My Honest Universal Endless Summer Surfside Review

When we took a family trip to Universal Orlando Resort, I was all about saving as much money as I could while still having a great experience. And when it came to spending money, I was much more interested in spending money on our park experiences than the hotel we were staying at.

Enter Endless Summer Surfside, a Universal Value Hotel. In general I’d seen pretty good reviews of it, and since we were spending almost all of our time IN the parks rather than at the hotel, it seemed like a great opportunity to try it out.

Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised! I thought this Universal Value Hotel actually offered a lot of…well…value. Our room was great, we enjoyed the amenities, and it was super easy to get to all the Universal Orlando parks!

It wasn’t perfect for sure (the dining honestly left a lot to be desired), but it was an overall great stay. So here’s a full review of our stay and a guide to what you can expect when you stay there!

Endless Summer Surfside Inn Overview

Endless Summer Inn & Suites is actually broken up into two different resorts: Surfside and Dockside. Surfside is the smaller resort, which means it’s more convenient to get around but also offers less amenities.

Here are the basics you need to know though:

Year Opened: 2019
Number of Rooms: 750
Rooms Available: Standard Rooms and Two Bedroom Suites
On-Site Dining: Beach Break Cafe, Sand Bar, Starbucks
Walking Distance to Parks? No

Lobby & Check-In

Bright hotel lobby with high ceilings and large windows letting in natural light, featuring a colorful octopus sculpture surrounded by round seating. Guests sit and relax near a café area in the background, adding context to the casual atmosphere described in this endless summer surfside review. — We were there during October, hence the Kraken display in the lobby for Halloween Horror Nights.

Let’s start with the first impression of the hotel: the lobby! The lobby at Endless Summer Surfside is huge and bright and airy. We arrived for our four day trip on pretty gross, rainy Orlando day, and still walking into the the lobby felt (relatively) sunny and bright.

In the lobby you’ll find the the check-in desk, Starbucks, and a ticket desk where you can get your Universal Orlando tickets printed.

And right off the lobby you’ll find a gift shop and Beach Break Cafe, the restaurant at Surfside.

The lobby also looks directly out to the pool, adding to those beachy vibes. And it’s decorated with light tones and surfing gear, of course!

Our check-in process was super easy! We were there pretty early in the day and had planned to drop our bags at luggage storage before heading to lunch, but they actually had our room ready early. The check-in staff was super friendly and made the process so easy for us.

Endless Summer Surfside Rooms

Bright hotel room with two neatly made beds, light wood floors, and blue wave patterned curtains framing a window with an outside view. Surf themed artwork hangs above the beds, reflecting the clean beachy design highlighted in this endless summer surfside review. — Our Standard Room was great! The only thing I thought was a little odd decor-wise was the bright blue and white tie-dye curtains.

Let’s talk about the rooms! There are two types of rooms you can get here: Standard Rooms and Two-Bedroom Suites.

Lots of families choose to go for two-bedroom suites because it sleeps more people, gives you more room to spread out, and includes a small table and kitchenette.

But since we were planning to spend almost all of our time in the parks and we only have 3 people in our family, we chose to go for the cheaper Standard Room.

And honestly I thought it was great!

Clean hotel room with two white beds, light wood furniture, and a wall mounted TV above a long desk with coffee setup. A sign on the wall reads "EAT SLEEP SURF" beside surf themed artwork, reinforcing the relaxed vibe featured in this endless summer surfside review — A view of our room from the window, facing the door.

We’ve stayed at Value Disney Resorts before like Pop Century, and this Value Resort at Universal was so much better! The rooms were larger and didn’t have the folding down bed which can honestly be kind of annoying. And the rooms are off interior hallways, which really cuts down on the noise!

The rooms are bright and beachy, with lots of nods to surfing. The decor is simple, and you can tell it has more of a budget feel. Example: the “closet” is basically a shelf with a curtain. But it’s cute and it does the job.

And honestly, I thought the bed was pretty comfortable! I’ve seen some people online complain about the beds here, so maybe it’s just because I was so tired. But I slept great every night here!

right hotel bathroom with a white sink and light wood vanity stocked with folded towels, next to a separate shower and bathtub area with blue and white patterned tile flooring. The clean coastal design and functional layout are highlighted in this endless summer surfside review. — I loved the tile pattern in the bathroom!

The bathroom has a one sink with a counter, and a separate room with the tub/shower combo and toilet. I always appreciate a separate toilet area, so that was great.

Overall, the room was great and I have no real complaints!

Pool & Amenities

Large outdoor resort pool with guests swimming and relaxing, surrounded by palm trees, lounge chairs, and bright orange umbrellas. Tall hotel buildings rise in the background under a soft cloudy sky, capturing the open airy feel described in this endless summer surfside review. — Enjoying the pool in the evening!

One of the big draws of Endless Summer is the huge surfboard-shaped pool in the center of the property! We had a great time swimming here. And I know lots of families appreciate that the pool never gets way too deep.

And because this is a smaller resort, I never felt like the pool was very crowded.

Because this is a Value Resort, there is no water slide. But it’s still a fun pool vibe!

Endless Summer does have other amenities too:

Fitness Center
Game Room (arcade and video games)
Universal Studios Store (I thought they had a great selection!)

