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Residence Inn Orlando Near Universal is an all-suite Marriott on Major Boulevard, across Kirkman Road from the northeast corner of Universal Orlando, where every suite has a full kitchen, breakfast and parking are free and Marriott advertises a free shuttle to the park. Studios and one-bedroom suites sleep four or five, and the two-bedroom suite adds a second bathroom.
It is a practical base, not a resort. We checked Marriott’s pages (live or archived, dated below), Booking.com for three sample stays, Universal’s pages and OpenStreetMap routes.
Quick answer: book it if you want a kitchen suite for up to five, a free hot breakfast and free parking about 1.7 road miles from Universal’s garages (1.2 on the way back), with CityWalk a 25- to 30-minute walk away. Confirm the shuttle times at check-in, because Marriott publishes none, and don’t expect Early Park Admission or Express Pass with a Booking.com room.
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Residence Inn Orlando Near Universal at a glance
- Area and address: 5614 Major Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819 per Marriott (Booking.com lists 5616), in the Major Boulevard hotel cluster north of Universal, across the street from the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nearest Universal.
- Distances: about 1.3 miles on foot to CityWalk; by car about 1.2 to 1.7 miles to Universal’s garages, 4.5 to 5 to Epic Universe, 7 to SeaWorld, 10 to Disney Springs, 13.5 to 16 to the Disney parks and 13 to 14 to the airport.
- Rooms and who they sleep: studios and one-bedroom suites of 471 to 622 sq ft with a king or two queens plus a sofa bed (4 or 5 people), and a 938 sq ft two-bedroom suite with two bathrooms that Marriott lists for 5. All have a full kitchen.
- Pool: one outdoor pool, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Marriott’s live page (October 2026), with a pool lift; no slide, splash pad or hot tub is listed.
- Breakfast: free hot buffet, included on every Booking.com rate we checked.
- Restaurants: none beyond the breakfast room; a minimarket (per Booking.com), grills and a fire pit outside, and several restaurants within about a mile.
- Parking and resort fee: free self-parking; no resort fee, only the 12.5% tax in Booking.com’s price breakdowns.
- Park perks: Marriott calls it an official Universal Partner Hotel with a free park shuttle and discounted merchandise and food (June 2026 capture); no Early Park Admission or Express Pass, and no Disney perks.
- Best for: families of four or five and longer stays that want a kitchen, free breakfast and a car-free way to Universal.
See prices and availability at Residence Inn Near Universal Orlando
Residence Inn Near Universal photos
Here are the suites, kitchens, bathrooms, lobby and patio from the hotel’s own photo gallery. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or see the full gallery and current rates on Booking.com.
Location: how close is Residence Inn Orlando Near Universal to the parks?
The hotel sits on Major Boulevard, a short street of mid-priced hotels between Vineland Road and Grand National Drive, across Kirkman Road from Universal’s property. Our measurements (walks on routing.openstreetmap.de, drives on OSRM to each park’s public parking entrance, rounded; return legs can differ by 1 to 2 miles because of one-way roads and exits):
| Destination | Our route | Main roads or their figure |
|---|---|---|
| Universal CityWalk | About 1.3 mi on foot | 25 to 30 min on sidewalks, crossing Kirkman Rd |
| Universal’s parking garages (toll plaza) | About 1.7 mi (1.2 back) | Major Blvd, Universal Blvd; Booking.com says 1.4 mi to Islands of Adventure |
| Epic Universe (parking toll plaza) | About 4.5 to 5 mi | Kirkman Rd, Epic Blvd |
| SeaWorld (parking toll plaza) | About 7 to 7.5 mi | I-Drive, Central Florida Pkwy; Booking.com says 5.6 mi |
| Disney Springs (garages) | About 10 mi (12 or more back) | I-4, SR 535 |
| EPCOT (main lot) | About 13.5 to 14 mi | I-4, Epcot Center Dr |
| Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom (lots) | About 13.5 to 15.5 mi | I-4, Osceola Pkwy |
| Magic Kingdom (Transportation and Ticket Center lot) | About 15 to 16 mi | I-4, World Dr; Booking.com says 14 mi |
| Orlando International Airport (Terminals A/B) | About 13 to 14 mi | Sand Lake Rd, McCoy Rd, SR 528; Marriott says 16.5 mi |
The setting is five-story guest wings around a surface lot, with the I-Drive skyline behind: hotels, chain restaurants and busy roads rather than a neighborhood to stroll.
