The brand new Universal Epic Universe theme park opened on May 22, 2025, and just minutes away are two new Prime Value category resorts: Universal Stella Nova and Universal Stella Luna.
The shimmering sisters covered in more than 140,000 colorful dichroic tiles are not identical twins, but both offer affordable hotel stays at Universal’s “South Campus” – Let’s take a tour!
Universal Stella Nova Resort
The opening of Universal Stella Nova Resort on January 21, 2025 (the ninth Loews hotel at Universal Orlando) kicked off the 4-month race to the May 22 Epic Universe grand opening.
While Stella Nova has a cosmically stunning exterior and porte cochere, it’s the lobby where things really start to feel otherworldly. The motif inside the property is space-themed and purple-and-blue-hued (its sister space hotel, Terra Luna, features more earthy shades).
Stella Nova is not themed around space travel but around the wonder and aura of space. Throughout the lobby, public areas, and guest rooms, there’s space and galaxy-themed art, which were created based on actual photos of space taken by NASA.
Stella Nova Rooms
Universal Stella Nova Resort offers 750 guest rooms, and they’re all the same type. In a world where choosing a hotel room can feel overwhelming, the streamlined process of booking a double-queen room at Stella Nova feels stress-free to us. The only choice is whether you’d prefer a theme park view or a pool view – and honestly, both are great. If you need an ADA-accessible room, more than 20 of those are also available.
The 315-square-foot rooms sleep up to four and have two queen beds inside. In addition to space-themed art and a large window, each room features Universal’s split bathroom (which definitely helps when families need to get ready to hit the parks), sofa, end table, nightstand, dresser, and mini-fridge. There’s also a great coffee set up, perfect for mornings when the line’s too long for coffee at Cosmos Cafe and Market.
Additional amenities include free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a hair dryer, an iron, a safe, and a flat-screen television. All rooms at Stella Nova are smoke-free. Another thing we loved to see? Each floor had easy-to-find ice machines and water bottle-filling stations.
Stella Nova Features and Amenities
Cosmos Cafe and Market
Cosmos Cafe serves three meals a day a menu of made-to-order family-friendly items like pancakes, pizza, cheeseburgers, and more.
The open-seating cafe area offers things like hot honey chicken pizza (which was recommended to us at least four times during our recent stay) and banana-walnut butternut pancakes; all served in a beautifully lit dining area that’s in full space mode with its decor. Trust us, this central dining hub will be your spot for everything from pre-park-day breakfast to late-night snacks.
At Cosmos Market, you’ll find grab-and-go options from breakfast sandwiches and fruit to sandwiches and salads, plus ice cream and a coffee bar.
Nova Bar
The Nova Bar in the lobby serves space-themed cocktails like a smoked whiskey drink called the Supernova and a mezcal cocktail called the Nebula. It’s a great spot to people-watch, meet up with other guests, or enjoy a cocktail or mocktail before heading out to a Universal theme park for the evening.
Galaxy Bar and Galaxy Grill
The resort’s pool area has both an outdoor bar (Galaxy Bar) and grill-style restaurant (Galaxy Grill), perfect for those relaxing pool days.
At the grill, you’ll find everything from shrimp cocktails to the double Stella Burger and single Nova Burger.
Stella Nova Pool
The 10,000-square-foot pool area at Stella Nova is impressive, with plenty of chairs and umbrellas on its sundeck, a hot tub, and a heated pool.
There’s also a fire pit, games for the kids, and a space for outdoor, poolside movies (weather permitting).
Fitness Center and Arcade
Located just off the lobby is an arcade with everything from an air hockey table to plenty of Mario Bros.-related games, perfect for unwinding after a day at Epic Universe’s Super Nintendo World.
The lobby-level fitness center has gorgeous, brand-new equipment like exercise bikes, treadmills, weight machines, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and plenty of spots to refill reusable water bottles.
Don’t Miss the Hallway
An Instagram-worthy “sky bridge” hallway on the third floor begs to be photographed and posted on social media (just try to be quiet to not disturb third-floor hotel guests).
Terra Luna Resort
Many of the features and amenities at Terra Luna correspond to Stella Nova, but with a slightly different lobby layout and slightly different design aesthetic.
We prefer the layout at Stella Nova with the grab-and-go market and quick-service cafe separated from each other. At Terra Luna, the Luna Market and Cafe sit side-by-side, causing the market area to get congested (especially in the morning when coffee is a necessity).
The lobby Luna Bar and poolside Moonrise Bar both have colorful (and comfortable) seating.
Just like Stella Nova, the Terra Luna pool area features a hot tub and plenty of lounge seating and umbrellas.
The 750 guest rooms with two queens have an identical layout as Stella Nova, with only the color scheme differentiating the two.
Universal Studios Stores
There’s plenty of new Epic Universe merchandise for sale in both lobby stores, from Dark Universe Spirit Jerseys to Ministry of Magic hooded sweatshirts to a slew of Epic-branded merch.
Universal Orlando Hotel Benefits
Stella Nova and Terra Luna guests get the same perks guests who’ve stayed at other Universal hotels may recognize:
- Early theme park admission (including Epic Universe)
- Complimentary bus service to all Universal theme parks and CityWalk (Stella Nova has a walking path directly to the Epic Universe bus loop)
- The option to have merchandise delivered to your hotel for free
- Resort-wide charging with your room key card
Another Plus? In-room pizza delivery is available at both hotels for a fee.
Related Reading
NEW PHOTOS! Universal’s Epic Universe Theme Park Will Offer Muggles a Taste of Magic
EPIC Universe Will Take You Inside the Ministry of Magic for a Thrilling Adventure
NOW OPEN! Epic Universe Isle of Berk Guide – They Have Dragons!
Follow MiceChat on social: MiceChat Facebook Page, MiceChat Facebook Group, MiceChat Instagram, MiceChat Threads, MiceChat X, MiceChat YouTube
Discount Disney Tickets and Travel
Snag the latest Disney travel deals from our partners at Get Away Today!
Check out the latest offers for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Disney Cruise Line, including new low hotel rates, extra days and nights for free, special perks, and limited-time opportunities…
(MiceChat works with Get Away Today to provide you with the best theme park travel deals. When you purchase from our travel partner, you not only get great rates and service, you also help support MiceChat. We sincerely thank you for your support!)
Let’s Hear From You!
What do you think about the new Stella Nova and Terra Luna Resorts at Universal Orlando? Would you consider staying at these Prime Value resorts for easy access to Epic Universe opens, or would you rather stay closer to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk and take a bus to Epic? Let us know in the comments!
