The Guide to Universal Orlando Hotels With Express Pass

If you want to maximize your time at Universal Orlando Resort, staying at a hotel that includes free Universal Express Unlimited Passes is one of the smartest moves you can make. These passes let you skip the regular lines at most attractions — including the biggest rides like Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. If time is money, know that you'll save potentially hours of waiting in line.

When you stay at certain Universal Orlando hotels, everyone in your room gets complimentary Express Passes for each day of your visit—including check-in and check-out days. Since purchasing an Express Pass separately can cost $100 – $300 per person per day, staying at these hotels can be an incredible value.

If you were going to buy Express Passes for everyone in your group anyway, then know that — on some days — the hotel room cost can end up amounting to less than the cost of all those passes. Unless you had free lodging elsewhere or needed certain amenities like a full kitchen that these hotels can't offer, it would practically be a mistake to not stay at one of the eligible Signature Collection hotels.

The hotels that offer free Universal Express Unlimited ride access at at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure are:

• Hard Rock Hotel®.

• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.

• Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

Here’s everything you need to know about Universal Orlando hotels that come with Express Passes and how they work:

A Universal Express Pass allows you to bypass the general line for attractions when visiting Universal Orlando's first two theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. Instead, of the standard line, you'll go in a separate line with a (typically) shorter wait time. Most rides at those parks have a Universal Express line, though a few do not.

Guests from the general public can purchase one of two types of Universal Express Passes:

• Universal Express — lets you skip the general line at participating rides once per attraction.

• Universal Express Unlimited — lets you skip the general line at participating attractions as many times as you like.

The unlimited version is more expensive, given it allows you to ride as many times as you want. As a Signature Collection hotel guest, you get that fancier Express Unlimited pass.

By the way, there's also a version of Universal Express Pass for Universal Studios Hollywood on the opposite coast. Note that the pass is not valid at Volcano Bay (the water park) nor is it valid at Universal Epic Universe, the highly-anticipated park set to open on May 22, 2025.

Universal Express Unlimited Passes start at about $100 in the off-season, but they can easily hover around $350, depending on when you’re buying the pass and how busy it is in the parks.

The Universal Express Pass (which only allows you to enter the speedy lane once per ride) costs slightly less. And of course, note that these prices are just for Express Passes; park admission costs extra. Even with Universal discount tickets, expect to pay well over $100 per person for a one-day, one-park ticket (and busier days command even higher ticket prices).

» Learn more: How to travel to Orlando on points and miles

Guests staying at certain Signature Collection hotels at the Universal Orlando Resort receive a free Universal Express Unlimited Pass for each guest listed on the room. Those hotels are:

• Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando.

• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.

• Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

To gain access to the Express Pass lines, simply present a valid room key card to the ride attendant upon entering the queue.

Additionally, guests at those three hotels get early park admission, which grants park access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Volcano Bay one hour before the parks open, so you can get an extra hour of rides with limited crowds.

1. Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando is the closest property to the entrances of Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. A standard queen room for two adults and two children at this hotel can easily range from more than $500 per night plus tax to sometimes north of $1,000 during peak nights.

The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando is part of the Loews Hotels & Co hotel chain, which does not have its own hotel loyalty program.

However, you still can redeem points toward your stay if you hold certain travel credit cards. For example, you can book the hotel through Chase's travel portal in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

If you hold this card, each point is worth 1.5 cents when redeemed through the portal, which can sometimes make it a better deal to use points versus cash for a stay. If you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, then the value of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points drops to 1.25 cents apiece, which is not quite as good — but still often better than cash rates.

Another option to cover a stay at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando is by using the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to book a room directly with the hotel and then using miles to offset the charge at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

» Learn more: How many days do you need for Universal Studios in Orlando?

2. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is inspired by the Italian village of Portofino. A garden view, two-queen room here starts at just under $500 per night for quadruple occupancy and goes up well past $900 on holidays, such as New Year’s Day.

If you’re trying to save a little cash — and every bit counts — Universal’s Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is part of AmEx’s Fine Resorts + Hotels, which means that if you hold either The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can save $200 off the cash rate once per year by using your card to book a room. Terms apply.

To receive the annual hotel credit, you must book at least one night through the AmEx Travel portal and prepay for the room with one of the aforementioned cards. The credit will be issued as a statement credit within 90 days.

The additional benefits of booking a Fine Resorts + Hotels property are daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade (when available), 12 p.m. check-in and 4 p.m. checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi and a $100 food and beverage credit.

» Learn more: Is Universal Express Pass worth it?

3. Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Perhaps the most economical option among the Universal Orlando hotels with Express Pass benefits, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort is another hotel with a free Express Pass. A nightly rate for a standard two-queen room here starts at just over $400.

Because of its lower room rates on average than the first two, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort typically provides the most bang for your buck if you’re looking to maximize your rewards. If you can travel during off-peak times and book a room on the low end of the rate spectrum, you can walk away with value for days.

» Learn more: How to purchase theme park tickets with points

When you check in, every guest registered to the room will receive their own room key, which will double as their Express Pass in the park.

Simply scan the room key before entering the dedicated queue and take advantage of shorter wait times for participating rides and attractions as many times as you want for the length of your stay.

Staying at a Universal Orlando Signature Collection hotel can be a game-changer if you want to experience the parks with minimal waiting. The included Express Pass alone can offset the cost of the room, especially if you’re traveling with multiple people.

(Top photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort)