Common Orlando Resort has shared a primary have a look at Loews Helios Grand Lodge, a 500-room luxurious in-park resort overlooking Epic Universe, their third theme park in Florida that opens in 2025. This sneak peek shares idea artwork & data about visitor rooms, eating places, retail and every thing else within the upcoming lodging–together with how perks and tiers are altering with the arrival of this new property.
Epic Universe is Common Orlando Resort’s third theme park, simply down the highway from Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey, in addition to Volcano Bay Water Park. As soon as totally constructed out, the brand new theme park campus would primarily double Common Orlando Resort’s present footprint. It received’t be that large in 2025–that construct out is years, if not a long time, down the highway.
Epic Universe will transport friends to expansive worlds that includes greater than 50 experiences that embody sights, leisure, eating and procuring to create an unforgettable journey positioned at Common Orlando Resort. For a giant image overview of the whole park, see our Common’s Epic Universe Preview, which unveiled all the lands and way more. Towards that backdrop, let’s introduce Common Helios Grand Lodge, a Loews Lodge…
Helios Grand Lodge is delivered to life by the award-winning Common Artistic crew and co-owned and operated by Loews Motels & Co. The brand new luxurious resort is an impressive Mediterranean-inspired escape rising above the luxurious gardens and scenic waters of Celestial Park at Epic Universe.
Designed to mix immersion and leisure to create a lodge keep like no different, this palatial resort options tranquil sleeping lodging, entertaining facilities for the entire household to get pleasure from, divine eating choices, a surprising rooftop bar and the lodge’s very personal devoted entrance to the brand new theme park.
Bringing Common Orlando’s resort portfolio to a complete of 11 lodges and 11,000 visitor rooms, Common Helios Grand Lodge builds upon Common’s greater than three a long time of experience in world-class leisure and inventive theming – mixed with Loews Motels’ hospitality and repair excellence – to set a brand new commonplace in immersive lodge experiences.
Solely at Common Helios Grand Lodge can friends unwind within the serenity of a sunlit retreat in a single second after which inside minutes discover themselves within the coronary heart of exhilarating theme park adventures. Common Helios Grand Lodge is a lot greater than only a place to remain; it’s the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the head of Common Orlando’s lodge experiences.
As quickly as friends step into this radiant sanctuary, they are going to be transported to a fantastical world throughout the palace of Helios, the Greek god of the solar, adorned with lovely particulars of celestial patterns, dazzling constellations and chic but informal Mediterranean design parts.
By way of the foyer’s magnificent floor-to-ceiling home windows is a wide ranging vista of Celestial Park – boasting among the greatest views of Epic Universe in the whole lodge and immersing friends within the park’s brilliance by day and night time.
From the fantastically appointed sleeping rooms to the polished public areas to the distinctive facilities, Common Helios Grand Lodge gives:
Serene Visitor Rooms and Spacious Suites – Brilliant, inviting and heat, the visitor rooms and suites of Common Helios Grand Lodge evoke the tranquility of a blissful backyard – with lots of the rooms providing incredible views of Epic Universe. And distinctive to Common Helios Grand Lodge are the imaginative Practice Your Dragon Youngsters’ Suites, the place little ones can take to the skies and relaxation amongst dragons in a colourful room impressed by the Viking village of Berk.
Devoted Entrance to Common Epic Universe – Positioned off the foyer is the lodge’s devoted entrance into Epic Universe – an unparalleled amenity for friends of Common Helios Grand Lodge that gives direct, handy entry to and from the theme park (legitimate theme park admission required).
Bar Helios – A glowing and classy rooftop lounge, Bar Helios at Common Helios Grand Lodge gives a tasty menu of artistic tapas and acquainted favorites, thoughtfully-handcrafted specialty cocktails, and unmatched 360-degree views of Epic Universe and past – making this the right spot for friends to relax within the night after a busy day within the parks.
Resort-style Pool – The oasis of the zero-entry pool is the last word spot for relaxation and leisure – full with underwater audio system, poolside cabanas out there for lease, a sizzling tub, poolside motion pictures, leisure actions and extra.
Visitors of Common Helios Grand Lodge may also get pleasure from:
- a complimentary state-of-the-art health middle that includes quite a lot of energy and cardio gear;
- a recreation room for friends to blast, zap and race their approach by a group of arcade video games with the acquisition of a recreation card;
- a Common Orlando Resort Retailer for friends to buy every thing from sundries and requirements to Common Orlando merchandise; and a lot extra.
Visitors seeking to have a meal or seize a fast snack in between visits to the parks can select from quite a lot of distinctive eating choices, together with:
- Flora Taverna – a full-service restaurant providing breakfast, lunch and dinner and foyer bar with a lightweight and ethereal ambiance – that includes an open-style kitchen with reside cooking, Mediterranean consolation meals, pizza ovens, and al fresco seating overlooking the attractive surroundings of Celestial Park;
- Aurora Market – a up to date espresso store and market providing freshly-roasted coffees, pleasant grab-and-go meals gadgets and engaging snack and dessert choices from morning to nighttime;
- Lotus Lagoon – a poolside bar and grill the place friends can cool off with refreshing cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks and revel in informal fare choices like burgers, salads, sandwiches and extra.
