A hotel inside a theme park: First look at Universal Helios Grand Hotel coming to new Epic Universe

22.08.2024 - 13:40 / thepointsguy.com / Harry Potter

Universal Orlando currently boasts eight on-site hotels, offering guests easy access to the fun of Universal's theme parks. Next year, they'll add three more to that lineup to accommodate the influx of guests likely to flock to Orlando when Universal Epic Universe, the resort's newest theme park, opens in 2025. Epic Universe is being built on a 750-acre site a few miles away from Universal's existing parks and hotels and will nearly double the size of Universal Orlando Resort, further exacerbating the need for additional hotels.

The opening date, pricing and themes for two of those properties, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, were revealed earlier this year. On Thursday, Universal revealed details for Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a palatial hotel located inside Epic Universe.

Yes, Universal Helios Grand Hotel is a hotel inside a theme park, the first of its kind at Universal Orlando.

In a press release, Universal called the hotel "the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the pinnacle of Universal Orlando's hotel experiences."

Because of its proximity, the hotel will have a dedicated entrance to Epic Universe exclusively for Universal Grand Helios guests. That's among the other perks all Universal hotel guests enjoy, like one-hour early theme park entry, complimentary shuttle transportation, resort-wide charging privileges, complimentary merchandise delivery and more.

The new theme park will have lands dedicated to popular film and video game properties, including Super Nintendo, "How to Train Your Dragon," Universal Classic Monsters and "Harry Potter," and more. There will also be an entirely original concept called Celestial Park.

Universal Helios Grand Hotel will be located along the back edge of Celestial Park, overlooking the land's fountains, gardens and cosmos-themed attractions. In the press release, Universal described the hotel, which is co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels & Co., as a "majestic Mediterranean-inspired escape" that "draws inspiration from the astronomical and mythological themes of Celestial Park."

Even the hotel's moniker is derived from Greek mythology; Helios is the Greek god of the sun. The hotel is designed to be his palace, with Mediterranean-inspired architecture and design elements embellished with celestial patterns and constellations.

The hotel's lobby and rooftop bar will provide some of the best views of Epic Universe. You'll only be able to top the views if you are atop a speeding coaster. During the day, you'll see the immersive, colorful lands in all their glory. And at night, you can view the park in a whole new light. The lighting on Stardust Racers is designed to make the dueling coaster cars look like comets soaring through the