Helios Grand Lodge is the recent hotel inside of Epic Universe, with perspectives overlooking the 3rd theme park at Common Orlando. This overview options room footage & video, a take a look at not unusual spaces & facilities, plus the professionals & cons of staying at the most recent in-park lodging and whether or not it’s definitely worth the splurge.
Common Helios Grand Lodge is a 500-room, full-service resort positioned in Common Orlando’s top-tier “Signature Assortment” along Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, Arduous Rock Lodge, Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, and Loews Sapphire Falls Hotel. The primary 3 lodges on that listing are the legacy deluxe accommodations, which provide limitless Categorical Move with remains, amongst different issues. Neither the new-ish Sapphire Falls nor Helios Grand Lodge be offering limitless Categorical Move.
As with the opposite accommodations at Common Orlando, Helios Grand Lodge is a collaboration–designed by way of Common Inventive and operated by way of Loews Resorts. The brand new resort is ostensibly a Mediterranean-inspired hotel, with astronomical and mythological motifs. Helios Grand Lodge rises above the luxurious gardens and scenic waters of Celestial Park at Epic Universe, and is designed as a “palatial” hotel. The resort has a cosmos-inspired rooftop bar and the resort’s personal devoted front into Epic Universe as its primary options.
Helios Grand Lodge will definitely make a powerful first impact on maximum visitors, me incorporated. Whilst you stroll during the entrance front, you’re right away attracted to the forget on the different finish of the foyer that boasts giant perspectives into Epic Universe. All over the resort, each and every excessive level is the proximity to the park. The perspectives into Epic Universe are spectacular and thrilling, particularly in the event that they’re whetting your urge for food for a primary consult with to Epic Universe.
Helios Grand Lodge is being described by way of Common Orlando because the “crown jewel” of Epic Universe, which is comprehensible given its location emerging above the park. It’s necessarily the point of interest from round Celestial Park and, accordingly, chances are you’ll be expecting this to be the flagship resort at Common Orlando, similar to Lodge MiraCosta at Tokyo DisneySea or the Grand Californian at Disneyland Hotel.
Now not such a lot. Its in-park location is the one factor Helios Grand Lodge has in not unusual with the ones flagship accommodations.
Sadly, there’s no there there in a thematic sense with Helios Grand Lodge whenever you get previous a couple of cool main points. On its floor, it appears to be like and looks like Common’s tackle the kind of resort tower you’d in finding in Las Vegas. There are actually magnificent lodges with overwhelming and ostentatious design in Las Vegas.
Whilst the Las Vegas comparisons are going to be evident and plentiful, Helios Grand Lodge does now not measure as much as any of the ones homes when it come to lavishness. Nor does it have the slate of options and facilities visitors may just be expecting from an upscale Las Vegas resort or, for that topic, different height tier theme park accommodations in Central Florida.
Let’s dig deeper into the hotel by way of having a look round Helios Grand Lodge…
Helios Grand Lodge Visitor Rooms & Suites
The visitor rooms and suites of Common Helios Grand Lodge are mentioned to rouse the tranquility of a pleased backyard, with most of the rooms affording breathtaking perspectives of Epic Universe and others boasting the worst town view conceivable.
Same old Rooms on the Common Helios Grand Lodge supply a garden-themed retreat, to be had with both a king mattress for as much as 3 visitors or two queen beds for as much as 5. The 2-queen-bed common rooms measure 325 sq. toes, whilst the king-bed common rooms be offering a bit of extra space at 340 sq. toes.
Deluxe Rooms are greater nonetheless, at 415 sq. toes and accommodating as much as 5 visitors. This structure has two queen-sized beds and a not unusual house that includes a small sleeper settee. The suites are even larger, with choices from 545 sq. toes (Easy methods to Teach Your Dragon Youngsters’ Suites) to over 1,000 sq. toes for the hospitality and presidential suites.
All rooms at Helios Grand Lodge boast 300-thread-count, 100% cotton mattress linens; versus a mattress runner, all of them have ornamental duvets that quilt the whole period of the mattress. Convenience-wise, the bedding used to be plush and incredible. The sheets had been likewise moderately great. Each Common and Disney have advanced their mattresses within the closing a number of years, so completely no lawsuits there.
Different in-room facilities come with a mini-fridge, unfastened Wi-Fi, cloth wardrobe, 55-inch flat panel TV with on-demand in-room motion pictures, single-cup espresso maker, Julien Farel tub merchandise, and all kinds of retailers and USB ports. There’s a protracted listing of belongings you’d be expecting, like a secure and iron (separate options), however I’m now not going to listing that each one.
Maximum notable is that there’s a pill for controlling the lighting fixtures, temperature, TV, and finding out in regards to the resort. There also are wall controls for the entire similar, even though I discovered them to be hit and miss. I had an excessively tricky time opening and shutting the drapes, and I promise this wasn’t because of person error. The machine used to be glitchy, as showed by way of different visitors staying at Helios Grand Lodge. In spite of everything, my table lamp grew to become on at random in the course of the evening on two other events, main me to unplug the clearly-haunted mild fixture.
I’ve very combined emotions in regards to the visitor rooms at Helios Grand Lodge. I beloved the headboard in my room, which evoked a watercolor portray with its floral brushstrokes in comfortable red and blue tones. The carpet and furnishings used to be likewise great, as had been a number of accents, all raising the room and making it really feel subtle and stylish.
The most important downside is the room dimension. I had simply stayed at Common Terra Luna Hotel the nights sooner than switching to Common Helios Grand Lodge. My room on the former, a ‘High Price Hotel’ costing lower than $150 consistent with evening, used to be 315 sq. toes. My room at Helios Grand used to be handiest 325 sq. toes. A negligible distinction.
Additionally, I can’t conclusively state that the visitor room on the Signature Assortment hotel used to be materially nicer than the price range choice. There have been little touches suggesting that, to make certain, however not anything actually excessive finish. A part of the “downside” here’s Terra Luna arguably punches above its weight for its worth. However the rooms at Helios Grand Lodge additionally punch under theirs.
The one factor that made evident the variation used to be opening the drapes and taking a look out into Epic Universe.
The park view is shocking, and focuses visitors’ consideration out of doors the room fairly than in it. Significantly, this viewpoint overlooking Epic Universe is magnetic, overshadowing nearly the entirety else in regards to the resort. That is not anything just like the far away perspectives afforded by way of park view rooms of Magic Kingdom on the Grand Floridian or Recent Motels. Since Helios Grand is a real in-park resort, you’re absolutely immersed in Epic Universe. This view is natural magic.
Clearly, this handiest applies with a park view room. The opposite aspect of the resort gives perspectives into back-of-house amenities and belongings you normally received’t wish to see. Because of this, we will in reality handiest counsel Helios Grand Lodge should you’re keen and in a position to splurge on a park view room. We’d prioritize the park view over all different room varieties. (Word: the Membership Stage living room does now not have a park view.)
Listed here are extra footage from our Park View Room at Helios Grand Lodge at the Membership Stage:
Non-public Park Front Into Epic Universe
Positioned off the foyer is Helios Grand Lodge’s devoted front into Epic Universe that gives get admission to to and from the theme park (legitimate theme park admission required, after all).
Critiques from the media match praised this park front, with a number of indicating that the road could be shorter and quicker than the primary front. That is false, and underscores the issue with reviewing a resort in a managed and capability constrained setting.
The devoted front into Epic Universe has a 500-room resort all served by way of a unmarried safety scanner for bag take a look at and a few turnstiles. Unsurprisingly, many (maximum?) of the visitors in the ones 500 rooms all wish to input Epic Universe for Early Park Admission. The outcome, a minimum of all the way through my keep, used to be a hugely lengthy line that stretched all of the means outside and into the pool house.
It used to be neither quick nor rapid. Buddies staying at within reach Terra Luna Hotel were given thru safety on the primary front quicker than me. Possibly this will likely trade through the years as there’s much less of an emphasis on Epic Universe for visitors staying at Helios Grand Lodge, however I doubt it. The rationale to stick right here will all the time be going to Epic Universe.
The excellent news is that, as soon as the morning rush subsides, the use of this front is an absolute breeze. I used to be out and in of Epic Universe in an issue of mins. For noon breaks, the devoted front into Helios Grand Lodge is a gamechanger.
Helios Grand Lodge Pool
It’s no secret that Central Florida has 43 weeks of summer season, making the resort pool one of the vital necessary options for lots of visitors at Common Orlando or Walt Disney Global. This zero-entry pool house is lengthy and winding, that includes a spacious tiered seating house. It additionally options underwater audio system, poolside cabana leases, a scorching bath, poolside motion pictures, and day by day leisure actions. Lotus Lagoon is the hotel’s poolside bar & grill, serving up beverages and pub meals.
Right through my keep, I by no means noticed too many of us the use of the pool at Helios Grand Lodge. The seating house used to be, at maximum, one-quarter complete and there used to be plentiful house within the pool itself. I think this will likely trade through the years, given what I’ve seen from different pool spaces at Common Orlando. This will likely be busy and crowded in the future.
As in comparison to decrease degree pool spaces at Common Orlando, the only at Helios Grand Lodge is good. The lengthy and winding structure breaks up the gap, and is a ways awesome to the large complexes on the price range accommodations.
Then again, Helios does now not dangle a candle to the pool spaces at any of the opposite Signature Assortment accommodations, all of which provide probably the most nicest swimming pools in Central Florida. I stay seeing reward for this pool and it being described as an “oasis,” which has me questioning whether or not we stayed on the similar resort.
The opposite Common Orlando Signature lodges have a number of nice and attractive options, while the pool at Helios Grand Lodge feels extra superficial–an grownup pool that serves an atmospheric function whilst lounging. There’s now not essentially anything else unsuitable with that, however if in case you have youngsters who love taking part in in swimming pools, chances are you’ll wish to glance in different places.
Its location additionally leaves one thing to be desired, “nestled” between the parking space and Monsters Unchained display construction. How it’s wedged into this spot makes me wonder if it had been at first supposed to be positioned at the park aspect of Helios Grand Lodge.
Bar Helios
A glowing and classy rooftop living room, Bar Helios at Common Helios Grand Lodge gives a menu of tapas and acquainted favorites, hand made distinctiveness cocktails, and unmatched 360-degree perspectives of Epic Universe and past – making this the very best spot for visitors to chill within the night after a hectic day within the parks.
