The moment has arrived: Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe, the first new major theme park in the country in 24 years, is finally open. Currently in previews, Epic is open to the public with limited in-person ticket sales to Universal Orlando hotel guests.
The park officially opens on May 22, and it’s truly spectacular. The artful aesthetic design feels immersive to an unmatched degree. The character interactions are next-level. The food is an epicurean experience. And the technologically groundbreaking attractions will have you asking yourself, “How did they do that?”
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Tune InAs part of the estimated $7 billion project, Universal Orlando built three new hotels around Epic Universe, which all offer hotel guests early park entry and are within walking distance to the main attraction.
The Epic campus is about 4 miles from the rest of the resort, including Universal Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the other resort hotels, all of which are operated by Loews Hotels.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Epic Universe hotels: Universal Stella Nova Resort, Universal Terra Luna Resort and Universal Helios Grand Hotel.
Universal Stella Nova Resort
The first of the Epic Universe hotels to host guests, Universal Stella Nova Resort opened its doors on Jan. 21, 2025. Universal describes the hotel as “inspired by the infinite vastness of the unexplored universe.”
On the outside, the futuristic building gleams with multicolored, jewel-toned metal tiles that reflect the sunlight and sparkle from every angle. Once you’ve walked through the front doors, it’s as though you’ve gone through a portal into the outer reaches of the cosmos. The sleek white futuristic decor is accented by views of deep space, in large-scale recreations of real NASA images.
The 750-room property includes an outdoor pool area with a hot tub, a fitness room and an arcade. For food and drink options, there are indoor and outdoor quick-service restaurants, an all-day pool bar and an evening sit-down bar. The indoor Cosmos Cafe has options like the Stella Burger (a double cheeseburger with Stella sauce) and Hot Honey Chicken Pizza. At the evening Nova Bar, there are interstellar-themed libations like the Nebula, a mezcal cocktail with strawberry-rose syrup and lime, garnished with a real rosebud.
The rooms all have two queen beds and sleep four guests. Rates are generally in the lower $200 range but can be up to about $350 in times of high demand. Inside the rooms, the decor is evocative of a luxury spaceship that doesn’t yet exist in real life, with a blue and white color palette and more interstellar artwork and lights creatively hidden inside paneling, adding to the high-tech feel. On the highly coveted third floor, a starlit hallway has a night sky overhead, with moving, twinkling lights.
Universal Terra Luna Resort
The sister property to Stella Nova, Universal Terra Luna Resort opened on March 25, 2025. The two Prime Value hotels, both a short walk or shuttle from Epic Universe, have similar layouts and identical amenities. The main difference is that, while Stella Nova has an interstellar theme, Terra Luna features, “terrestrial tones and sweeping curves to inspire thoughts of exploring new worlds,” according to Universal Orlando.
Terra Luna has the same luminous, multicolored exterior, but inside, there’s a different kind of futuristic vibe. The lobby is gleaming white, with a recurring circular theme that evokes new and undiscovered planets. Instead of Stella’s NASA deep space images, Terra has a futuristic three-dimensional holographic projection of a distant world. Its transportive third-floor hallway has a mirror installation evoking a galaxy of glowing celestial bodies.
Just like its sister property, Terra Luna has 750 guest rooms, all with two queen beds, with the same pricing structure. The hotel’s indoor restaurant, Omega Cafe and Market, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes options like the Big French Dipper, with shaved ribeye steak, provolone, sauteed onions and au jus, and the Earth Shake Fried Chicken Sandwich, a pickle-brined chicken thigh with coleslaw, pickles and ranch aioli. At Luna Bar, its evening cocktail lounge, there are “lunar libations” like the Hyperion, with bourbon, chipotle pineapple syrup and lemon, and the Io, which has Hendrick’s gin, yuzu liqueur, lychee puree and falernum.
Universal Helios Grand Hotel
Originally slated to start hosting guests on May 22, 2025, Universal surprised everyone by opening the Helios Grand Hotel more than a month ahead of schedule in mid-April.
True to its name, the hotel is, in a word, grand. Its gleaming copper domes rise above the new theme park, starting the sense of immersion before you even arrive. Helios is a Signature property, the first to open at Universal Orlando since Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in 1999.
The property itself is stunning, with many impressive amenities, like the pool with cabanas. But by far, the biggest perk is that Helios is the only hotel at Universal Orlando (or Walt Disney World, for that matter) to offer guests direct entrance into the park. You could, in theory, wake up 10 minutes before Epic Universe opens for the day and still be among the first inside the gates. That kind of convenience, especially in the middle of a hot Orlando day when you need a break, is unmatched.
The 500-room hotel offers standard rooms with two queen beds, king suites, club-level rooms and premium suites, many with views directly overlooking Epic Universe. The “How to Train Your Dragon”–themed kids suites have one bedroom with a king bed, one bedroom with twin beds and a sleeper sofa. Standard rooms range from about $500 to over $800 per night in times of highest demand.
Even if you can’t swing the hefty price tag to stay at the Helios Grand Hotel, there’s a lot to see and do there. The Mediterranean-inspired property weaves Epic Universe’s celestial theme throughout the experience. Inside the park, enormous golden statues of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, and Luna, the Roman goddess of the moon, preside over Celestial Park, Epic’s central land. As night falls, a show over the park’s lagoon has Helios handing over the day to Luna.
As you walk into the lobby of the hotel, massive floor-to-ceiling windows provide a view of the Helios statue and Celestial Park beyond. And from the park-view rooms, all five lands are easily visible. The mythological theme extends through the property, with blue, white and gold decor throughout and animated murals tucked away in surprising places.
On the hotel’s main level, Flora Taverna serves Mediterranean-inspired fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Aurora Market offers grab-and-go options and a walk-up lobby bar. On the top floor, Bar Helios is easily the crown jewel of Universal Orlando’s dining options. The tapas-style restaurant serves creative cocktails and inventive fare and offers a 360-degree view. The most coveted tables are on the outdoor patio overlooking Epic Universe, but seats inside underneath the soaring celestial dome don’t disappoint. Both Flora and Bar Helios are open to outside guests with reservations.
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Book NowThe Perks of Staying on Property
Universal Orlando’s other Signature properties — Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay and Loews Royal Pacific — all offer free express passes for hotel guests, which is a huge value that makes the higher room rate a much better financial proposition. In its early opening, Helios Grand isn’t offering that perk but likely will after the initial rush of guests has passed.
All three of the Epic hotels offer free shuttle transportation to all Universal parks and CityWalk, free package transportation to hotels and room charge privileges anywhere at Universal Orlando using a hotel key.
Contact a AAA travel advisor to help you find the best deal on your Universal vacation.
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