The suites: kitchens, layouts and who they sleep
Every room is a suite with a kitchen and a living area. Marriott’s live rooms page (October 2026) lists five layouts with the sizes and maximum occupancy below; Booking.com’s square-metre figures match for the four layouts it sells:
| Suite (Marriott name) | Beds | Size | Sleeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio Suite, king | 1 king + sofa bed | 471 sq ft (44 m² on Booking.com) | 4 |
| Studio Suite, two queens | 2 queens + sofa bed | 539 sq ft (50 m²) | 5 |
| 1 Bedroom Suite, king | 1 king + sofa bed | 502 sq ft (47 m²) | 4 |
| 1 Bedroom Suite, two queens | 2 queens + sofa bed | 622 sq ft (58 m²) | 5 |
| 2 Bedroom Suite | King, 2 queens, sofa bed; 2 bathrooms | 938 sq ft (84 m² per Marriott) | 5 |
The two-bedroom suite has a king in one bedroom, two queens in the other, a sofa bed and two bathrooms, yet Marriott caps it at five people, so ask before booking it for six. It wasn’t offered on Booking.com for our three sample stays, so call the hotel for it; our guide to 2-bedroom suites near Universal compares the alternatives.
Marriott’s room details list a full kitchen with a refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, cookware, dishes and silverware, plus a coffee maker and a hair dryer; an oven appears only on the one-bedroom king and two-bedroom suites’ lists. Rollaway beds are not permitted and one crib is allowed per suite; Booking.com adds that cribs are free on request for children up to 2, there are no extra beds, and children 12 and older count as adults. The hotel is smoke-free, and Marriott lists mobility-accessible (with a tub) and hearing-accessible versions of all five layouts, with roll-in showers only in the king studio and the two-queen one-bedroom suite.
Pool, putting green and recreation
Marriott lists one outdoor pool, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with towels provided (live page, October 2026), and its accessibility notes (June 2026 capture) mention a lift or sloped entry. The hotel’s photo shows a free-form pool with a lift, blue loungers and a shaded pergola below the guest wing. No hot tub, slide or splash pad is listed on either page.
Other recreation: a putting green, bicycles (Booking.com says free in its description but “bicycle rental” in its facilities list), the patio and a 24-hour fitness center.
Breakfast and dining
Breakfast is free. Marriott lists a “Free Full American and Hot Breakfast” and its overview calls it a buffet; every rate on Booking.com for our sample dates included breakfast, with continental, buffet, full English/Irish and gluten-free options listed. Neither page gives the hours, so ask at check-in if you plan early park mornings.
There is no restaurant or bar for lunch or dinner. Booking.com lists one on-site outlet, the breakfast area, plus a convenience store and grocery deliveries for an extra charge; Marriott lists free coffee and tea in the lobby. The kitchen is the point, and the shopping is close: a Publix on South Kirkman Road is about 1.4 miles away by our route, and Marriott’s experiences page lists several restaurants within 0.8 miles, including Miller’s Ale House and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. For more hotels where you can cook, see our Orlando hotels with kitchens.
Parking, fees and taxes
Parking is free: Marriott lists “Complimentary On-Site Parking” and Booking.com “free private parking on site” (reservations aren’t possible). There is no resort fee. Booking.com’s price breakdown for two-night sample stays in November 2026, January 2027 and March 2027 added only a 12.5% tax (shown as “taxes and fees”) to every suite, which matches Florida’s 6% sales tax, Orange County’s 0.5% surtax and its 6% tourist development tax. Rates vary by season, availability and how far ahead you book.
Electric cars: Marriott’s FAQ (June 2026 capture) says the hotel has no EV charging stations and points to chargers “7 minutes away”, while Booking.com’s parking facilities list an electric vehicle charging station, so call if you need one.
Pets: Marriott’s page (June 2026 capture) allows up to two pets per room for a $75 non-refundable fee per stay, but its page gives two weight limits, 40 pounds in the policy text and 75 pounds in the summary table; Booking.com says only that pets are allowed and charges may apply. See our pet-friendly hotels in Orlando for alternatives. Check-in is from 4 p.m. and check-out by 11 a.m. with a photo ID and credit card; Marriott lists a minimum check-in age of 21, while Booking.com says there is no age requirement, so confirm if you are under 21.