Staying at any Common Orlando lodge is one of the simplest ways to expertise all that the vacation spot has to supply and comes with unique theme park advantages. Visitors staying at Common Helios Grand Lodge, or any of the opposite Common Orlando lodges, obtain Early Park Admission to get pleasure from choose sights on the theme parks, which is able to increase to incorporate Common Epic Universe with the park’s opening in 2025. Early Park Admission will provide as much as one hour of precedence entry earlier than the park opens with legitimate theme park admission.
Common Orlando lodge friends may also make the most of complimentary shuttle bus transportation to the theme parks and Common CityWalk, resort-wide charging privileges, complimentary merchandise supply and extra.
The addition of Common Helios Grand Lodge additionally brings three reimagined lodge classes to Common Orlando – designed to make it even simpler for friends to decide on the lodge that most closely fits their most popular model and funds:
Signature Assortment – Providing full-service facilities, distinguished service, distinctive eating and extra:
- Common Helios Grand Lodge
- Loews Portofino Bay Lodge
- Exhausting Rock Lodge
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort
- Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
Prime Worth Motels – Providing a mixture of companies and facilities made for consolation
- Common Aventura Lodge
- Common Stella Nova Resort (opening January 21, 2025)
- Common Terra Luna Resort (opening February 25, 2025)
Worth Inns and Suites – Providing enjoyable, reasonably priced choices providing commonplace rooms and spacious suites with kitchenettes.
- Common Cabana Bay Seashore Resort
- Common Limitless Summer time Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites
- Common Limitless Summer time Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
Turning to commentary, let’s begin with the perks and adjustments to lodge tiers. Followers is perhaps shocked to be taught that Common Helios Grand Lodge received’t provide Limitless Categorical Go. This has been confirmed by Common Orlando on social media: “Whereas Common Helios Grand Lodge is not going to embody Common Categorical Limitless, Visitors can make the most of different unimaginable unique theme park advantages.”
Common readers of this web site received’t be too stunned. We’ve speculated for some time that Helios Grand Lodge wouldn’t provide it or that Epic Universe wouldn’t…or each. I’d’ve guess on the latter–that no lodge would provide Limitless Categorical Go to Epic Universe. So it’s barely shocking that Helios Grand Lodge received’t provide Categorical Go in any respect, not even to Common Studios Florida or Islands of Journey.
As I’ve been saying for some time, I don’t know why Common first opted to supply Limitless Categorical Go to its Premier Motels, however my shot-in-the-dark guess is a cope with Loews to get that hotelier on board. Accordingly, I’d additionally guess that the one theme parks topic to such a contractual settlement could be those in existence on the time.
Likewise, I’ve warned followers that Common wouldn’t make the identical deal within the 2020s that it did within the late Nineteen Nineties, which is exactly why Sapphire Falls doesn’t provide Categorical Go. Common Orlando is now already established as a bona fide theme park heavy hitter, and there’s no want to dangle such a park to get a dedication from Loews. The hotelier couldn’t get a sweetheart deal this time–it’s Common with the leverage now.
As soon as once more, the error followers proceed to make is assuming that Common is any completely different than Disney as a enterprise. It feels essential to reiterate this, as a result of there’s this misguided notion that Common is extra guest-focused than Walt Disney World. The concept Comcast, of all firms, cares about shoppers and gives higher worth, perks, or no matter out of the kindness of its coronary heart is ludicrous.
Truthfully, I’m pleasantly stunned right here that Early Park Admission is being expanded to Epic Universe. I wouldn’t essentially have guess on that (Helios Grand getting the perk on the present parks appeared like a given), and anticipated that Common Orlando would as a substitute attempt to monetize early entry in the identical approach they do at Tremendous Nintendo World in Hollywood. So that could be a small victory on the very least.
One other shock to me is that Sapphire Falls is shifting as much as the highest tier. We actually like Sapphire Falls, and felt that it punched above its weight with its categorization earlier than. Nonetheless, I additionally suppose it’s effectively beneath the opposite choices in that high tier. Extra importantly, it’s the one one of many currently-operating present lodges that doesn’t provide Limitless Categorical Go at Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey.
So there’s the query of whether or not Sapphire Falls is getting Limitless Categorical Go for the primary two parks, or the others are dropping it? I believe the latter situation is the extra doubtless of the 2–maybe phrases of Loews’ deal got here up for renewal or Common was capable of renegotiate with the addition of Epic Universe.
