Jan. 30–Universal Orlando is heading back to the future with its under-construction Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

The look of the hotel — the fourth on Universal property — is inspired by American roadside motels of the 1950s and ’60s. As work has progressed, the brightly colored exterior panels of Cabana Bay have become visible to motorists traveling Interstate 4 near the Universal exits. The hotel will open in stages starting in March.

Universal is “using architecture to celebrate the era,” said Russ Dagon, executive project director, during a recent tour of the site. The colors — blues, greens and oranges — were chosen by a professional colorist using postcards from back in the day, he said.

Signs with retro-looking script top each of the resort buildings. The north side features structures called Castaway, Thunderbird and Starlight, while the south end is home to Americana and Continental. The names are derived from iconic hotels of the mid-20th century, Dagon said.

The 1,800-room hotel may be an amped-up version of the places travelers pulled over to in the ’50s, but rectangular, no-frills pools are things of the past.

“You can’t get away with that anymore,” Dagon said. Cabana Bay pools will include water jets, a lazy river and bars, and they will be surrounded by cabanas for rent. The north pool sports a 40-foot dive tower, but guests won’t be jumping from it. It’s just for looks, Dagon said.

The 600 “family suites” along the north courtyard will open March 31. Those units sleep six people. The retro look and color scheme continue there. A sliding panel divides the bedroom from the living room, which has a couch that converts into a queen-size bed.

Still, it’s the 21st century, so suites include two flat-screen TVs and a wealth of electrical outlets for the recharging needs of guests who travel with multiple cell phones and other electrical devices, Dagon said.

The suites’ bathrooms, divided into three spaces, are designed to help guests get away to the theme parks quickly in the morning, Dagon said. But the flooring is terrazzo, another d?cor throwback that’s also seen in the resort’s lobby.

The horseshoe-shaped lobby building connects the north and south ends of the resort, and it features a terrarium with six palm trees as its centerpiece. The structure includes check-in stations, the Swizzle Lounge, a Starbucks, a fitness center, a Universal retail store, a 10-lane bowling alley on the upper level and a cafeteria-style restaurant called Bayliner Diner.

Universal’s surveys showed that even people who weren’t alive in the 1960s like the retro styling, Dagon said. That demographic — including the 25-to-30-year-old set — finds it “modern, chic and hip,” he said. “We think guests will like this.”

Theming begins at the front gate. The resort’s sign, already in place, cheekily touts “color TV and cold air.”

All four Universal hotels are joint ventures with Loews Corp., but this is the first one to fall into the “value” or “moderate” pricing category, said spokeswoman Jennifer Hodges. Rates are $119 per night for a standard room and $174 for a suite, though that price fluctuates with the length of stay, she said.

Upon completion of the hotel this summer, Universal will have 4,200 on-site rooms. NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke has said that Universal Orlando eventually could have 10,000 to 15,000 rooms.

dbevil@tribune.com or 407-420-5477