Universal Orlando Resort has shared more information about the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, a 500-room resort coming to Universal’s upcoming Epic Universe theme park in 2025. The hotel is named after the Greek god of the sun.One of the big perks of staying at Helios is that it is basically inside the park and has its own dedicated entrance to Epic Universe. Additionally, guests at Helios (and Universal’s other hotels) get early park admission and access to a complimentary shuttle bus.Universal teamed up with Loews Hotels to create the Helios Grand Hotel, which features a Mediterranean-inspired look featuring gardens and water fixtures surrounding it. Universal described the new resort as “palatial,” and one that has the aim of blending “immersion and relaxation.” Helios sports floor-to-ceiling windows in its lobby that give guests a view of the new Celestial Park at Epic Universe. As for the rooms themselves, Universal says they are designed to evoke the “tranquility of a blissful garden.” There are also suites themed around How to Train Your Dragon designed for children.The hotel also has a gym, a game room, and a store, along with the Flora Taverna full-service restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also a coffee shop called Aurora Market. There is also a rooftop lounge called Bar Helios that will offer drinks, food, and 360-degree views of Epic Universe. Of course, there is a pool as well, featuring underwater speakers, cabanas, a hot tub, and poolside movies. The pool has its own bar and grill, Lotus Lagoon, as well.Pricing for the rooms and suites at Helios was not disclosed, but it’s a safe assumption to think it won’t be cheap. Universal Helios adds to Universal’s 10 existing hotels and boosts the total number of rooms to 11,000 across all of them.
As part of this announcement, Universal also made branding changes to its hotel offerings. The Signature Collection includes Helios, Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Loews Royal Pacific, and Lowes Sapphire Falls; the Prime Value line includes Aventura, Stella Nova (coming January 2025), and Terra Luna (coming February 2025); the Value Inns and Suits, meanwhile, includes the Cabana Bay Beach and Endless Summer hotels.Universal is launching Helios and the Epic Universe as nearby rival Disney World plans its own significant updates and changes, including a drastic overhaul of Magic Kingdom.