Bar Helios is for sure the excessive level of Helios Grand Lodge. Actually and figuratively. Should you don’t have a room with a park view, you’ll completely wish to consult with Bar Helios. Ditto visitors who aren’t staying at Helios Grand Lodge, as that is indubitably a vacation spot bar.
Heck, I did have a park-view room and nonetheless discovered myself making 3 separate visits to Bar Helios. Because of the early last time of Epic Universe, a forestall up at Bar Helios is a good way to finish–or lengthen–the night. The moody setting inside of is gorgeous, and the perspectives out of doors are unmatched. I extremely counsel reservations at Bar Helios, and doing beverages or dishes at this rooftop bar. It’s exceptional.
Plants Taverna
This full-service eating place serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner and foyer bar with a mild and ethereal setting – that includes an open-style kitchen with are living cooking. Plants Taverna serves up Mediterranean convenience meals and pizza, providing al fresco seating overlooking the pretty surroundings of Celestial Park.
As I used to be staying Membership Stage, I didn’t have instance to dine at Plants Taverna–however I did stroll during the eating place and used to be inspired by way of each its perspectives and setting. My pals who had been staying at Helios Grand Lodge on the similar time had been inspired by way of the delicacies right here.
Aurora Marketplace
A modern espresso store and marketplace providing freshly-roasted coffees, grab-and-go meals pieces, in addition to snack & dessert choices from morning to nighttime.
On the subject of the eating place lineup, Aurora Marketplace is my greatest unhappiness. I had simply come from Common Terra Luna Hotel right away sooner than my keep at Helios Grand Lodge, and used to be in reality inspired by way of the meals court docket there. That is merely, because the identify suggests, a grab-and-go marketplace. And a fairly small one. The unequivocal highlights are the espresso and gelato.
Whilst I understand it’s not unusual for the top-tier Common Orlando or Walt Disney Global accommodations to have undercooked counter carrier choices, it’s however disappointing that there’s nowhere to head for a fast scorching meal at Helios Grand Lodge. It’s additionally price noting that this hotel has a mild eating place lineup as in comparison to maximum of its opposite numbers. (Granted, there’s a complete park stuffed with eating simply out of doors Helios!)
Different facilities at Common Helios Grand Lodge additionally come with a cutting-edge gymnasium that includes a number of power and aerobic apparatus; a recreation room for visitors to blast, zap and race their means thru a selection of arcade video games with the acquisition of a recreation card; Common Orlando Hotel Retailer for visitors to buy the entirety from sundries and prerequisites to products.
I don’t have a lot significant observation so as to add in regards to the different facilities. They’re just about par for the route at Common Orlando accommodations. Whilst I didn’t use the health room, I discovered it to be moderately great and preferred the perspectives it gives into Celestial Park. Adjoining to the gymnasium could also be a pleasing converting house–I did use this, as I had a overdue flight on checkout day.
Staying at any Common Orlando resort additionally comes with unique theme park advantages. Visitors of Common Helios Grand Lodge, or any of the opposite Common Orlando lodges, obtain Early Park Admission to revel in choose sights on the theme parks, which incorporates Epic Universe. Early Park Admission gives as much as one hour of precedence get admission to sooner than the park opens with legitimate theme park admission.
Thankfully, the problems with the glacially sluggish devoted front don’t have an effect on Early Park Admission, as safety begins ‘processing’ visitors with greater than plentiful time to make into the park sooner than the beginning of EPA. (Simply don’t display up ~quarter-hour upfront and be expecting to be within the park on-time.) Word that this is a farther stroll from Helios Grand Lodge to Tremendous Nintendo Global, however this wasn’t a topic for us–we nonetheless made it to the entrance of the pack for EPA. (See our Early Park Admission at Epic Universe Technique Information: Beating Crowds in Tremendous Nintendo Global!)
Common Orlando resort visitors too can make the most of complimentary travel bus transportation to the theme parks and Common CityWalk, resort-wide charging privileges, complimentary products supply and extra.
The outside of Helios Grand Lodge looks as if the love-child of Disney’s Riviera Hotel and Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, and the ones are for sure the 2 Walt Disney Global accommodations that provide the most productive comparisons to Common’s new tower. Like the ones, Helios Grand Lodge is boxy, bland, and underbaked from a thematic viewpoint.
There’s no two techniques about it: if Helios Grand Lodge had been constructed to forget one of the vital Walt Disney Global theme parks, it could be completely excoriated by way of fanatics. There’s a double-standard for Common Orlando vs. Walt Disney Global. I’ll be the primary to confess that I grade Common on a curve, and maximum different theme park fanatics do too, judging by way of how a lot of a go Common will get for the issues fanatics over which Disney would obtain unending grievance.
Fortunately, the outside of Helios Grand Lodge does glance nicer than its recent opposite numbers at Walt Disney Global–however slightly. For a resort that’s the de facto point of interest of a brand spanking new theme park, it’s nonetheless embarrassingly bland. However in Common’s protection, we lately skilled the similar with the disappointing Delusion Springs Lodge at Tokyo DisneySea, in large part lauded as the best theme park on earth. I think each tasks noticed COVID-induced price range cuts and funneled that against their respective accommodations. Higher that the resort be value-engineered than Epic Universe itself.
