Universal’s Aventura Hotel NOW OPEN!

Universal’s Aventura Hotel opened August 15, 2018 and I was able to experience a bit of the hotels amenities during its first weekend.

This new hotel has a modern style and is within walking distance of Universal’s Volcano Bay and offers great views of all three Universal Orlando theme parks.

The lobby area is very stark and minimalist with concrete floors and modern furniture. Once you pass the check-in desk there is a lobby bar, barVentura, lounge seating area, Starbucks, and a quick service dining area, Urban Pantry. There is also a Universal store on the left and barVentura even offers a phone charging station while you enjoy a beverage!

Universal’s Aventura Hotel also offers a roof top bar, Bar 17 Bistro, which opens at 4 pm. To access the roof top you will need a Team Member to assist you with the express elevator, which will only take you to the 17th floor. Currently there is a host stand outside the elevator but if you don’t find anyone there, just see the front desk or Concierge for assistance.

Bar 17 Bistro sits on the left side of the roof top area and the right side offers space for private events. The bar area is also all concrete floors with modern eclectic seating arrangements and is open air. It did get quite windy while we were there, I can only imagine when it rains… And, during this time of year, one whole side of the bar area is in the sun (and heat). When we arrived, only one side of the bar was being used because no one wanted to sit on the sunny/hot side.

The views were amazing and, since there was not a private event the evening we were there, we were able to check out the views from there as well.

The menu, which is not the same at the bar as online (they have paper menus printed and we were told to not use the online menu) is an offering of small plates, featuring urban international flavors as well as classic options, and is served family style. I was with a few friends and we shared the Meat & Cheese Board, Bao Buns (you select 3 from a list of 8 options), Shrimp (which is not on the online menu, so I cannot remember the exact name of this dish) and Wagyu Beef Sliders. Everything was prepared well and we all enjoyed our selections.

As for drinks, while they do offer some specialty themed cocktails, we all ordered beer and wine so I don’t have anything to share… However, I can share that they use all plastic ware for beverages, including wine glasses, and the plates are all plastic as well. Only the silverware was “real” with paper napkins.

If you are looking for a spot to get away from the parks and just enjoy the view, Bar 17 Bistro is your spot!

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