Is Club Level Worth It at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando?

Is the club level at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando worth it for your family?  On one hand you think, NO it’s way too expensive!  But on the other hand, it may be worth the extra cash?  Here is some helpful information on the club level experience at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, and what you may want to consider when making your decision on which room to book.

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What is Club Level at Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel and an Overview of Checking In to the Resort

The club level at the Hard Rock Hotel is called the Rock Royalty Level and the benefits start as soon as you arrive at the hotel.

There is a special check in counter for guests staying on the Rock Royalty Level, but you can check into your room at any of the counters.

You will get a lot of information during check in, so it may be helpful to have someone else with you to listen to all the important info.

The benefits of staying on the Rock Royalty Level will be explained at check in.  You will hear about the lounge that you have access to, and there should be a current menu listing the food that will be served in the lounge for the guests.

Everyone staying in your room will receive their own room key with their name and dates of their stay on it.  This key is also your express pass to skip the lines at most attractions in the parks.  You can read more about the express pass benefit here.  This is what we use in the parks to hold our express passes (click on photo for a direct link to the case on Amazon) –

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A sticker that designates you are staying on the Rock Royalty Level will be placed onto every key.  This is the sticker that you will have to show to enter the Rock Royalty Lounge and also show at the lounge bar that is serving the complimentary beer and wine.  In other words, don’t lose this key!  We use these waterproof cellphone cases to hold our key, cash, and cell phone both in the park and when we are walking around at the Hard Rock.

During check in you will be shown a map of the property and the highlights will be pointed out.  Don’t worry if you feel lost, once you walk around, you’ll quickly get the lay of the land and there are signs everywhere pointing you in the right direction.

Once you have finally finished checking in and are feeling a little overwhelmed and really ready to visit the Rock Royalty Lounge, it’s time to find your room.  You will immediately feel a little less stressed once you find out that a Hard Rock Hotel employee will be escorting you to your room.  The employee will fill you in on how you need to swipe your room key inside the elevator to access the 7^th floor….otherwise known as the Rock Royalty Level.  You now have the chance to ask all of your questions that you are suddenly remembering, and you’ll get a tour of the seventh floor.  They will explain the rules of the lounge and when there are food and snacks available.

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The Hard Rock Hotel employee will let you into your room and give you a little tour in there as well.  There is also plenty of Universal Orlando parks info on the television and on the printed info in the room.

Once they leave you on your own in your room, it’s time to relax….or is it time to check out the snacks in the lounge?

Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando’s Club Level Lounge and the Food

The lounge is always open from 7:00 am thru 10:00 pm, but there isn’t always food available.  The continental breakfast is available from 7:00-10:00 am, afternoon snacks are from 12:00–3:00 pm, the evening reception is from 5:00-7:00 pm, and bed time snacks are served 8:30-9:30 pm.

The biggest timesaver is having the continental breakfast available before you go to the parks.  There really aren’t many quick breakfast options in CityWalk or in the parks for breakfast. Your best bet at CityWalk is VooDoo Donuts or grabbing something at Starbuck’s in the park   So, a quick breakfast at the lounge is the easiest.

Breakfast offerings were cups of cold cereal, hot cereal, assorted pastries, fruit, toast, bagels, juice, coffee and milk.  The afternoon recharge usually included snack mixes, cheese, and crackers.  The evening reception was heavy hors d’oeuvres, veggies and dip, cheeses, typical party food.  Beer and wine is also served in the evening.  The evening menu was usually displayed a few hours before service began.

Don’t forget to pack our favorite Universal Orlando book for your trip:

There was a very good variety of beer and wine each evening.  They served a few different champagne cocktails too.

I saved the best for last….the bed time snacks!  We had so many goodies after a busy day at the parks.  They served make your own sundaes, assorted cookies and milk, and other small desserts.  The selection was different every night.  Either get there so you are first in line, or wait a little while before getting your snacks since there is usually quite a line.

There were always bottles of water and soda available, as well as coffee in the lounge.  Grab a couple of bottles of water before you head to the park to save a little money.  Just don’t open the bottles until you get into the park.

There is a coffee machine in the lounge that promises you all kinds of flavored coffee drinks and hot chocolate.  I was really excited to try this, but it ended up being a major disappointment.  The drinks did not taste good at all.  Rooms on the Rock Royalty Level do have Keurig coffee machines, and don’t hesitate to ask for more coffee if you run out.

One bad thing about staying on the Rock Royalty Level was the mess in the hallway from people leaving their dirty dishes outside their door.  It’s not too difficult to bring your dishes back to the lounge and put them in the plastic bins, but guests seemed to think their arms would fall off if they did that.  At least housekeeping was around during the day to pick things up fairly quickly.

You will always want to bring your room key with you to the lounge in case there is an attendant at the entrance.  They will ask to see the sticker on the key.  If you are getting the evening beer and wine, you will need to show your key when you order.

If there is an attendant sitting at the entrance desk, they can help you during your stay.  They are your personal concierge and are available to answer questions and help you with your requests, such as, reservations or cabana rentals.

One final benefit to staying on the club level at the Hard Rock is that you get discounted rates on poolside cabanas.  Check with the lounge concierge or down at the pool for more info.

How to Decide if the Rock Royalty Level is Worth it for Your Family

The biggest benefit to staying on any hotel’s club level is the complimentary food.  If your family will be around the resort most days  during food service, than club level may be worth it.  Keep in mind that eating at Universal’s restaurants or the Resort’s restaurants typically come with higher than average prices.

If your family wants to get to the parks early in the morning, grabbing breakfast in the lounge is key to saving that precious time and getting to Diagon Alley before everyone else.

If your family drinks a lot of soda or bottled water, factor this into your cost savings because soda and water is provided all day in the lounge.  You can also grab a couple of extra bottles and stash them in your room fridge.

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If this is your first time visiting Universal Orlando, and you have a lot of questions, having the personal concierge in the lounge can be priceless.  You can also press the concierge button on your room’s phone for assistance.

If you enjoy an evening drink, or two, relaxing after a busy day with the complimentary beer, wine, and champagne cocktails can save you some serious cash that you would be spending at one of the bars downstairs.

One benefit that you may not realize, is that club level guests have access to the lounge on your day of departure until 2:00 pm.

If you’ve earned some credit card rewards, or are cashing in points for your stay, why don’t you treat yourself to club level without having to pay out your hard earned cash.

Here is a price comparison from the Hard Rock Hotel’s website for a Wednesday night stay on March 17, 2021

• Standard room $519
• Pool view room $569
• Deluxe two queen room $634
• Club level room $679

And here is a comparison for a Saturday night stay on June 5, 2021

• Standard room $514
• Pool view room $569
• Deluxe two queen room $619
• Club level room $669

One last club level benefit to factor in when deciding if it’s worth it is the convenience.  It’s so nice to just run down the hall and grab a snack or something to drink.  Just imagine getting back to your hotel room after a long day of walking around the parks, you’re exhausted, and suddenly your kids start saying how hungry they are….

Here is some more info to help you plan your trip:

• 10 Things to Do Before You Visit Universal Orlando
• 40 Tips on How to Skip the Lines, Avoid the Crowds, and Save Money at Universal Orlando
• Hard Rock Hotel – A Complete Guide to the Resort, Rooms, Pool, Park Benefits, and Tips
• Read the latest Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando reviews on TripAdvisor.