Dockside Inn & Suites Reviews

Universal Dockside Inn Reviews

If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel option for your trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, then this Dockside Inn & Suites Hotel Review is for you. We booked a 5-night stay at this hotel and learned all the pros and cons that come with staying here. Overall, we were very happy with the available amenities, but we do have some tips to make your stay more enjoyable.

Dockside Inn & Suites Reviews

Dockside Inn & Suites Hotel is one of two budget-friendly Universal hotels in Orlando, Florida. Its sister hotel, Surfside Inn & Suites, is located across the street. Dockside is one of the newest hotels in the Universal family (they opened in December 2020) which means everything is fairly fresh and updated. It is located less than 2 miles from Universal Studios and Volcano Bay. This hotel has several amenities, giving you access to 2 pools, a game room, and several food and beverage options.

Dockside Inn and Suites Check in and Check Out Time

You can check in to your room at Dockside Inn and Suites anytime after 4 p.m. Check out time is 11 a.m. Like most hotels, you can call ahead and see if you can check in earlier or out later. This will typically depend on how many rooms they have available during your stay.

Parking at Dockside Inn and Suites

If you are driving to the hotel, parking costs $15 per day for guests. If you are flying in for your vacation, it is about 15 miles from the Orlando Airport.

Dockside Inn and Suites Shuttle

There is a shuttle that runs to and from the airport and hotel for about $40 per person round trip. You will have to plan ahead and book the shuttle BEFORE your flight arrives if you plan on using this option.

You can also take the city bus, a taxi, Lyft, or Uber. Keep in mind that the price for ride shares does fluctuate based on the day and time that they are transporting you.

Dockside Inn & Suites Hotel Rooms

There are two types of rooms that you can choose from at Dockside Inn & Suites. The standard room has 2 queen-sized beds and a mini-fridge. The 2-bedroom suites have 1 room with 2 queen-sized beds and the 2nd room with 1 queen-sized bed. This unit also has a kitchenette area along with a picnic table to eat at.

Room prices do fluctuate based on the time of year and week that you book your stay. The following pictures are of the standard room that my husband and I stayed in during our trip.

The key card to open your room door will also turn on your lights. Slide the card into the holder just inside the room to gain the ability for the lights to remain on for more than a few minutes. If you do not place the card into the holder, the lights will only stay on for a short period of time before turning off again. This is an excellent way for the hotel to save on electricity (no leaving lights on all day when you leave the room) and to help you keep track of your room key!

Dockside Inn & Suites Restaurants

There are several options available to quench your thirst and hunger onsite. We mainly utilized the Pier 8 Market and were happy to see the variety of affordable options there. Most meals were under $12 and came with an adequate amount of food.

Bonus tip: If you are torn between choosing a side, you get more French fries and tater tots than onion rings. They even give you a free dessert or pastry item on your birthday!

Starbucks

In the main lobby, there is a Starbucks across from the check-in desk. This is a great spot to get a pick-me-up to get you through a non-stop day of fun. Like other Starbucks, you can order drinks, sandwiches, and other snacks on the go. This stop is open daily from 6 am-10 pm.

Pier 8 Market

Pier 8 Market is the main restaurant on site to get food. They have several different counters that you can order from depending on the type of food you want to order. Each counter has different offerings such as pizza, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and soup. You can also select a smoothie and get ice cream from one of the machines here. Breakfast is served from 7 am- 11:30 am and Lunch and Dinner are from 11:30 am – 10 pm.

There is also an area full of grab-and-go items. This area is open from 7 am- 11 pm. Just like inside the parks, you can pay for a refillable cup so you can have unlimited drinks in the hotel during your stay. The reusable cup in the park is different from the refillable cup in the hotels.

Dockside Pizza Delivery

You can order pizza and fried chicken along with salads, desserts, and drinks to your room through this service any day from 4 p.m. to midnight. Just push the convenient “pizza” button on the hotel phone in your room. You can also choose to place a pick-up order through the website and your pizza will be waiting for you at Pier 8 Market. This service is available each day from 11:30 a.m.- 11 p.m.

Sunset Lounge

The Sunset Lounge is a bar around the corner from the Starbucks in the main Lobby. They offer an array of alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy at the bar itself, in the privacy of your room, or while walking around the rest of the hotel. Their hours of operation are every day from 4 p.m. to midnight.

Dockside Inn & Suites Hotel Pool Bars

There are 2 different pool bars onsite: one at each pool. The Oasis Beach Bar is located at the pool by Tower 1 (North Tower) and is typically open on Thursdays from 3:30-10 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Wave Runners Pool Bar can be found at the pool by Tower 2 (South Tower) and is open every day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Both bars offer beer, cocktails, and other cold refreshing drinks like smoothies.

Dockside Inn & Suites Hotel Amenities

If you choose to stay at Dockside Inn & Suites, there is no shortage of hotel amenities to keep you busy. Have fun in the pools, fitness center, or game room. You can even get some of your shopping done at the onsite Universal Studios store so there’s less to carry back from the parks.