Driving to the parks adds their parking: at the time of writing $35 including tax at Universal and Epic Universe, $35 a day at Disney’s theme parks and free at Disney Springs.
Getting to Universal, Epic Universe, SeaWorld and Disney
The Universal shuttle
Marriott’s overview (June 2026 capture) describes the hotel as “an official Universal Partner Hotel” offering “a free breakfast buffet and shuttle service to and from the park, discounted merchandise and food and beverage specials”, and the live experiences page repeats “a free shuttle service to and from the park”. That is all the detail Marriott gives: no timetable, no list of parks served and no booking rules. The hotel’s own (undated) lobby photo shows a Universal Orlando Ticket Center desk beside the fireplace, which is where to ask.
At check-in, ask for the first morning departure, the last return, whether the bus goes to Epic Universe (about 4.5 road miles away, with its own entrance) and whether seats must be reserved. Volcano Bay is on a maintenance closure from October 26, 2026 until on or before April 1, 2027, per Universal’s page.
What a Booking.com room doesn’t include: Universal’s Early Park Admission page offers the extra hour to “Universal Orlando hotel guests and other selected groups”, and neither page extends it to partner hotels, and free Express passes come only with three of Universal’s own hotels. Ask the desk which partner discounts apply to your reservation.
Walking and driving to Universal
The walk to CityWalk is about 1.3 miles (25 to 30 minutes) each way, crossing Kirkman Road; driving distances are in the table above.
SeaWorld, Disney and the airport
No Disney or SeaWorld shuttle is listed on Marriott’s pages (the live experiences page pairs the words “free shuttle” with its SeaWorld and Aquatica blurb but gives no details, so ask before counting on it). Marriott says the hotel does not provide an airport shuttle; Orlando International is about 14 miles by road (Marriott says 16.5). For Disney and SeaWorld, plan on a car or rideshare.
Amenities: fitness center, laundry, Wi-Fi and the patio
The patio is the hotel’s best public space: the fire pit, wicker seating, umbrella tables and two built-in grills sit on the patio, and Booking.com lists it as a terrace with an outdoor fireplace, picnic area and barbecue facilities.
Inside, Marriott lists a free 24-hour fitness center, on-site laundry, valet dry cleaning, a business center, meeting space, mobile key and smart TVs; Booking.com adds a 24-hour front desk and lists laundry and dry cleaning as extra-charge services. Marriott’s page says housekeeping is every other day (June 2026) and lists Wi-Fi as “Free for Marriott Bonvoy Members” who book direct, while its live room details (October 2026) say “Wireless internet, complimentary” and Booking.com says it is free in all areas; ask whether a Booking.com reservation pays for it. There is no spa, kids’ club or game room on either page.
Who it suits
Families of four or five on a Universal trip of four nights or more who will eat breakfast in, cook a few dinners and skip paying for parking. Longer stays suit it too; our extended-stay hotels in Orlando guide compares the kitchen-suite options by area. Couples who want a bar, a pool scene or Universal’s perks should look at Universal’s own hotels instead.
Pros
- Every suite has a full kitchen with a dishwasher and a living area; the two-queen studio and one-bedroom suite sleep five.
- Free hot breakfast buffet and free self-parking, with no resort fee.
- Marriott advertises a free Universal shuttle, the hotel’s photos show a Universal ticket desk in the lobby, and CityWalk is walkable in 25 to 30 minutes.
- About 1.7 road miles to Universal’s garages and 4.5 to 5 to Epic Universe.
- Pets accepted for a flat $75 fee per stay (up to two).
Limitations to know
- No Early Park Admission or Express Pass with a room-only booking, and no Disney perks.
- Shuttle times, stops and booking rules aren’t published on Marriott’s pages; confirm them at check-in.
- No restaurant or bar beyond breakfast, and no hot tub, slide or splash pad.
- Housekeeping every other day at last check (June 2026).
- The two-bedroom suite is capped at five people and wasn’t bookable on Booking.com for our sample dates.
