It may be December, but you can celebrate an endless summer at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, which held its grand opening today after being delayed due to the COVID-19 closure. Its sister hotel, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites, reopened in July.
The sign for the resort promises a sunny beach with ocean waves.
There are entrance only and exit only signs, and of course signs reminding guests to keep masks on and social distance.
Inside, every check-in counter has Plexiglass, and there are social distancing markers on the floor throughout.
Some counters even have large dividers between check-in spaces at the same counter.
The vacation planning center also has Plexiglass dividers.
There are hand sanitizer dispensers near high touch points.
The lobby is decorated for Christmas!
There’s one large Christmas tree, plus some smaller ones around the resort.
The round tables that guests can relax on while they wait for their room have USB charging ports in the center.
Nearby is the Sunset Lounge.
And you can’t go wrong with a Starbucks.
Sunset Lounge opens at 4:00 PM.
The drinks menu boasts cocktails, including their house signature, the Endless Summer Lemonade with Grey Goose vodka, lemon, and thyme for $12.
The resort’s main quick-service location is Dockside’s Pier 8 Market.
No one was eating at 11:00 AM, but it was open.
There is booth seating and table seating, with some marked as unavailable for social distancing.
Grab an exclusive Dockside Inn and Suites mug to get drink refills and commemorate your stay.
The bakery station had plenty of delicious-looking treats ready for a late breakfast.
Each station has their own menu.
Some of the menus have the same pictures, but look carefully. They actually have different items.
There were some pre-packaged meals for order, and some to-go items.
You can get a cup of Mini Melts ice cream at this machine in Pier 8.
Next to it are two drinks machines.
The touch screens let you choose from coffee shakes, lattes, frappes, chocolate shakes, fruit shakes, smoothies, juice refereshers, and lemonades.
The grab-n-go fridges are available with bottled drinks inside.
There’s an alcove to the side with more pre-packaged snacks.
Back in the lobby, we headed over to Starbucks.
It’s a standard Starbucks, and also wasn’t very busy this morning.
There are some outlets under the counter for anyone who wants to sit and charge their phone.
There’s also a shop with plenty of Dockside Inn and Suites branded merchandise.
You can also grab Universal Orlando Resort theme park merchandise, such as items from the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Screens in the resort act as maps.
Even the people on the restrooms sign are dressed for a summer at the beach.
Inside, the restrooms have beachy blue walls.
Some entrances and exits were blocked off to better control traffic, especially during the grand opening.
The pool is surrounded by palm trees.
The Oasis Beach Bar is right next to the pool.
Each cocktail is named after a different Wet ‘n Wild attraction to pay homage to the closed park.
Will you be taking a vacation at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites? Let us know in the comments.
