Sheraton Universal Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a 21-story tower standing on a hill in Universal City, on Universal Studios' own land — this is the Sheraton Universal Hotel, a legendary place open since the 1960s that once housed the actors filming on the lot, earning the nickname Hollywood folks still use: Hotel of the Stars. Walk into the grand, high-ceilinged lobby and you feel the classic air of a hotel that lived through the golden age of show business. The roughly 451 rooms are built spacious and family-friendly, with warm, easy-on-the-eye tones, soft beds, a table by the window, and enough room to open the luggage and let the kids move around without feeling cramped. Plenty of reviews call the rooms clean and well kept. What many families love is landing a high floor — the big windows open onto views of the hills and the city stretching out, and at night the glittering lights make a picture both kids and adults will stand and watch before bed after a tiring day at the park.

Food and amenities

If this hotel has one heart for families visiting the park, it's the large outdoor pool that opens up to the California sun and a wide sky, paired with a poolside bar serving drinks and snacks and a whirlpool for soaking out the aches after a full day at Universal. Kids splash and burn off whatever energy is left while parents stretch out in the whirlpool and sip a cold cocktail from the pool bar by the water. The late-afternoon stretch here, when the sun softens, is the most settled bit of downtime in the day. The tower has nearly everything you need so you barely have to leave — a restaurant and bar for easy meals from breakfast through dinner, a fitness center for anyone who wants a workout even after a late night, and the standard Sheraton chain service that reviews praise as friendly and helpful. That completeness is what families with small kids appreciate, because after a long day at the park there's no need to drag everyone out to find food — come back, soak in the pool, shower, and head down to dinner in the tower.

Location and getting there

The location is genuinely this place's best card. The hotel sits on a hill in Universal City, on Universal Studios' own land, and it's hard to find anything closer to the park. It's about a 1-minute drive to the Universal Studios Hollywood gate and to Universal CityWalk, the long promenade packed with restaurants, a cinema, souvenir shops, and entertainment you can stroll all evening even on a day you don't enter the park. If you'd rather not drive, the free Universal shuttle stops in front of the hotel and runs all day, saving your legs and the cost of parking inside the park. Beyond the theme park, the hotel is close to the Line B subway (the former Red Line) at Universal/Studio City station, which gets you into Hollywood, Downtown LA, and other sights without driving through LA's notorious traffic. Put simply: if the main goal of your trip is several days at Universal Studios with a side of Hollywood, having a base a one-minute drive from the park with a free shuttle is comfort you can't really put a price on.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the thing reviews mention most is that the building has been open for decades since the 1960s, and although it's been renovated in phases, some reviews feel parts of the rooms or common areas still look dated rather than crisp and new. If you expect fully modern down to the last inch, this may not be your answer, but if you want big rooms next to the park at a reachable price, it's good value. The second common gripe is hidden costs — there's a daily resort fee and parking charges (including valet) billed separately from the room rate, so the checkout total can come out higher than you first figured. Check the full total when you book so there's no surprise. The third is the high hilltop location in Universal City: the park is very close, but the hotel is somewhat of an island mid-hill, so walking out to restaurants elsewhere or down to CityWalk on foot means a fairly steep slope. Families with small kids or older travelers find it easier to drive or use the free shuttle. And since it's a large hotel right by the park, peak season gets fairly busy — leave some extra time for check-in and checkout to keep things relaxed.

Our take

After our team read through a lot of real reviews, the Sheraton Universal Hotel sells "a one-minute drive to the park, a big pool, and a dose of Hollywood history" with full confidence. If the trip in your head is driving the kids one minute into Universal Studios for the day, then coming back so they can splash in the large outdoor pool while parents soak in the whirlpool and order a drink from the poolside bar, followed by dinner in the tower without going anywhere, and capped by city lights from a high floor — this is about as settled a base as it gets, between the next-to-the-park location, the free shuttle, and the easy subway link into Hollywood. But if you're after a sparkling, modern hotel or a warm, private boutique feel, the size and the old-hotel character here may not be your answer, and don't forget to add the resort fee and parking into the budget. Overall we give it 8.3/10, best for families and couples taking on Universal Studios Hollywood who want a stay right next to the park with a big pool to unwind at, a one-minute drive from everything.