Within, Common Helios Grand Lodge isn’t nicer than Disney’s Riviera Hotel, and even Gran Destino Tower.
Either one of the ones ‘trendy’ Walt Disney Global lodges boast extra consideration to element all through their not unusual spaces, with awesome have compatibility and completing. Additionally they have higher facilities–from extra powerful eating place rosters to their swimming pools and different options.
Even with Common being graded on a curve, I’m stunned extra consideration isn’t being attracted to this. Like Riviera Hotel, the foyer at Helios Grand is strangely compact and underwhelming–Gran Destino Tower simply surpasses each on the subject of grandiosity. That is still the exemplar of Las Vegas genre accommodations in Central Florida, although it’s missing in location.
When confined to the partitions of Helios Grand Lodge itself, there’s little or no that separates this assets from the opposite fresh accommodations at Common Orlando. The whole thing is slightly pedestrian and paint-by-numbers, and it’s tricky to argue that this assets is materially nicer than Aventura, Stella Nova, or Terra Luna.
From my viewpoint, Helios Grand Lodge does now not dangle a candle to Portofino Bay, which stays the high-water mark for themed accommodations at Common Orlando. After all, it’s additionally a made from a special generation. Visitor personal tastes have modified since then, and so too have each Common’s and Disney’s approaches to themed resort design. However I might additionally rank Arduous Rock Lodge and Royal Pacific above Helios Grand, in terms of the lodges themselves. From a non-public choice viewpoint, I may additionally give the threshold to Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay, for that topic!
The adaptation between Helios Grand Lodge and the older Common accommodations is they strove for idealized and romanticized issues that delivery you to over again and position. The ones accommodations are immersive, heat, and reassuring. Even supposing ostensibly Mediterranean and mythology-inspired, Helios Grand Lodge isn’t thematically transportive–the design is all floor degree. The resort strives for one thing other solely.
What Helios Grand Lodge strives for is being actually transportive. It puts you proper inside of Epic Universe, and pulls visitors’ consideration clear of the valuables itself and against that beautiful theme park the hotel faces.
In so doing, it’s simple to forget the various faults of Helios Grand Lodge when you’re moderately actually overlooking Epic Universe. It’s utterly comprehensible that extra fanatics aren’t fixating on how Helios Grand Lodge lacks X or Y facilities or design main points, underwhelms as in comparison to the legacy Signature Assortment homes, and falls a ways wanting ‘flagship’ standing. Everybody’s consideration is at the park itself!
This used to be true for me, too. Once I first entered the resort, I right away seemed previous the undersized foyer to the outside forget. Once I entered my room, I raced to the window. All of my waking hours within the room had been spent on the window-side desk. Bar Helios is the place I spent my overdue nights, savoring that view. Except fast laps across the hotel for the sake of this overview, everything of my center of attention all the way through my keep at Helios Grand Lodge used to be in truth Epic Universe. The spotlight of the resort is in truth the park, with Helios Grand Lodge “proving” the primary 3 regulations of actual property: location, location, location.
In spite of everything, as lined in Common’s Epic Universe In-Park Lodge is Affordable, nightly charges for Helios Grand Lodge get started at $293 consistent with evening for common rooms and not using a view and remains of 4 nights or longer.
In all chance, you’ll have an exceedingly tricky time discovering availability at or round this worth level except you’re reserving means upfront. Common Orlando makes use of dynamic pricing for its accommodations, and we’ve noticed costs continuously build up for Helios Grand Lodge (whilst availability has remained slightly just right) thru 2026.
On moderate, you will have to be expecting to pay beginning costs in the community of $500 consistent with evening–and in all probability greater than that. For instance, my Membership Stage, Park-View Room booked right away when reservations opened used to be more cost effective than the present price for the standard room all the way through the autumn low season.
Reserving early is the optimum method for Helios Grand Lodge, after which circling again to look if any reductions drop later. Our expectation is that received’t occur till the ‘new resort scent’ wears off, which might take years. Critiques were fairly sparkling of Helios Grand Lodge, so call for will most probably stay robust.
Given all of that, we extremely counsel inquiring for a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Common Most popular Trip Company. They may be able to help reserving Helios Grand Lodge for you, comparability buying groceries a few of the more than a few lodges, and serving to resolve which programs will paintings perfect on your circle of relatives.
Want commute making plans guidelines and complete recommendation on your consult with to Central Florida? Make sure you learn our Common Orlando Making plans Information for the entirety about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney Global Holiday Making plans Information for the entirety about the ones parks, accommodations, eating places, and so a lot more. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and a lot more, join our FREE e mail publication!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Does Common Helios Grand Lodge end up that it’s all about location, location, location? Inspired by way of the way or substance? What do you bring to mind the outside and inner? Will you guide Common Helios Grand Lodge, or keep on with one of the vital present accommodations? Agree or disagree with our Helios Grand Lodge overview? Any questions? We like listening to from readers, so please proportion some other ideas or questions you may have within the feedback under!
