Just Back from HRH - Review!

[Esmeralda]

We stayed at the HRH for 4 nights early October. When we checked in, I was told we had been upgraded to the Club Level. I don't know why we were - maybe they just do this when the hotel isn't crowded??? Anyway, it worked out wonderfully. Breakfast every morning in the Club room, cookies and drinks out every night.

We were pleasantly surprised when the walk to US took us under 5 minutes! This is the closest of all 3 hotels and also the smallest which is really nice. I talked to someone from the Royal Pacific who was just overwhelmed by the size of it. IOA is just another 5 minutes away. We usually took the boat home from IOA after a long day of walking. The boats were great - quick and friendly captains.

The FOTL access was even better than I had imagined. We never had to wait for a ride (except for the Pteratadon Flyers). The FOTL lines were much smaller than FastPass lines at WDW. For this reason, we will never stay offsite again! And after battling the buses at WDW, we were thrilled with not dealing with that stress for 3 days.

The slide at the HRH pool was smaller than the Grand Floridian's and the Animal Kingdom Lodge's but still fun. One side is sandy and walk-in which was nice. Also, there are fountains for the kids to play in and run through.

We ate at the Kitchen for dinner (great), had ice cream in the parlor next door (great), had poolside food (great) and of course the club food was great. We also went to the other 2 hotels to eat (Mama Della's and Tchoup Tchoup) and look around.

If anyone has questions about the details of the Club, restaurants, rooms, or anything else, let me know! I just don't want to bore people with my ramblings! I will be posting restaurant reviews on the main Universal Board.

 

[Puffy2]

What did you think of the food offerings on club level there and was it crowded in the club room during "breakfast time" and "evening drinks"?

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Did you room show any wear and tear? What color were your bed covers? How was the service?

 

[mouseclick1]

I am also interested in what you thought of club level. Seems like a lot of negative posts lately. We have 3 nights booked over Christmas break and I'm hoping for the best!

I would also love to hear more about The Kitchen! Sounds like you had a good dinner. How was the food selection and atmosphere? It sounds like it might be a fun place!

 

[paulakim]

Esmeralda,

Wow! an upgrade to club level. I hope we get that lucky! What kind of rate did you book the room at? ( entertainment, AP, Fan Club...)

Thanks!

 

[Esmeralda]

We booked the room using my Universal Fan Club card... maybe that had something to do with the upgrade???

The Club was definitely crowded and noisy at times. I know how it is to keep children quiet - I have an active, outgoing 5-year old. However, she has great manners and was appalled when we walked in and there were several older kids running around in the room playing with bouncy balls! Business people use the club level, as well, and it was very inappropriate. Even with that, I still enjoyed using the club. Breakfast was good (yummy, fresh donuts, a gigantic fruit salad, bread, muffins). It was also nice stopping by to get some bottled water or pop on our way to the room every evening. I found that there were places to sit for breakfast early, but it was packed between 9-10.

I don't remember the color of the bed linen but the room's colors were black and white. It did not show any wear at all. Service was very attentive.

The Kitchen's food, service, and atmosphere were all excellent! Review coming soon.

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Thank you Esmeralda!!!!!

Can't wait to stay there.

Do you mind sharing what your room rate was with the fan club?

If you do, I understand.

Thank you!

 

[Esmeralda]

I honestly can't remember the rate! I booked it a year ago, and passed off the receipts to my mom for her records. Somewhere between $110-$140 a night.