The newest Universal Orlando Resort hotel had its grand opening just yesterday, January 21st. Stella Nova Resort is located right next to to the all-new Epic Universe theme park opening on May 22nd. Designed to reflect the infinite vastness of the universe, Stella Nova was dreamed up by the Universal Creative team, and is co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels & Co.
I’m a big fan of Universal’s theme parks and hotels… AND space. I have been anxiously awaiting the latest “Prime Value” hotel from the same brand which lovingly brought us Cabana Bay, but with a more galactic theme. We just checked in for a few nights, so here are my initial thoughts on Stella Nova!
Universal Stella Nova Resort… BLAST OFF!
It’s hard to miss the two, massive colorful buildings as you pull into the area. The exterior of Stella Nova (and Terra Luna, opening in May) is made up of shiny colorful tiles, reminiscent of space and galaxies.
Upon stepping inside, you’re greeted with a sculpted space-themed lobby; filled with rounded edges, light features evoking constellations, and curving, white finishes with pockets of color depicting celestial imagery. Nooks of seating and a bar are seemingly carved into the cavernous-space age lobby.
The music here is great. (I wish I had a clip to share with you now.) Hey, background music loops are important. As a Universal AND Disney fan, I’m getting big EPCOT vibes from the lobby’s furniture and mesmerizing space music. I’m not sure if this was just for opening day, but some fun space-themed bops played between the lobby’s ambient music, such as Rihanna’s “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” and Elton John’s “Rocket Man”.
The 750 new guest rooms feature two queen beds and space station-styled windows. I love the look and feel of the rooms. They’re sleek, clean, and roomy. The beds are comfy — firm, but not off-putting.
The resort offers some unique dining options, including Cosmos Cafe and Market, Galaxy Bar, and Galaxy Grill. Stella Nova features a resort-style pool with a splash pad and fire pit, fitness center, game room, and a Universal Studios Store in the lobby. (It’s a bit cold and rainy here in Central Florida this week, I’m looking forward to enjoying the pool area on a warmer day in the future.)
We ate at Cosmos Cafe shortly after checking in. I appreciate the modern casual dining experience that doesn’t feel like a generic food court. You order your food, receive a pager, then pick up your food from the counter once it’s ready. While the sandwiches were hit or miss, we were pleasantly surprised with the homemade-tasting macaroni & cheese, and the street corn! These were valuable family-sized side dishes at $7 each.
I do feel like this dining area could be larger for a 750-room hotel, as the ordering/check out line builds up very easily, and people were constantly hunting for tables and chairs.
Granted, we did check in on the very first day of official operation. Being conscious of this, I’m mindfully being gracious in areas they could easily improve upon with time and more guest feedback; such as the Cosmos Café menu font size, or the lack of Stella Nova-branded merchandise.
I do hope they one day expand upon the twinkling hallway that is currently only found on level 3. They decided to make something fun for the unusable space, due to the lobby taking it up from below. I can only imagine guests will want to see this fun feature for themselves, congesting the area taking photos and video at any time. Plus, it would be cool to see a little area like this on every floor – no?
Even the “normal” hallways of rooms feel vast and endless. Hey, just like space!
Overall, this feels like a space-themed hotel within the value resort category — and that’s exactly what it is. The Epic Universe hype is here… but so is the surrounding construction.
Since the resort is a good 20 minute drive or bus ride away from the other Universal Orlando Parks and CityWalk, and that drive is straight through a messy hot zone of construction (not pictured), I wouldn’t exactly recommend staying here before Epic Universe opens. But come May 22nd, and one freshly-opened walkway from the resort into the brand new park, Stella Nova is an out-of-this-world option for the price!
Our team is staying at Stella Nova for a few nights this week; stay tuned for more content from UOFan.com and our YouTube Channel!
