Epic Universe's First Hotel Is Now Open, And The First Guests Have Some Strong Opinions

Universal Orlando Resort’s new Epic Universe theme park doesn’t open for a few more months, but the countdown is officially underway. Alongside the brand new theme park, Universal Orlando is opening three new resort hotels, and the first of them, Universal Stella Nova Resort, has now had its first guests stay overnight.

By and large, the new resort appears to be a hit with most guests, though there are clearly those standard bugs to be worked out, and at least one very strange, but possibly unique, issue that has popped up. Over on the social media network formerly known as Twitter, The Resort Ratings gave it’s standard pros/cons look and while there were certainly some issues, by and large things look good at Stella Nova.

Stella Nova is one of Universal Orlando’s newest Value resorts, a hotel a bit on the cheaper side, with rooms running less than $200 a night on average. Universal has made this sort of property a focus of late, the Dockside Inn & Suites, the last new Universal Orlando hotel, is also a value property.

As such, it’s not going to be the most luxurious stay, though that’s by design. The food and drink, looking at the available menus, is pretty standard grub, and while it doesn’t look to be blowing anybody away, theme park reporter Carly Cramanna has found some stuff she really likes.

But while there have been some strong positive responses coming out of the first night at Stella Nova, not every response has been good. Universal News Today’s initial impressions are entirely negative, with complaints about the soundproofing in the walls, the sheets, and some of the fixtures not being fully functional.

However, the strangest response to Stella Nova has come from a YouTuber who has complained about an unusual sound that seems to be the result of rain hitting the side of the hotel. While some of the replies indicate that this is not an issue in every room, it’s certainly noticeable in the brief video included in the post.

The post suggests that the noise may be the result of rain hitting the reflective metal panels that completely encompass the hotel. It's unclear if that's what's happening. The reflective panels give the hotel a unique look which may not be optimum in rain but is incredible in sunlight.

Most of these issues, to the extent they are issues, will almost certainly be dealt with quickly. These guests do appear to be the first the hotel has seen, there was little or no preview of the hotel, so it's understandable, if a bit frustrating, if things aren't perfect.

Universal Orlando's transportation bus system, in my experience, has always been pretty solid, far better than the Walt Disney World bus system, so the reports of it being a problem are, one certainly hopes, a temporary issue caused by the fact that the route is new.

Any water issues are likely the result of the pipes not being used before. Lights being out can certainly be replaced.

The fact that the sheets are not great is potentially a more serious issue. A comfortable bed in a necessity before a long day at Universal Orlando, and if the soundproofing of the hotel is less than amazing, the bed becomes all the more important.

Reviews of Stella Nova will likely be mirrored when Universal’s Terra Luna Resort opens. The sister hotel is located right next door and is largely identical to Stella Nova save some theming differences. Terra Luna is scheduled to open in March.

Things will change in a big way when the Helios Grand Hotel opens. This will be the flagship of the Epic Universe hotels, which will actually be attached to the brand-new theme park, giving guests a dedicated entrance. Expectations for that hotel will likely be higher, as so is the per-night price tag.

The Helios Grand is set to open alongside the opening of Epic Universe itself, which is set for May 22. Tickets for Epic Universe are available now, though only as part of Universal Orlando vacation packages.