Margartiaville and follow the path to the hotel. You don't actually go into City Walk at all. It is about a 12 minute walk to the Studios. The Royal Pacific has a nice pool with a play area and hot tub. There are also volleyball courts and places to play in the sand.

There is also a boat service that runs from the hotel to City Walk that you can take if you don't feel like walking!

RP is the cheapest by about $25 a night and I would whole-heartedly reccommend it to anyone. You can even get rooms that have views of the Hulk and Dr. Doom!

 

[Selina]

I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel just over a year ago and the kids loved it. The pool is supreme - with a fun curly water slide, underwater music, sandy beach one side, pool bar and snacks the other. The atmosphere at the Hard Rock is great - you walk into the lobby to check in and you are greeted by everyone along with the sounds of various fave rock music - big guitars, legendary rock stars, memorabilia in glass cabinets - you feel like "wow!! the concert's begun...."and even adults are tempted to stand in the middle of the lobby and pretend to play their guitars!!! Then you walk into your room and there's a cd ready to play...it's fun and the kids will love it more I suspect than the RPR. It's a nice meandering walk - out through a back gate that only guests can use to open using their room key - leisurely walk and you at the Hard Rock Cafe in few mins - kids love this place to eat - lots of fun - waiters and waitresses "Y M C A" on the bars and everyone joins in the singing. It's played at least twice during your meal!!........and you get priority seating don't forget - no waiting in line - just show the room key and it's:...."party of how many?...this way please!!:

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Here's another vote for HRH. We have been taking our 11 year old son here since he was 8 and he loves the pool area because of the basketball net. He spends countless hours there with all the new friends he meets while shooting hoop. The slide is also a big hit with adults and kids alike. The rock and roll atmosphere is alot of fun too.

 

[Robinrs]

I've been to all three with my now 11 year old son and he likes them ALL!

His favorite is the Portofino, surprise to me, and mine is the Royal Pacific. Maybe because he doesn't have to PAY for it!

 

[corvair]

robinrs.... just wondering what is it about the Portofino that your son enjoys....thanks...amy

 

[zaxmom]

If they are going to like the water play area better than a waterslide, I would go for the RPR. It they are going to like the water slide, than go with HRH. My kids 4 and 2 loved it. My now 5 year old says that is where he wants to go for our next vacation. Hard Rock was very cool for mom and dad and they loved the pool. We stayed at Portofino one time and that did not stick out in their head. It seemed like a lot of walking to get to your room there. Plus, we had a stroller and there were a lot of stairs, so we had to keep going out of our way for the ramps. We just strolled around RP and it was a pretty atmosphere, but we have to go for the waterslide. By the way, you can stay at one hotel and use the pools at all three.

 

[essmom]

Great to hear all the good reports!!! We are heading to the Hard Rock in about 73 days!! There were quite a few reports(on another thread) that the pool was too shallow but that doesn't bother me . I am sure that's a safety thing -no diving etc!!!