Related Resources • Universal Orlando

Elsewhere on the Web • Royal Pacific Hotel

Despite the beating Florida's tourism business has taken, Universal Orlando is staying the course with its plans to open a third hotel, the Royal Pacific, this summer. The new resort will feature a lush, South Pacific islands theme.

Once content to mooch off of Walt Disney World's traffic, Universal is attempting to create its own vacation kingdom. Its first on-site resort, the upscale Portofino Bay, opened about two years ago. Last year, the more edgy Hard Rock Hotel debuted its earplugs-optional shrine to musicians from Hendrix to Creed. At 1000 rooms, the Royal Pacific will be bigger and more laid-back than its sister hotels.

Since movies play such strong roles throughout Universal, the new resort's designers appear to be channeling Rodgers & Hammerstein's late-1950s film and Broadway show, "South Pacific." Bamboo and palm trees, waterfalls, lagoons, footbridges, batik fabrics, tapestries, hand-carved wood panels and other touches will help re-create a faraway tropical paradise. You'll almost expect a Technicolor-drenched Mitzi Gaynor to emerge from the lobby and break into song.

Get to the parks quicker
Unlike Disney, guests at the mouse house alternative are able to get to the parks a lot quicker. When it opens, the Royal Pacific will share the waterway that connects Universal's hotels to the CityWalk entertainment center of restaurants, nightclubs and shops. The Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks sit on either side of CityWalk. Water taxis will shuttle guests to the heart of the action, although everything will be so close to each other, guests will be able to walk a short path as well. You'll spend more of your day riding rides than traveling around.