Universal’s Endless Summer Resort Surfside Inn and Suites

When you vacation do you try to find the cheapest, okay, perhaps I should say least expensive hotel room so you can spend the bulk of your vacation budget on fun and adventure? I know I do. Of course, location, comfort, cleanliness, and size are also factors for me when booking a room while on vacation.

Disney World Resort in Orlando has five amazing different options when it comes to inexpensive on-site options. You can read about Disney World’s Value Resorts in my post here.

But what about the Universal fans? I know there are plenty of people in the world who prefer Harry Potter to Mickey Mouse. Universal Resorts now offers a value option of its own – Endless Summer Resort.

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is comprised of two separate hotels, Surfside Inn and Suites, and Dockside Inn and Suites. The resort is located where the Wet ‘n Wild Waterpark used to be on International Drive in Orlando. This means you are not within walking distance to the Universal Theme Parks, but there are complimentary shuttle buses that run throughout the day.

Recently our family did a weekend staycation at Endless Summer Resort’s Surfside Inn and Suites. This family-friendly value hotel has a relaxed vibe with a surf theme woven throughout the entire hotel. Even the ceiling near the elevators is covered with surfboards.

Surfside Inn and Suites Rooms

As most of the Disney Value Resorts have rather small rooms I was pleasantly surprised to find an option for a two-bedroom suite at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort Surfside Suites and Inn.

Surfside Inn and Suites really is an amazing value with standard rooms under $100 and the two-bedroom suites starting at around $120. Depending on when you go, these rates will vary.

When we checked into our two-bedroom suite the kids were so excited to discover there were three queen beds in the room. They quickly did the math and realized they weren’t going to have to share. That rarely happens when we stay at a hotel.

Besides the two rooms, there is a kitchenette area with a cute little picnic table where you can enjoy your meals. The kitchenette also boasts a small refrigerator and microwave.

The bathroom and vanity area are separate. On a personal note, I was happy to see themed toiletries set out for us to use. Many value hotels these days, Disney included, utilize large dispensers for soap and shampoo. I know it is silly but I miss the days of receiving little Mickey Mouse soaps and shampoos. Those were the best souvenirs.

All in all, we were very pleased with the room. Here is a quick little video of our room at Surfside Suites and Inn.

The Pool at Surfside Inn and Suites

Although the weather didn’t permit us to utilize the pool on our weekend stay at Endless Summer Resort we did have a great view of it from our room.

The pool at Surfside Inn and Suites is shaped like a surfboard. There are activities by the pool including Ping-Pong and Connect Four that vary daily.

Other Activities at Surfside Inn and Suites

Besides the pool at Surfside Inn and Suites, other activities located in the hotel include the state of the art fitness center and a game room. Surfside Suites and Inn even has a Universal Studios store located in the hotel lobby where you can do some shopping.

Dining at Surfside Inn and Suites

There are several dining options at Surfside Inn and Suites.

The Beach Break Cafe reminded me of a smaller version of the food courts offered at the Disney value resorts. The Beach Break Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their offerings include breakfast sandwiches, burritos, roasted chicken, pizza, burgers, and salads. The items on their menu were reasonably priced, all being under $12.

We had dinner there, all eating different things. I had the Pipeline Pizza, Mark had the Power Bowl, Eden, chicken fingers, and Xen, of course, had pizza. The Friday we were there there was one attendant on hand who was wonderful and very helpful.

I am not sure how long the food had been sitting out under the lamps, but it was horrible. That is saying a lot because I never ever say anything bad about any hotel. Because of this experience, we opted not to eat at Beach Breaker Cafe again during our trip. Fortunately, being located on International Drive, the area is full of alternative dining options. We actually brought back KFC from across the street the next evening after a day in the parks. Remember, there was that lovely picnic table in our room.

The other options for dining at Surfside Suites and Inn include Sand Bar where you can grab a drink or smoothie and a snack. There is also a Starbucks that we enjoyed several times located in the lobby of the hotel.

In Conclusion

We had a great stay at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort Surfside Inn and Suites. Our only plans consisted of visiting Universal Orlando’s theme parks that weekend, making the room, location, and price perfect for our needs.

Have you been to Surfside Inn and Suites? What was your favorite part? Please share in the comments below.