REVIEW: Universal Horror Hotel at Halloween Horror Nights 2022 in Universal Studios Hollywood

Shannen Ace

REVIEW: Universal Horror Hotel at Halloween Horror Nights 2022 in Universal Studios Hollywood

Join us for a stay at Universal Horror Hotel, one of the haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2022 in Universal Studios Hollywood.

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Here is the official description of Universal Horror Hotel: “A 1920s Hollywood hotel, once the hunting ground of its infamous serial killer owner, has been turned into a modern-day haunted hotel. Now he’s back from the dead. Your first stay will be your last.”

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Framed newspaper clippings in the queue and house provide some backstory.

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This is another original haunt (not based on IP) for Universal Studios Hollywood, which is always welcome.

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It definitely is creative and fun, and brings an element of surprise to the victims of the house in that many of the dead bodies and mutilated performers are just wearing Universal Studios Hollywood-branded merchandise available in stores since they are supposed to be those guests who wandered in from the park during the event.

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This brings a sense of never knowing which person is a guest in front of you and which is a performer, until they turn around and have no eyes or something.

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Several of the hotel sets are repurposed from previous houses, though used in different ways and recombined to become a new haunt.

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It’s nice to see some of these rooms reused instead of dismantled or going to waste somewhere (i.e. the bathroom from “The Shining” maze being reused as a major set within this house).

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The narrative is straightforward and easy to follow, which is a rarity in haunts, and there is plenty of extra backstory found in the newspapers and newsreels.

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The scares may not necessarily be the most creative in their construction, but they do well enough to get some guests jumping at appropriate times.

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Overall, this was one of the better houses at the event and the somewhat predictable scares are more than made up for by beautiful sets, cool scareactors, and a great story. 

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Watch our walkthrough of Universal Horror Hotel:

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