Helios Grand Lodge is the recent hotel inside of Epic Universe, with perspectives overlooking the 3rd theme park at Common Orlando. This overview options room footage & video, a take a look at not unusual spaces & facilities, plus the professionals & cons of staying at the most recent in-park lodging and whether or not it’s definitely worth the splurge.
Common Helios Grand Lodge is a 500-room, full-service resort positioned in Common Orlando’s top-tier “Signature Assortment” along Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, Arduous Rock Lodge, Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, and Loews Sapphire Falls Hotel. The primary 3 lodges on that listing are the legacy deluxe accommodations, which provide limitless Categorical Move with remains, amongst different issues. Neither the new-ish Sapphire Falls nor Helios Grand Lodge be offering limitless Categorical Move.
As with the opposite accommodations at Common Orlando, Helios Grand Lodge is a collaboration–designed by way of Common Inventive and operated by way of Loews Resorts. The brand new resort is ostensibly a Mediterranean-inspired hotel, with astronomical and mythological motifs. Helios Grand Lodge rises above the luxurious gardens and scenic waters of Celestial Park at Epic Universe, and is designed as a “palatial” hotel. The resort has a cosmos-inspired rooftop bar and the resort’s personal devoted front into Epic Universe as its primary options.
Helios Grand Lodge will definitely make a powerful first impact on maximum visitors, me incorporated. Whilst you stroll during the entrance front, you’re right away attracted to the forget on the different finish of the foyer that boasts giant perspectives into Epic Universe. All over the resort, each and every excessive level is the proximity to the park. The perspectives into Epic Universe are spectacular and thrilling, particularly in the event that they’re whetting your urge for food for a primary consult with to Epic Universe.
Helios Grand Lodge is being described by way of Common Orlando because the “crown jewel” of Epic Universe, which is comprehensible given its location emerging above the park. It’s necessarily the point of interest from round Celestial Park and, accordingly, chances are you’ll be expecting this to be the flagship resort at Common Orlando, similar to Lodge MiraCosta at Tokyo DisneySea or the Grand Californian at Disneyland Hotel.
Now not such a lot. Its in-park location is the one factor Helios Grand Lodge has in not unusual with the ones flagship accommodations.
Sadly, there’s no there there in a thematic sense with Helios Grand Lodge whenever you get previous a couple of cool main points. On its floor, it appears to be like and looks like Common’s tackle the kind of resort tower you’d in finding in Las Vegas. There are actually magnificent lodges with overwhelming and ostentatious design in Las Vegas.
Whilst the Las Vegas comparisons are going to be evident and plentiful, Helios Grand Lodge does now not measure as much as any of the ones homes when it come to lavishness. Nor does it have the slate of options and facilities visitors may just be expecting from an upscale Las Vegas resort or, for that topic, different height tier theme park accommodations in Central Florida.
Let’s dig deeper into the hotel by way of having a look round Helios Grand Lodge…
Helios Grand Lodge Visitor Rooms & Suites
The visitor rooms and suites of Common Helios Grand Lodge are mentioned to rouse the tranquility of a pleased backyard, with most of the rooms affording breathtaking perspectives of Epic Universe and others boasting the worst town view conceivable.
Same old Rooms on the Common Helios Grand Lodge supply a garden-themed retreat, to be had with both a king mattress for as much as 3 visitors or two queen beds for as much as 5. The 2-queen-bed common rooms measure 325 sq. toes, whilst the king-bed common rooms be offering a bit of extra space at 340 sq. toes.
Deluxe Rooms are greater nonetheless, at 415 sq. toes and accommodating as much as 5 visitors. This structure has two queen-sized beds and a not unusual house that includes a small sleeper settee. The suites are even larger, with choices from 545 sq. toes (Easy methods to Teach Your Dragon Youngsters’ Suites) to over 1,000 sq. toes for the hospitality and presidential suites.
All rooms at Helios Grand Lodge boast 300-thread-count, 100% cotton mattress linens; versus a mattress runner, all of them have ornamental duvets that quilt the whole period of the mattress. Convenience-wise, the bedding used to be plush and incredible. The sheets had been likewise moderately great. Each Common and Disney have advanced their mattresses within the closing a number of years, so completely no lawsuits there.
Different in-room facilities come with a mini-fridge, unfastened Wi-Fi, cloth wardrobe, 55-inch flat panel TV with on-demand in-room motion pictures, single-cup espresso maker, Julien Farel tub merchandise, and all kinds of retailers and USB ports. There’s a protracted listing of belongings you’d be expecting, like a secure and iron (separate options), however I’m now not going to listing that each one.
Maximum notable is that there’s a pill for controlling the lighting fixtures, temperature, TV, and finding out in regards to the resort. There also are wall controls for the entire similar, even though I discovered them to be hit and miss. I had an excessively tricky time opening and shutting the drapes, and I promise this wasn’t because of person error. The machine used to be glitchy, as showed by way of different visitors staying at Helios Grand Lodge. In spite of everything, my table lamp grew to become on at random in the course of the evening on two other events, main me to unplug the clearly-haunted mild fixture.