Dining

One thing that I felt was lacking at Endless Summer Surfside was dining options.

There is one main restaurants here: Beach Break Cafe. And honestly? I was not that impressed with the food here.

We ate at Beach Break Cafe for breakfast a couple of mornings, and I thought it was generally fine.

However we had dinner here one night and I did not think the food was good AT ALL. It could have been what I ordered (a fish sandwich) but I was definitely not impressed. Even the pizza that my kiddo ordered wasn’t that great.

right dining area with long wooden tables and bench seating, large windows letting in natural light, and ceiling fans above. A colorful mural with a stylized wave and sunset decorates the back wall, highlighting the relaxed surf inspired atmosphere. — The seating area at Beach Break Cafe.

So while I would eat breakfast here again, if I was staying here again I would try to go elsewhere for dinner. I would definitely just take the bus to CityWalk for more dining options.

You can also get pizza delivered to your room through Surfside Pizza Delivery. We didn’t do this but it could be perfect after a long day at the parks!

Exterior of a modern hotel building with palm trees and tropical plants in the foreground, featuring a blue sign that reads "Sand Bar" above an outdoor dining area. The beachy decor and casual dining spot reflect the laid back vibe highlighted in this endless summer surfside review. — The Sand Bar is located right next to the pool.

As far as drinks go, you can get cocktails, wine, beer, smoothies, and other drinks at the Sand Bar next to the pool.

And you can get coffee and other Starbucks offerings at the Starbucks in the lobby. We’re not big Starbucks people, for this could be a game changer for those of you who are!

Theme Park Access

While there are lots of Universal Resorts with direct walking access to Universal Parks, Endless Summer Surfside is NOT one of them.

To get to all four Universal Parks (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventures, Epic Universe, and Volcano Bay) you will take a bus.

Thankfully, the bus ride is NOT long at all. Usually about 5-10 minutes. And the buses start running about one hours before the parks open.

Another great thing about Endless Summer Surfside is that the bus stop is not very crowded because of the smaller resort size.

After we were picked up one morning we went to pick people up at Endless Summer Dockside and there were SO many people at that bus stop they couldn’t even all fit on the bus!

So overall, transportation to the parks was super easy!

Overall Impressions + Pros & Cons

Overall, I was really impressed with Endless Summer Surfside! Even though it’s a Value Resort, I was impressed with the room size, the interior hallways, the gift shop, and the overall vibes of the resort.

The food left a little to be desired. But I can overlook that if I’m spending most of my time in the parks!

Endless Summer Pros

Reasonably priced, plus suites for bigger families.
Easy transportation to the parks.
Large pool!
Early Park Admission at Universal Orlando Resort parks.

Endless Summer Cons

The food was not that great.
Can’t walk to any of the parks.
Feels pretty basic.
Does not include Express Pass (some more expensive Universal Signatures hotels do).

Surfside vs. Dockside

Tall palm trees line a landscaped walkway in front of a large modern hotel building under a soft pastel sunset sky. — The view of Endless Summer Dockside from the Endless Summer Surfside bus stop.

One major question people have when considering an Endless Summer stay is should you stay at Surfside or Dockside?

I’ve only stayed at Surfside, so I can only speak to that experience. But I do know a few things about Dockside that may sway your opinion one way or the other.

Dockside is MUCH bigger than Surfside (over 2,000 rooms compared to Surfside’s 750). This means everything is going to be more crowded: the pools, the restaurants, the bus stop.

But it also means Dockside has more amenities. There are two pools at Dockside, more bars, and a larger Quick Service restaurant. And it means that the vibes at Dockside may be a little more…exciting.

I don’t think you can go wrong with either one, but the size of these two Endless Summer resorts is the main difference!

Endless Summer Surfside FAQs

How much does Endless Summer Surfside cost?

The price of a Standard Room at Endless Summer Surfside can range between $150 and $350 per night, depending on the time of year.

For a Two-Bedroom Suite, nightly prices range from $200 to $430 per night.

How long does it take to get to the Universal Parks for Endless Summer Surfside?

From Endless Summer Surfside, it takes 7 minutes to get to Universal City Walk, where you’ll access Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

It takes 12 minutes to get to Epic Universe.

It takes about 10 minutes to get to Volcano Bay.

If you are taking the Universal Buses, it may take longer to wait on the bus than you will actually spend on the bus. But it still isn’t long. Buses generally come by every 15 minutes.

Are there other restaurants near Endless Summer Surfside?

There are a few restaurants within walking distance of Endless Summer Surfside, including IHOP, a couple of Indian restaurants, a Waffle House, and more.

If you want something else to eat, you can also take the bus to Universal CityWalk for restaurants like Voodoo Doughnut, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, VIVO Italian Kitchen, and more.

Are there laundry facilities at Endless Summer Surfside?

Yes, there are self-serve laundry rooms on floors 4 and 7. It costs $3 per load of laundry.

Is Endless Summer Surfside a good hotel for my first Universal trip?

I think Endless Summer Surfside is a perfect hotel for a first trip to Universal Orlando! You’ll be spending most of your time in the parks on your first trip, so you don’t need something luxurious necessarily. And it’s still a great hotel with all the amenities you’ll need and comfortable rooms.