Universal Stella Nova Resort — Hotel in Oak Ridge

I had quite a weird experience staying at this hotel. I am a planner, and I had done ample research about this hotel even though it had just opened, I had found videos of what they expected the hotel to look like (spot on by the way, it's a gorgeous hotel.) and the experiences the hoped to create, however that's where I feel it fell short. We had made our reservations because we came out for our honeymoon! It was our first time in Florida, and our first time going to universal! When making the reservation it had asked for the occasion with one of the answers fittingly being for a honeymoon! (Let me preface with I don't think anyone owes us anything just because we got married, i mean it's nothing special statistically , people get married every day.) So I had expected them to make sure everything was clean and as fresh as it could be since it was at least special for us...NOPE! We got to our hotel room and there was yellow build up in spots in the shower, short hairs found throughout the bathroom, and a few small items left behind from the previous guest. (Also when reserving the room it asks if you need early check in, which we did, but they did not follow through on that. At the time they had said it was so they had time to clean, but when we got there well... that didn't seem to be the case.) I will say though, the luggage desk people are a God sent, because we could at least drop off our luggage and go straight to the park while we waited for our room to be ready. Anyway, so we get back that night after the park and I'm expecting a clean room and maybe a small note that says congrats, but instead we had to immediately clean the bathroom. We then go down to the bar to grab a drink and tell the bar attendant in a light hearted manner what we saw (I even told them I wasn't upset I mean it JUST opened and they are still figuring things out.) But they had mentioned that it wasn't surprising and told me several of the other issues guests had mentioned. (Water pressure was so weak, I'm not sure it would break through paper. But other rooms didn't even have warm water for their showers.) Day 2: Front door is a revolving door, and it broke. For I think 2 or 3 days the front door just, didn't work. There are still two side doors, but it was disappointing. Also I had received a text from the hotel staff that had suggested I was checking out the following morning, got that cleared up (although i had called while at the park, and when i called the front desk number that was listed online, it had gone to like a call center instead? And at first they were not helpful and kept telling me to call front desk and then kept telling me the number that had called originally that would send me right back to them...) glad we didn't get kicked out 5 days earlier than we had reserved. Day 3: Discovered the cafe was also a Starbucks!! game changer! The pool is great, the temperature is good (even in the rain) and the hot tub was great! Although i wish it was a little larger, it got crowded fast from all the parents and couples. Day 5: I was stuck inside because I was sick (shout out to the hotel gift shop for having thermometers and meds!!) and HOLY CRAP THE FOOD!! BEST SALMON EVER!! Seriously 10/10 Only one small hiccup where our order got mixed up with someone else's and we ended up waiting an hour before asking what was up, but then they quickly served us (like less than 5 minutes) and gave us cheesecake as an apology for the inconvenience. (Huge ass slice of it and tasted GREAT!!) Day 7: Check out was easy, luggage people will hang on to your stuff even after check out so you can visit the park one final time before leaving for a late flight.

Overall I think the hotel is pretty, but I have been to smaller hotels that truly care about the quality of the rooms they provide. I think that they need to reevaluate the hotel and find time to properly train their staff. The employees were very clearly disappointed with the quality of work they were forced to provide. They wanted this place to be so good, and it's...