I’ve very combined emotions in regards to the visitor rooms at Helios Grand Lodge. I beloved the headboard in my room, which evoked a watercolor portray with its floral brushstrokes in comfortable red and blue tones. The carpet and furnishings used to be likewise great, as had been a number of accents, all raising the room and making it really feel subtle and stylish.
The most important downside is the room dimension. I had simply stayed at Common Terra Luna Hotel the nights sooner than switching to Common Helios Grand Lodge. My room on the former, a ‘High Price Hotel’ costing lower than $150 consistent with evening, used to be 315 sq. toes. My room at Helios Grand used to be handiest 325 sq. toes. A negligible distinction.
Additionally, I can’t conclusively state that the visitor room on the Signature Assortment hotel used to be materially nicer than the price range choice. There have been little touches suggesting that, to make certain, however not anything actually excessive finish. A part of the “downside” here’s Terra Luna arguably punches above its weight for its worth. However the rooms at Helios Grand Lodge additionally punch under theirs.
The one factor that made evident the variation used to be opening the drapes and taking a look out into Epic Universe.
The park view is shocking, and focuses visitors’ consideration out of doors the room fairly than in it. Significantly, this viewpoint overlooking Epic Universe is magnetic, overshadowing nearly the entirety else in regards to the resort. That is not anything just like the far away perspectives afforded by way of park view rooms of Magic Kingdom on the Grand Floridian or Recent Motels. Since Helios Grand is a real in-park resort, you’re absolutely immersed in Epic Universe. This view is natural magic.
Clearly, this handiest applies with a park view room. The opposite aspect of the resort gives perspectives into back-of-house amenities and belongings you normally received’t wish to see. Because of this, we will in reality handiest counsel Helios Grand Lodge should you’re keen and in a position to splurge on a park view room. We’d prioritize the park view over all different room varieties. (Word: the Membership Stage living room does now not have a park view.)
Listed here are extra footage from our Park View Room at Helios Grand Lodge at the Membership Stage:
Non-public Park Front Into Epic Universe
Positioned off the foyer is Helios Grand Lodge’s devoted front into Epic Universe that gives get admission to to and from the theme park (legitimate theme park admission required, after all).
Critiques from the media match praised this park front, with a number of indicating that the road could be shorter and quicker than the primary front. That is false, and underscores the issue with reviewing a resort in a managed and capability constrained setting.
The devoted front into Epic Universe has a 500-room resort all served by way of a unmarried safety scanner for bag take a look at and a few turnstiles. Unsurprisingly, many (maximum?) of the visitors in the ones 500 rooms all wish to input Epic Universe for Early Park Admission. The outcome, a minimum of all the way through my keep, used to be a hugely lengthy line that stretched all of the means outside and into the pool house.
It used to be neither quick nor rapid. Buddies staying at within reach Terra Luna Hotel were given thru safety on the primary front quicker than me. Possibly this will likely trade through the years as there’s much less of an emphasis on Epic Universe for visitors staying at Helios Grand Lodge, however I doubt it. The rationale to stick right here will all the time be going to Epic Universe.
The excellent news is that, as soon as the morning rush subsides, the use of this front is an absolute breeze. I used to be out and in of Epic Universe in an issue of mins. For noon breaks, the devoted front into Helios Grand Lodge is a gamechanger.
Helios Grand Lodge Pool
It’s no secret that Central Florida has 43 weeks of summer season, making the resort pool one of the vital necessary options for lots of visitors at Common Orlando or Walt Disney Global. This zero-entry pool house is lengthy and winding, that includes a spacious tiered seating house. It additionally options underwater audio system, poolside cabana leases, a scorching bath, poolside motion pictures, and day by day leisure actions. Lotus Lagoon is the hotel’s poolside bar & grill, serving up beverages and pub meals.
Right through my keep, I by no means noticed too many of us the use of the pool at Helios Grand Lodge. The seating house used to be, at maximum, one-quarter complete and there used to be plentiful house within the pool itself. I think this will likely trade through the years, given what I’ve seen from different pool spaces at Common Orlando. This will likely be busy and crowded in the future.
As in comparison to decrease degree pool spaces at Common Orlando, the only at Helios Grand Lodge is good. The lengthy and winding structure breaks up the gap, and is a ways awesome to the large complexes on the price range accommodations.
Then again, Helios does now not dangle a candle to the pool spaces at any of the opposite Signature Assortment accommodations, all of which provide probably the most nicest swimming pools in Central Florida. I stay seeing reward for this pool and it being described as an “oasis,” which has me questioning whether or not we stayed on the similar resort.
The opposite Common Orlando Signature lodges have a number of nice and attractive options, while the pool at Helios Grand Lodge feels extra superficial–an grownup pool that serves an atmospheric function whilst lounging. There’s now not essentially anything else unsuitable with that, however if in case you have youngsters who love taking part in in swimming pools, chances are you’ll wish to glance in different places.
Its location additionally leaves one thing to be desired, “nestled” between the parking space and Monsters Unchained display construction. How it’s wedged into this spot makes me wonder if it had been at first supposed to be positioned at the park aspect of Helios Grand Lodge.
Bar Helios
A glowing and classy rooftop living room, Bar Helios at Common Helios Grand Lodge gives a menu of tapas and acquainted favorites, hand made distinctiveness cocktails, and unmatched 360-degree perspectives of Epic Universe and past – making this the very best spot for visitors to chill within the night after a hectic day within the parks.
