Loews Royal Pacific Resort is one of the hotels in Universal Orlando Resort’s top-tier Signature Collection, opened in June 2002 on the shores of Universal’s lagoon. The 1,000-room property leans into a South Pacific island theme, with lush landscaping, wood carvings, waterfalls, and a bamboo-and-thatch aesthetic that sets it apart from the more Italian-styled Portofino Bay or the rock-and-roll Hard Rock Hotel nearby.
The reason fans book Royal Pacific isn’t just the theming — it’s the perks bundled into every stay. As a Signature Collection hotel, it grants every registered guest free unlimited Express Pass access to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, plus Early Park Admission, without paying the steep per-day Express Pass upcharge tourists buy at the gate.
Stats at a Glance
- Resort: Universal Orlando Resort (Loews Hotels)
- Location: Orlando, Florida, on Universal’s lagoon near CityWalk
- Opened: June 2002
- Rooms: Approximately 1,000, including standard, water-view, club-level, and suite categories
- Price tier: Signature Collection (Universal’s top on-site hotel tier)
- Park transport: Water taxi, walking path (about 10 minutes), and shuttle bus to CityWalk and Volcano Bay
- Perks: Free unlimited Express Pass, Early Park Admission, priority seating at select restaurants
- Theme: South Pacific / tropical island paradise
Rooms, Theming and Dining
Rooms lean tropical, with floral accents, bamboo-inspired furniture, and views ranging from standard parking-lot outlooks to premium water-view rooms overlooking the lagoon and pool. Club-level rooms add a private lounge with complimentary continental breakfast and evening beer and wine. On-site dining includes the pan-Asian Islands Dining Room, sushi and cocktails at Orchid Court Lounge, American fare at Jake’s American Bar, poolside snacks at Bula Bar & Grille, and the Wantilan Luau, a Polynesian-style dinner show held on select nights.
The resort’s centerpiece pool features a sandy-bottomed lagoon feel with a volleyball court and family activities, making it a legitimate half-day destination on its own rather than just a place to sleep between park visits.
Getting to the Parks and Perks
Guests can walk to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure via a landscaped path in roughly 10 minutes, or take a scenic water taxi that also stops at CityWalk. A shuttle bus runs to CityWalk and Volcano Bay, which sits farther from the main promenade. The headline benefit is the free unlimited Express Pass included with every stay, which lets guests skip standby lines at both theme parks all day, every day of their visit — a perk that would otherwise cost well over a hundred dollars per person, per day. Early Park Admission adds up to an hour of park access before general guests, primarily useful for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas.
Who Should Stay Here
Royal Pacific suits families and Harry Potter fans who want maximum time in the parks without buying separate Express Passes, since the included perk can offset a noticeably higher room rate compared to Universal’s value hotels. It’s a step down in scale and price from Portofino Bay’s Italian villa grandeur, making it a solid middle ground within the Signature Collection. Travelers who don’t plan to ride rides more than once or twice a park visit may not need the Express Pass perk enough to justify the higher price.
Explore more: More theme park hotel guides, Universal Studios Florida guide, Islands of Adventure guide, Volcano Bay guide.
Loews Royal Pacific Resort FAQs
What Universal Orlando perks come with a Royal Pacific Resort stay?
Every registered guest gets free unlimited Express Pass for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure (skipping standby lines all day) plus Early Park Admission before regular park opening. Volcano Bay and Universal Epic Universe are handled separately and are not covered by the standard Express Pass benefit.
How do you get from Royal Pacific Resort to the theme parks?
You can walk a landscaped path to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in about 10 minutes, ride a water taxi that also stops at CityWalk, or catch a shuttle bus, which is the main option for reaching Volcano Bay.
Is Royal Pacific Resort worth the price compared to other Universal hotels?
It sits in Universal’s Signature Collection, priced above the resort’s value-tier hotels but generally below Portofino Bay and Hard Rock Hotel. The value case rests on the included Express Pass: frequent-ride families can offset much of the rate premium by skipping paid Express Pass purchases.
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Photo: Farragutful / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.