- Official sources disagree on the pet weight limit (40 or 75 pounds), the check-in age (21 or none), EV charging and free Wi-Fi for third-party bookings.
What to check before you book
Ask the hotel (+1 407-313-1234) or at check-in for: the shuttle’s first and last departures and whether Epic Universe is included; breakfast hours; whether the two-bedroom suite is available for your dates; the pet weight limit; the check-in age if you are under 21; whether a Booking.com reservation includes Wi-Fi; EV charging; and your rate’s cancellation terms, since the cheapest rates on our sample dates were non-refundable.
Nearby alternatives
On the same street, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nearest Universal Orlando is the budget version of the same deal: free breakfast, free parking and a Universal shuttle booked at a lobby kiosk, with a mini fridge and microwave instead of a full kitchen. The Hyatt House across from Universal Orlando Resort on nearby Caravan Court has kitchen suites and free breakfast about a mile on foot from CityWalk, but charges for parking. The Drury Inn & Suites near Universal Orlando adds free early-evening food and drinks, but it is a drive rather than a walk. Our list of Marriott hotels near Universal Orlando compares this Residence Inn with the Courtyard, Fairfield, Four Points and other Marriott hotels nearby, and our hotels near Universal with free breakfast roundup covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Does Residence Inn Orlando Near Universal have a free shuttle to Universal?
Marriott says yes: its overview calls the hotel an official Universal Partner Hotel with “shuttle service to and from the park” (June 2026 capture), and its experiences page repeats the free shuttle. No timetable, stop list or reservation rule is published, so ask at check-in or at the lobby’s Universal ticket desk for the first departure, the last return and whether Epic Universe is served.
Can you walk from Residence Inn Near Universal to Universal Studios?
Yes, if you don’t mind the distance. OpenStreetMap’s walking router puts the middle of CityWalk about 1.3 miles from the hotel, roughly 25 to 30 minutes on sidewalks, crossing Kirkman Road and then following Universal Boulevard; the park gates are a few minutes beyond. Epic Universe, about 4.5 miles away by road, is not a realistic walk.
Is parking free at Residence Inn Near Universal Orlando, and is there a resort fee?
Both Marriott and Booking.com list free on-site parking, and there is no resort fee. Booking.com’s price breakdowns for sample two-night stays in November 2026, January 2027 and March 2027 added only the 12.5% tax to the room rate. Parking at Universal’s garages costs $35 a day including tax at the time of writing, which the shuttle or the walk avoids.
Is breakfast free at Residence Inn Near Universal Orlando?
Yes. Marriott lists a free full American hot breakfast and calls it a buffet, and every Booking.com rate we checked for our sample dates included it. The hours aren’t published on the pages we could open, so confirm them if you want to eat before an early park day.
How many people can sleep in a suite at Residence Inn Near Universal?
Four in the king studio and king one-bedroom suite, five in the two-queen studio and two-queen one-bedroom suite, each with a sofa bed, per Marriott’s live rooms page (October 2026) and Booking.com. The 938 sq ft two-bedroom suite has a king, two queens, a sofa bed and two bathrooms but is also listed for five, so ask before booking it for a larger group.
Does Residence Inn Near Universal Orlando allow pets?
Yes. Marriott’s page (June 2026 capture) allows up to two pets per room for a $75 non-refundable fee per stay, but it states the weight limit two ways, 40 pounds in the policy text and 75 pounds in the summary table. Booking.com says pets are allowed and charges may apply. Call ahead with your pet’s size; service animals are welcome without a fee.
Bottom line
Residence Inn Orlando Near Universal is one of the better-value bases for a Universal week: a full kitchen, free breakfast, free parking and no resort fee in one building, with a free shuttle on paper and CityWalk within a long walk. You give up on-site dining, resort pools and Universal’s early entry, and you’ll need to confirm the shuttle details yourself. Compare rates for Residence Inn by Marriott Near Universal Orlando on Booking.com, or weigh it against the other picks in our guide to the best hotels near Universal Studios Orlando.
Sources checked in October 2026: Marriott: Residence Inn Near Universal Orlando overview (June 2026 capture), Marriott: suites and rooms, Booking.com: Residence Inn by Marriott Near Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando: directions and parking, Universal Orlando: Early Park Admission