Bar Helios is for sure the excessive level of Helios Grand Lodge. Actually and figuratively. Should you don’t have a room with a park view, you’ll completely wish to consult with Bar Helios. Ditto visitors who aren’t staying at Helios Grand Lodge, as that is indubitably a vacation spot bar.
Heck, I did have a park-view room and nonetheless discovered myself making 3 separate visits to Bar Helios. Because of the early last time of Epic Universe, a forestall up at Bar Helios is a good way to finish–or lengthen–the night. The moody setting inside of is gorgeous, and the perspectives out of doors are unmatched. I extremely counsel reservations at Bar Helios, and doing beverages or dishes at this rooftop bar. It’s exceptional.
Plants Taverna
This full-service eating place serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner and foyer bar with a mild and ethereal setting – that includes an open-style kitchen with are living cooking. Plants Taverna serves up Mediterranean convenience meals and pizza, providing al fresco seating overlooking the pretty surroundings of Celestial Park.
As I used to be staying Membership Stage, I didn’t have instance to dine at Plants Taverna–however I did stroll during the eating place and used to be inspired by way of each its perspectives and setting. My pals who had been staying at Helios Grand Lodge on the similar time had been inspired by way of the delicacies right here.
Aurora Marketplace
A modern espresso store and marketplace providing freshly-roasted coffees, grab-and-go meals pieces, in addition to snack & dessert choices from morning to nighttime.
On the subject of the eating place lineup, Aurora Marketplace is my greatest unhappiness. I had simply come from Common Terra Luna Hotel right away sooner than my keep at Helios Grand Lodge, and used to be in reality inspired by way of the meals court docket there. That is merely, because the identify suggests, a grab-and-go marketplace. And a fairly small one. The unequivocal highlights are the espresso and gelato.
Whilst I understand it’s not unusual for the top-tier Common Orlando or Walt Disney Global accommodations to have undercooked counter carrier choices, it’s however disappointing that there’s nowhere to head for a fast scorching meal at Helios Grand Lodge. It’s additionally price noting that this hotel has a mild eating place lineup as in comparison to maximum of its opposite numbers. (Granted, there’s a complete park stuffed with eating simply out of doors Helios!)
Different facilities at Common Helios Grand Lodge additionally come with a cutting-edge gymnasium that includes a number of power and aerobic apparatus; a recreation room for visitors to blast, zap and race their means thru a selection of arcade video games with the acquisition of a recreation card; Common Orlando Hotel Retailer for visitors to buy the entirety from sundries and prerequisites to products.
I don’t have a lot significant observation so as to add in regards to the different facilities. They’re just about par for the route at Common Orlando accommodations. Whilst I didn’t use the health room, I discovered it to be moderately great and preferred the perspectives it gives into Celestial Park. Adjoining to the gymnasium could also be a pleasing converting house–I did use this, as I had a overdue flight on checkout day.
Staying at any Common Orlando resort additionally comes with unique theme park advantages. Visitors of Common Helios Grand Lodge, or any of the opposite Common Orlando lodges, obtain Early Park Admission to revel in choose sights on the theme parks, which incorporates Epic Universe. Early Park Admission gives as much as one hour of precedence get admission to sooner than the park opens with legitimate theme park admission.
Thankfully, the problems with the glacially sluggish devoted front don’t have an effect on Early Park Admission, as safety begins ‘processing’ visitors with greater than plentiful time to make into the park sooner than the beginning of EPA. (Simply don’t display up ~quarter-hour upfront and be expecting to be within the park on-time.) Word that this is a farther stroll from Helios Grand Lodge to Tremendous Nintendo Global, however this wasn’t a topic for us–we nonetheless made it to the entrance of the pack for EPA. (See our Early Park Admission at Epic Universe Technique Information: Beating Crowds in Tremendous Nintendo Global!)
Common Orlando resort visitors too can make the most of complimentary travel bus transportation to the theme parks and Common CityWalk, resort-wide charging privileges, complimentary products supply and extra.
The outside of Helios Grand Lodge looks as if the love-child of Disney’s Riviera Hotel and Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, and the ones are for sure the 2 Walt Disney Global accommodations that provide the most productive comparisons to Common’s new tower. Like the ones, Helios Grand Lodge is boxy, bland, and underbaked from a thematic viewpoint.
There’s no two techniques about it: if Helios Grand Lodge had been constructed to forget one of the vital Walt Disney Global theme parks, it could be completely excoriated by way of fanatics. There’s a double-standard for Common Orlando vs. Walt Disney Global. I’ll be the primary to confess that I grade Common on a curve, and maximum different theme park fanatics do too, judging by way of how a lot of a go Common will get for the issues fanatics over which Disney would obtain unending grievance.
Fortunately, the outside of Helios Grand Lodge does glance nicer than its recent opposite numbers at Walt Disney Global–however slightly. For a resort that’s the de facto point of interest of a brand spanking new theme park, it’s nonetheless embarrassingly bland. However in Common’s protection, we lately skilled the similar with the disappointing Delusion Springs Lodge at Tokyo DisneySea, in large part lauded as the best theme park on earth. I think each tasks noticed COVID-induced price range cuts and funneled that against their respective accommodations. Higher that the resort be value-engineered than Epic Universe itself.
