Two Universal Hotels: Which Is the Right Choice For You?

We first stayed at the NUO Resort Hotel prior to the opening of Universal Studios and, as mentioned, were allowed to upgrade from the standard room to the suite. NUO is China’s first homegrown luxury hotel brand and its landmark hotel, the NUO Hotel Beijing, was awarded LEED platinum-level certification for its environmental design. I was told that the NUO Resort Hotel should be similar in that regard.

In terms of distance, the NUO is just slightly further away from the park, which was a deliberate decision to create some space between the hullabaloo of Universal Studios and the hotel. Our stay at the NUO was much quieter and, dare I say, serene. Do note that we stayed there before the park had opened though.

To make up for the distance, NUO provides a shuttle bus service that runs every 15 minutes, from 11am-1pm, which brings visitors to the entrance of CityWalk. We were quite happy to walk from the resort to the park through the VIP Experience entrance – a perk of staying at either hotel, along with early park admission.

At NUO, our suite had large windows that offered a fabulous view of the park. We stayed up to see how late the lights of Super Silly Fun Land stay illuminated, and in the daytime, could see the Decepticoaster making its dizzying turns, but thankfully heard no screams of delight or terror.

We ate the buffet breakfast at Café Royal, which was very good with even better service. I mean, they served two different kinds of bacon – soft and crispy – to please everyone! The manager himself made a cup of off-the-menu hot chocolate for my son. Kids between the ages of 3 to 11 enjoy a special price for the buffet breakfast.

With 400 rooms, a pool, and a spa (where you should prepare to pay through the nose for a massage), the NUO feels more like an intimate and relaxing getaway compared to the sprawling Grand Hotel, which has neither of those facilities but holds twice as many rooms and is poised for way more action.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel the day before the Grand Opening of Universal Studios, which, as you might imagine, meant much larger crowds and a lot more commotion.

Truth be told, the Grand is probably always buzzing with activity, considering it is positioned between CityWalk and the entrance of Universal Studios so that you can look right into the park.

We stayed in a standard room on the fifth floor of the East wing. It was clean and adequate, but the view of the neighboring building’s rooftop left much to be desired. The room proudly displayed a mural of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, and screenshots from Jurassic World so you feel safe under the watchful eye of raptor-whisperer Chris Pratt. Unfortunately, it sounded like Pratt and his raptors were out hunting in the Grand Hotel that night, as loud thumping footsteps kept me up till late.

We grabbed a bite at the Red Dragon Lounge, an experience that reminded me why we shouldn’t expect to have a proper meal at a place with “lounge” in its name. The best thing I can say is that they were very obliging and accommodated my son’s request for a cold-cut platter even though it was off-menu. Breakfast at The Lotus Garden was a lot better, though there was only one choice of bacon. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to see the Despicable Me characters greet us with hearty waves at the door and happily pose for photographs with guests.

One last note of comparison, the Kids Club. In both hotels, they were rather small, but the Grand Hotel’s had a more kid-friendly atmosphere, maybe because there were actually kids hanging out. It was packed with toys and games and there were at least three staff members ready to play. Plus, there’s even a schedule of activities running every hour from 9am-6pm, some of them free and others beginning at RMB 50. Both Kids Club will put movies (can you guess which studios’?) on as a fallback for keeping your kids entertained, but hands down, the Grand Hotel wins in this respect.

All in all, if you’re looking to enjoy Universal Studios but want to return to a tranquil space to recuperate, the NUO Resort Hotel is the one you want. But if you want to be in thick of it and just steps away from all the action of the park and CityWalk, then the Universal Studios Grand Hotel is the one for you.

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