One other fully believable situation is that Sapphire Falls is being bumped as much as the highest tier with none adjustments–it received’t provide Limitless Categorical Go and the opposite present lodges (Portofino Bay, Exhausting Rock, and Royal Pacific) received’t lose it. Once more, Helios Grand Lodge received’t provide Categorical Go in any respect, in order that wouldn’t be an enormous shock.
Nonetheless, it’s going to make for an odd classification if three of the lodges within the high tier provide Limitless Categorical Go however the two latest–together with what I assume goes to be the flagship lodge of Common Orlando in Helios Grand–don’t provide it. Limitless Categorical Go is the defining amenity provided by the highest tier resorts, so it’ll be odd if some have it and others don’t. However it additionally wouldn’t shock me if Common desires extra choices in that high tier for the sake of promoting.
It additionally wouldn’t shock me if the unique three high tier lodges retain Limitless Categorical Go for now, however lose it in some unspecified time in the future within the subsequent few years. If my assumption about this being a contractual cope with Loews is appropriate–and Common couldn’t or didn’t renegotiate–that’ll presumably expire in some unspecified time in the future down the highway. I can’t think about the perk present in perpetuity–even within the Nineteen Nineties, it’s not like Loews had that a lot leverage.
As for the themed design of Common Helios Grand Lodge, I prefer it! The outside appears to me just like the unusual love-child of Disney’s Riviera Resort and Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, however with extra artifice and a focus to element so it’s not so boxy. I do suppose that Walt Disney World followers nonetheless would’ve complained if this had been the looks of Riviera Resort, however not as loudly.
Nonetheless, not practically nearly as good as Portofino Bay, which stays the high-water mark for themed resorts at Common Orlando. In fact, it’s additionally a product of a special period. Visitor preferences have modified since then, and so too have each Common’s and Disney’s approaches to themed lodge design.
Common Helios Grand Lodge appears higher than Disney’s Riviera Resort (not fairly as ‘worth engineered’), and there’s additionally the fact that Common and Disney are held to completely different requirements. I’ll be the primary to confess that I do that, and I do know most of you do too, judging by how a lot of a move Common will get for the issues followers would excoriate Disney over.
The pool likewise appears good, which isn’t an enormous shock since Common Artistic and Loews have accomplished a incredible job with pool complexes at lots of the present resorts. It’s most likely honest to say that Common lodges, on common, outdo Disney from the attitude of swimming pools. The swimming pools at Exhausting Rock and Portofino Bay are my private favorites, however there are a number of nice ones. (Cabana Bay will be good, but it surely’s typically packed.)
The visitor rooms at Common Helios Grand Lodge look positive. The Practice Your Dragon suites are enjoyable, and I’m certain households will love them. No criticism there.
The common rooms, although, are surprisingly bland. The usual rooms additionally look very small. Nothing about these say ‘luxurious lodge’ or ‘flagship resort’ to me. It as a substitute appears like Common wished to cram as many rooms into as small of a footprint as potential.
I don’t see a lot daylight between these and the opposite rooms that Common has accomplished within the final a number of years (new rooms and redone ones on the present resorts). Possibly I’m lacking one thing, however I don’t see a lot to separate the rooms at Common Helios Grand Lodge from Sapphire Falls. Maybe that’s why the latter has moved up into the highest tier?
Similar goes for the bars, markets, eating places and different frequent areas. These look similar to what we’ve seen accomplished by Common Artistic within the final decade–every thing post-Cabana Bay, which does have a definite model.
That’s completely positive for the decrease tier resorts, as these frequent areas are approach higher than their counterparts at similarly-situated Walt Disney World resorts. However Common Helios Grand Lodge is presumably drawing comparisons to the Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World, and people aren’t practically as favorable. Even Disney’s Riviera Resort or Gran Destino Tower (the latter being a Reasonable Resort) appears extra bold on the within.
In fact, these are all first impressions based mostly on idea artwork launched for Common Helios Grand Lodge. However I do suppose it’s form of odd that a number of items of artwork had been showcased for bland bars and markets. These all look very same-y, and definitely don’t promote me on Helios Grand Lodge. The one of many bar overlooking Epic Universe undoubtedly does…and maybe that view and site are all that’s wanted. This lodge will most likely promote itself with its proximity to Epic Universe.
Want journey planning suggestions and complete recommendation on your go to to Central Florida? Make certain to learn our Common Orlando Planning Information for every thing about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally try our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Information for every thing about these parks, resorts, eating places, and a lot extra. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and way more, join our FREE electronic mail publication!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Common Helios Grand Lodge? Impressed by the model or substance? What do you consider the outside vs. inside? Will you guide Common Helios Grand Lodge, or persist with one of many present resorts? Assume Epic Universe will likely be a 3rd gate that’s a worthy addition to Common Orlando Resort…and doubtlessly on par with Disney’s greatest lands? Agree or disagree with our evaluation that a lot of the inside appears too much like Common’s new lower-tier resorts? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share another ideas or questions you’ve got within the feedback beneath!
