Loews and Universal have created a stellar relationship with huge family resorts nestled right within Universal Orlando property. This year the team opened the retro and fun Cabana Bay Beach Resort to rave reviews and huge sell out crowds. Now, they are doing it again. Just two months after the official grand opening of Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Hotels and Universal Orlando have announced Sapphire Falls Resort.
The all new resort is slated to open in summer of 2016, and will be located directly between Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Royal Pacific. The 1,000 room resort will actually connect to Royal Pacific to create 272,000 square feet of combined meeting space and 2,000 rooms.
“Our partnership with Universal is integral to our growth as we strategically expand Loews Hotels,” said Paul Whetsell, President & CEO, Loews Hotels & Resorts in a press release Tuesday. “Loews Sapphire Falls Resort will complement our four existing hotels as we increase the total number of guestrooms, and continue to strive to offer unique experiences for all guests, whether they are visiting Orlando for leisure or meetings.”
The all new hotel will be centered around a tropical lagoon, surrounded by gorgeous gushing waterfalls. The all new hotel will also feature a huge new restaurant with river views, as well as a “river style pool”. It will be inspired by the lush rivers and waterfalls of the Caribbean. The amenities will include resort-style pool with water slide and children’s play area, valet service and a fitness center. A full-service restaurant with scenic views and outdoor dining will also be part of the hotel. There will also be a themed lobby lounge, quick-service marketplace, poolside bar and grill.
“Our guests repeatedly tell us that our Universal Orlando on-site hotels provide them a completely immersive vacation experience from the moment they enter our hotels and are transported to another place,” said Tom Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Parks & Resorts. “We look forward to bringing them yet another incredibly themed experience with the opening of Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.”
Construction has begun on the all new site, and reservations should start being accepted sometime in 2015. There is no word on whether or not this hotel will include Express, Universal’s Front of the Line system, but it will feature early entry. The resort will also feature water taxi service, as well as shuttle service. Cabana Bay Beach Resort features shuttle service, and no Express with your room stay, but the hotel does provide its’ guests with early access to the parks.
Earlier this year, Comcast CEO said that the resort hopes to have 10,000 hotel rooms to support the planned growth of the parks. With the new hotel in 2016, that will bring the total number of rooms to 5,200.
Sapphire Falls Resort has also launched an official website showcasing concept art and a few details.
More details to come as we get them.
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