Located next to Islands of Adventure is Universal Orlando’s third hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Themed to the South Pacific, this Signature Collection hotel offers fantastic amenities in a relaxed tropical atmosphere. Get to know Royal Pacific as we cover the many features of this gorgeous hotel.

Overview

• Guest Rating: ★★★★
• Touring Plans Rating: ★★★★
• Level: Signature Collection with Complementary Universal Express Pass Unlimited
• Rack Rate: Standard Room: $421, Club Level: $576, Family Suites: $842
• Number of Rooms: 1000
• Theme: South Pacific Islands

Theme, Design, & Layout

Royal Pacific is themed to the lush and tropical South Pacific Islands. The hotel is laid out with a central lobby and three Y-shaped hotel room wings that split off from the lobby. The entrance to Royal Pacific is off Hollywood Way and offers self-parking for $33 per night. Yes, $33, but guests dining at restaurants at the resort have the option of validating parking, and a valet parking option is also available. Guests entering the hotel walk over a gorgeous covered bridge that spans large lily ponds and tropical foliage to arrive at the large lobby. Immediately inside is the outside atrium fountain with check-in on the left and the Universal Studios Store to the right. The lobby has high vaulted ceilings and exposed wooden beams, this rustic wood look appears throughout the hotel. Small touches of the South Pacific are scattered around the resort like art pieces, statues, covered seating areas, and parasols.

Royal Pacific is frequently compared to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and it’s understandable to see why. Both are deluxe resorts situated alongside a large body of water with lush tropical theming. Both feature all-you-can-enjoy dining experiences, large pools, enough tropical drinks to supply a Jimmy Buffet concert, and up until recently both had a luau experience. However, there are some major differences between the Royal Pacific and the Polynesian. First and foremost are the hotels’ design – Royal Pacific is a traditional tower resort with three Y-shaped room wings that come off the hotel’s lobby while the Polynesian’s rooms are spread across the resort property in two-story long houses. While we do enjoy the meandering gardens of the Polynesian we do like being able to move around the whole resort indoors during rain storms.

Room Choices

Royal Pacific’s rooms are comfortable, modern, and recently refurbished. Rooms are themed for international travel with dressers decorated like luggage and wall art that celebrates the nature and culture of the South Pacific. Royal Pacific has the smallest rooms of the three hotels that offer complementary Express Passes at 355 square feet, but we find the room textile quality is on par with the Hard Rock and Portofino Bay hotels.

There are five types of rooms at Royal Pacific:
⭐️ Standard Room (King or Two Queen Beds) – 355 square feet in size and starting at $421 per night.
⭐️ Club Rooms – Same as the standard rooms but come with Club Level access for food and drinks. Starts at $576 per night.
⭐️ Family Suites – Two room, 670 sq ft suites with a separate Jurassic World themed room for the kids. Start at $842 per night.
⭐️ Full Suites – Available in King (670 sq ft), Hospitality (1005 sq ft), and Presidential (1340 sq ft) sizes. Prices start at $594 to well over $3200 per night.

We like Royal Pacific’s rooms but the reduced square footage is noticeable in the bathroom area with only one sink at the vanity and a sliding door to the shower and toilet. You won’t likely notice it but keep this in mind if your party needs more than one sink in the mornings.

Hotel Amenities

As a hotel in the Signature Collection, Royal Pacific offers a large selection of on-site resort amenities, from the free fruit-infused water in the lobby to the pool with a large water play area. The #1 hotel amenity is the complementary Universal Express Pass Unlimited that is offered to each guest in the room, for more information read our article on complementary Express Pass hotels. Hungry? If the five restaurants don’t satisfy your cravings then order from the 24-hour room service. Then work off that room service at the hotel fitness center or at the pool. Need new clothes? The Universal Studios Store and a small shopping area next to the pool offer convenient onsite shopping. Raining? No worries, the arcade offers hours of quarter (or dollar) fueled fun. Eating at CityWalk or the parks? Your resort key offers your priority seating at full-service restaurants around Universal Orlando. Finally, Royal Pacific offers complimentary boat and bus transportation to CityWalk, the theme parks, and Volcano Bay.

Food & Drink

Royal Pacific quietly has one of the strongest food offerings at Universal Orlando with lots of family-friendly dining experiences along with upscale experiences. Options range from fresh, high-quality sushi to burgers and fries, plus everything in between. Five restaurants operate daily at Royal Pacific and a luau operates on the weekend.

⭐️ Tuk Tuk Market is a grab-and-go market with select freshly made options. This is where you’ll find your Starbucks in the morning along with prepared salads, sandwiches, sushi, and desserts.
⭐️ Jake’s American Bar was started by the ex-pat namesake to offer grub familiar to those American tourists. Or at least that’s the backstory. Jake’s offers a hearty selection of American entrees like burgers, pizza, BBQ, wraps, sandwiches, and more. Jake’s is known for its beer selection and frequently hosts beer dinners on weekends with beer and food pairings.
⭐️ Islands Dining Room is the main dining hall of Royal Pacific and serves breakfast and dinner. The menu is inspired by American, Chinese, and Japanese cuisines and offers familiar favorites. On Fridays and Saturdays, an all-you-care-to-enjoy Wok Experience is offered where guests build their own wok bowls.
⭐️ Orchid Lounge is a fresh sushi restaurant located off the lobby that features beer and craft cocktails.
⭐️ Bula Bar & Grill a pool bar and restaurant which features the famous Shipwrecked Nachos and tropical cocktails.
⭐️ Wantilan Luau is offered on Saturdays with drinks and a buffet. Mr South Florida, Derek Burgan, recently visited Wantilan and gave the whole experience a thumbs up.

Reviews

Loews Royal Pacific is one of our favorite hotels at Universal for its relaxing vibes, complimentary Express Pass, excellent dining, and proximity to Islands of Adventure. Our single biggest slight is the room size and design, the 355 sq ft rooms are the smallest out of the Signature Collection and the sliding door to the toilet and shower room lacks privacy (who actually likes these things?!?!). While the rooms are nothing to rave about the Complementary Express Pass Unlimited is and justifies the room price. Just avoid parking here if you can.

Do you love Royal Pacific or wish you could sail to another island? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!