Within, Common Helios Grand Lodge isn’t nicer than Disney’s Riviera Hotel, and even Gran Destino Tower.
Either one of the ones ‘trendy’ Walt Disney Global lodges boast extra consideration to element all through their not unusual spaces, with awesome have compatibility and completing. Additionally they have higher facilities–from extra powerful eating place rosters to their swimming pools and different options.
Even with Common being graded on a curve, I’m stunned extra consideration isn’t being attracted to this. Like Riviera Hotel, the foyer at Helios Grand is strangely compact and underwhelming–Gran Destino Tower simply surpasses each on the subject of grandiosity. That is still the exemplar of Las Vegas genre accommodations in Central Florida, although it’s missing in location.
When confined to the partitions of Helios Grand Lodge itself, there’s little or no that separates this assets from the opposite fresh accommodations at Common Orlando. The whole thing is slightly pedestrian and paint-by-numbers, and it’s tricky to argue that this assets is materially nicer than Aventura, Stella Nova, or Terra Luna.
From my viewpoint, Helios Grand Lodge does now not dangle a candle to Portofino Bay, which stays the high-water mark for themed accommodations at Common Orlando. After all, it’s additionally a made from a special generation. Visitor personal tastes have modified since then, and so too have each Common’s and Disney’s approaches to themed resort design. However I might additionally rank Arduous Rock Lodge and Royal Pacific above Helios Grand, in terms of the lodges themselves. From a non-public choice viewpoint, I may additionally give the threshold to Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay, for that topic!
The adaptation between Helios Grand Lodge and the older Common accommodations is they strove for idealized and romanticized issues that delivery you to over again and position. The ones accommodations are immersive, heat, and reassuring. Even supposing ostensibly Mediterranean and mythology-inspired, Helios Grand Lodge isn’t thematically transportive–the design is all floor degree. The resort strives for one thing other solely.
What Helios Grand Lodge strives for is being actually transportive. It puts you proper inside of Epic Universe, and pulls visitors’ consideration clear of the valuables itself and against that beautiful theme park the hotel faces.
In so doing, it’s simple to forget the various faults of Helios Grand Lodge when you’re moderately actually overlooking Epic Universe. It’s utterly comprehensible that extra fanatics aren’t fixating on how Helios Grand Lodge lacks X or Y facilities or design main points, underwhelms as in comparison to the legacy Signature Assortment homes, and falls a ways wanting ‘flagship’ standing. Everybody’s consideration is at the park itself!
This used to be true for me, too. Once I first entered the resort, I right away seemed previous the undersized foyer to the outside forget. Once I entered my room, I raced to the window. All of my waking hours within the room had been spent on the window-side desk. Bar Helios is the place I spent my overdue nights, savoring that view. Except fast laps across the hotel for the sake of this overview, everything of my center of attention all the way through my keep at Helios Grand Lodge used to be in truth Epic Universe. The spotlight of the resort is in truth the park, with Helios Grand Lodge “proving” the primary 3 regulations of actual property: location, location, location.
In spite of everything, as lined in Common’s Epic Universe In-Park Lodge is Affordable, nightly charges for Helios Grand Lodge get started at $293 consistent with evening for common rooms and not using a view and remains of 4 nights or longer.
In all chance, you’ll have an exceedingly tricky time discovering availability at or round this worth level except you’re reserving means upfront. Common Orlando makes use of dynamic pricing for its accommodations, and we’ve noticed costs continuously build up for Helios Grand Lodge (whilst availability has remained slightly just right) thru 2026.
On moderate, you will have to be expecting to pay beginning costs in the community of $500 consistent with evening–and in all probability greater than that. For instance, my Membership Stage, Park-View Room booked right away when reservations opened used to be more cost effective than the present price for the standard room all the way through the autumn low season.
Reserving early is the optimum method for Helios Grand Lodge, after which circling again to look if any reductions drop later. Our expectation is that received’t occur till the ‘new resort scent’ wears off, which might take years. Critiques were fairly sparkling of Helios Grand Lodge, so call for will most probably stay robust.
Given all of that, we extremely counsel inquiring for a quote from Be Our Visitor Holidays, a no-fee Common Most popular Trip Company. They may be able to help reserving Helios Grand Lodge for you, comparability buying groceries a few of the more than a few lodges, and serving to resolve which programs will paintings perfect on your circle of relatives.
Want commute making plans guidelines and complete recommendation on your consult with to Central Florida? Make sure you learn our Common Orlando Making plans Information for the entirety about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney Global Holiday Making plans Information for the entirety about the ones parks, accommodations, eating places, and so a lot more. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and a lot more, join our FREE e mail publication!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Does Common Helios Grand Lodge end up that it’s all about location, location, location? Inspired by way of the way or substance? What do you bring to mind the outside and inner? Will you guide Common Helios Grand Lodge, or keep on with one of the vital present accommodations? Agree or disagree with our Helios Grand Lodge overview? Any questions? We like listening to from readers, so please proportion some other ideas or questions you may have within the feedback under!