Universal Studios Store

The Universal Studios Store is just off of the lobby for your ease and enjoyment and is open daily from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. One important thing to know is that the price of the items is the same at any and all of the Universal Stores. This means if there is an item that you want, you can purchase it with confidence that you are not going to find it cheaper at a different store. However, each store does carry different items and new inventory is put out every day.

Dockside Inn & Suites Pool Hours

There are two pools at Dockside Inn & Suites, one by each tower. The South Tower pool is open every day and the North Tower is open Thursdays from 3:30-10 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Each pool has an abundance of pool chairs and towel stations for your enjoyment. Neither pool was more than 5 feet at the deepest part.

Fitness Center

On the first floor of the North Tower, otherwise known as Tower 1, is the fitness center. This is where you can get your workout in each day between the hours of 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

Game Room

The game room is open each day from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and is full of arcade-type games for your enjoyment. There is no fee to enter, but be aware that the games are pay-to-play.

Laundry Room

If you need to do laundry during your stay, there are laundry rooms available in each Tower on the third, sixth, and ninth floors.

Ice and Vending Machines

Ice Machines are located on every floor of the hotel for your convenience. Vending machines for late-night snacks and drinks can be found on the third, sixth, and ninth floors of each tower.

Universal Hotel Bonuses

There are a few perks if you choose to stay at one of the Universal Hotels that definitely make it worth the stay.

Early Admission to Universal Parks

If you stay at this hotel, you do get early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Volcano Bay waterpark. We took advantage of the lighter crowds so we could use our interactive wands at the different stations and the shorter wait times on the rides.

Check out our other Harry Potter World Tips to make the best of your vacation!

Free Shuttles to the Universal Parks

Take advantage of the free shuttles between the parks and hotel. They run non-stop starting 1 hour before Early Admission begins until City Walk closes each night. Parking costs $30 per day at the park, so using the free shuttle service will save you a ton of time and money.

Universal Vacation Planning Services and More

Just inside the main lobby doors to your right is the vacation planning services desk. This is where you can go to purchase, upgrade, or pick up your Universal tickets. They can also help answer any questions you may have about your vacation.

Inside the hotel, there is also a car rental desk, luggage service, and a locker area to make sure all your needs are met during your stay.

Pros of Staying at Dockside Inn

• Dockside Inn & Suites has a “Chat Your Service” program, which lets you make requests via text messages. This means you never have to stress over calling the front desk to speak to a live person if you don’t want to.
• Dockside Inn & Suites opened fairly recently (in Dec of 2020) and are in great shape with newer technology installed. It does not feel like a budget hotel!
• Early Admission is great if you are a Harry Potter fan. Take advantage of smaller crowds to cast your spells and appreciate all of the details in the Wizarding World.
• Free and short shuttle rides to and from the Universal Parks. It was an amazingly short shuttle ride to and from the parks which saved a ton of travel time and made it easy to run back to the hotel for naps and meals. The ride was typically 15 min, and the shuttles came and went seemingly nonstop.  

Cons to Staying at Dockside Inn

• If you have a vehicle it does cost $15 a day for parking.
• Be aware that you do get charged for making calls outside the hotel. It is a substantial fee even if it’s within the city or state. Remember to only use your cell phone when making calls or reservations.
• There is no complimentary shuttle to and from the airport. To use the shuttle it cost us $40 per person, roundtrip.

Tips for Having a Better Stay at Dockside Inn & Suites

• Bring a static noise machine or use an app on your phone if you are a sensitive sleeper. This will block out most of the noises in neighboring rooms or the hallway as people come and go to the parks or City Walk.
• Buy the Refillable Cup in the restaurant on-site. It is a great deal and we used it frequently to stay hydrated before and after returning to the hotel.  It also saves you from standing in line to pay each time you want a drink.
• There is a microwave available in the Pier 8 Market by the soda machines. You can heat up leftovers or snacks that you brought from home (like popcorn) to help save money on food.
• I do not recommend booking the shuttle to get back to the airport. Our assigned shuttle drove right by us and it was stressful trying to figure out what was happening. We were told to wait 15 more minutes before the company would be contacted. The company then said we would need to find our own ride and we could ask for a refund once we got back home. We ended up catching a different shuttle and noticed that if people weren’t out front at the pick-up time, the bus left right away. This is a time that Uber or Lyft will most likely be a better option.
• For the best price, book your rooms in the off-season or during the weekdays. This is one of many low-budget travel tips to help you save money so you can go on more vacations.

Dockside Inn & Suites Reviews– Our Quick Thoughts

When my husband and I travel, we rarely spend time in the place we sleep at night. This means we typically stay at bare-bones facilities or at campgrounds. At Dockside Inn & Suites, we didn’t mind returning to the hotel for naps, pool time, and the occasional meal. Our main complaint was the thin walls which we quickly fixed by playing static noise from our phones when we wanted to rest.

We found this hotel to be an amazing deal for the price. It surpassed my expectations for an amusement park ‘budget hotel’.  We have stayed at budget Disney hotels and frankly, we were not expecting our stay to be this nice. We loved the many food options onsite, including access to dairy-free options for Danny who is lactose intolerant. Many of the meals offered a decent amount of food which can be hard to find at tourist locations. I highly recommend this hotel if you are trying to plan your Universal Studios vacation on a budget!

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