I recently stayed at the Stella Nova Resort, Universal’s newest hotel, and overall, it was a good experience with a few key drawbacks. The hotel has great facilities, but as a new property, it's still working out some issues. Here’s my detailed breakdown:||✔️ The Good:|✅ Comfortable Beds & Spacious Rooms – The standard room comes with two queen-size beds, which is more than enough for a family of four. The mattress was comfortable, and I had no trouble sleeping after long days at the parks.||✅ Quiet Rooms – Despite being a family-friendly hotel, I didn’t hear any noise from neighboring rooms or hallways, which was a big plus for a good night’s rest.||✅ Strong Wi-Fi – The Wi-Fi worked well throughout my stay, both in the room and common areas. Great for streaming, browsing, or getting some work done.||✅ Check-in & Check-out – The process was quick and smooth, and the staff at the front desk was friendly and helpful. No long lines or delays.||✅ Pool Area – The pool is simple but large, with plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas, making it easy for guests to relax. There’s also a poolside restaurant, which is super convenient if you want to spend the day there without having to leave for food.||✅ Safety & Security – I felt very safe throughout my stay. The hotel has good security measures in place, and the area is well-lit at night.||✅ Good Value for the Price – If the hotel improves cleaning services and maintenance, it will offer excellent value for money, especially considering the quality of its facilities and location.||✅ Family & Business-Friendly – Most guests were families, making it a great option for kids. However, I also noticed many business travelers, as the hotel is close to the convention center.||✅ Free Shuttle to Universal Parks – The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to Universal, and it runs efficiently and on time. Huge plus!||❌ The Not-So-Good:|❌ Housekeeping Issues – This was my biggest complaint. Rooms are not cleaned daily, so dust and trash can pile up quickly. I even had to call more than once to have the trash removed. They also don’t vacuum, which isn’t great for longer stays.||❌ Maintenance Problems – Since it’s a brand-new hotel, there are still some technical issues.||The bathroom light stopped working twice, even after being "fixed."|A portion of the night shades fell off, which was inconvenient but seems to be a common issue in new hotels.|❌ Lack of a Playground – While the arcade is nice, there’s not much else for kids to do at the hotel when they’re not at the parks. A small playground would be a great addition.||❌ Google Maps Location is Incorrect – Major issue for Uber/Lyft riders! Right now, the entrance is only via Destination Parkway, but Google Maps directs drivers to Universal Boulevard, which is incorrect. Until this is updated, be prepared to guide your driver manually.||🔍 Final Thoughts & Insider Tips:|If you’re staying here, definitely buy the refillable drink cup – unlimited soda and coffee throughout your stay!|Bring some cleaning wipes if you like a spotless room, as housekeeping is inconsistent.|Great for families and business travelers alike, especially with its proximity to Universal and the convention center.|The location will be amazing soon, as the hotel is right across from Universal's upcoming Epic Universe theme park!|Would I stay here again? Probably, but only if they fix the cleaning and maintenance issues. The facilities, location, and price are great, but these small problems make a difference. If they improve, this could be one of the best value hotels near Universal.||⭐ Rating:...

We changed our resort a month before our trip from Cabana Bay to Stella Nova, because I wanted to see what it was all about and staying in a new hotel for pretty much the same price seemed like a good idea. Stayed in February of 2025.||Only giving 4 star because I feel like the value wasn’t there since Epic wasn’t open during our stay. Probably should have stayed at Cabana Bay instead and avoided losing $100 worth of food card credit.||-Theming is pretty cool and we loved the stars in the hallway on the 3rd floor.||-Food at the restaurant was tasty and with the money. The Brick Chicken was delicious IMO. Our 10 year old enjoyed the cheese pizza. Waited a while for our food, but it was worth it||-Close to Epic, but it wasn’t open yet during our stay. Was cool to see the park so close by.||-It’s fairly small, so less crowded and we always got on the bus and didn’t have to wait. Way different feel than Dockside, which is the only other resort we have stayed at. Small also means smaller cafeteria, merch store, and cafe.||-Beds were comfy enough. Sheets are a little scratchy, but I was so tired that I didn’t have issues sleeping. Just go crazy at the parks and get so tired that you don’t notice. It’s a budget hotel.||-Staff was very nice during every encounter that we had.||- Had plenty of plug ins for our family of 3.||-Good size shower with a ledge for shaving your legs. No issues with hot water or anything like that.||-Good blow dryer and good smelling soap for a budget hotel.||-Couch with table was a nice touch and room doesn’t feel too small.||-Good A/C and there is a setting to run a constant fan, which helped us sleep.||-Rope Dropping - Not for people trying to get to Hagrid’s Motorbike or Islands of Adventure in general. Bus was usually right on time at 7am, but we arrived much later than other resorts and the line was over the bridge by the time we got there. So, the line for Hagrid’s was 90-120 minutes when we got through gates. It is super far from City Walk. Was a bummer for our family, but is probably good for when Epic opens. Not the hotels fault, lesson learned for us.||-Room Service - We had a 5 night stay and room service only stopped by one time and we had to ask them about it. I’m sure they would have come by sooner if we asked, but thankfully we got extra towels and TP and we were fine. Our last day at the hotel our room was nice and clean.||-Thin walls - Bring earplugs, because if you have people above you or a bunch of people walking down the hall you can easily hear them. So glad I had mine. My 10 year old slept just fine and didn’t use earplugs.||-If lights bother you, bring a sleep mask. So many blinking lights because of the cool light switches, which are automatic in some areas. Shower light turned off on me a couple of times, which just made me laugh.||Would we stay here again, maybe. I’d like to stay one night for Epic but might check the other similar hotel next time. Maybe buses will get to the other parks faster once the road and park construction is all done, but not sure it will help because the other older resorts are SO close City Walk. This is definitely a hotel for Epic...