A review of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. Covering rooms, facilites & guest benefits.
Arriving at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped straight into the Italian village of Portofino itself.
Fountains, Vespas, opulent decor, hidden courtyards and even a quaint shopping street all portray traditional Mediterranean charm.
Its crowning glory is a splendid piazza. Where outlets and eateries overlook a harbour, upon which small fishing boats bob around on the water.
The attention to detail doesn't stop there, as behind the facade of the muted coloured houses lies the hotel accommodation. Here the emphasis is on sheer size. Large rooms, spacious bathrooms, high ceilings, and tall headboards.
We spent 4 fun nights at the hotel, using it as a base for exploring both Universal theme parks, City Walk, and Volcano Bay water park. As well as spending time enjoying the fabulous facilities on offer.
Here's what we thought:
Arrival and Check-in
A warm welcome awaited us as we pulled up to the main entrance. We were then helped with our bags, and pointed in the direction of reception.
Room key cards are selected and printed during the check-in process, which can take a while. However, there's an inviting lounge with comfortable seating, complimentary water, and wonderful views overlooking the nearby piazza, all to be enjoyed while you wait. We were even handed a couple of bottles of water, and took the opportunity to explore the surroundings a little.
We were also given an abundance of useful information during our check-in process. This included: timings for the boat shuttle, opening times for the parks and pools, plus schedules for some of the live evening entertainment.
Then, key cards in hand, we went off to find our room. Again we were assisted by a staff member who spotted us searching. All-in-all, a fantastic service.
Portofino Bay Hotel Rooms
There's a variety of accommodation on offer at Portofino Bay Hotel, including Garden View or Bay View rooms, Club Rooms and Suites.
Guests at each level automatically become eligible for Universal Express Pass at the parks. With those staying in a Club Room or Suite also having access to Portofino's Club Lounge, where a variety of complimentary drinks and snacks are served throughout the day.
We booked a Garden View Room, which provided fantastic accommodation for the 4 of us.
The room was extremely spacious, housing: 2 double beds, a table and chairs, large storage unit with flat screen TV, wardrobe, plus a coffee machine. The adjoining bathroom continued along the cavernous size theme, where a double sink, shower over the bath, toilet, and large storage shelves were situated.
Although the resort appears particularly sizeable, all rooms are within easy walking distance of the facilities.
We were situated on the ground floor of the East Wing. Our room was quite far along the corridor, but we always reached the central piazza or lobby within 4-5 minutes.
If being close to a particular location is important to you, the West Wing is nearest to the pool and water taxi jetty. Whereas the East Wing is closer to the shops and bus piazza.
Portofino Bay Hotel Restaurants and Bars
There's certainly no shortage of places to eat and drink at Portofino Bay Hotel, as it boasts no fewer than 9 eateries and bars.
For early risers who want breakfast on-the-go, the Starbucks opens at 6am, along with the adjacent Gelateria. Both sell a variety of milkshakes, smoothies, pastries, fruit, cereals and parfaits, as well as sandwiches and hot drinks. This was our usual choice for fuelling up each morning before heading to the parks, and we found the choice of food and drink was particularly good.
Trattoria Del Porto, which opens at 7am, provides the opportunity for a more leisurely sit down breakfast. The restaurant also opens for lunch and dinner, offering an all-you-can-eat dining experience.
Opening a little later, at 11am, Sal's Market Deli serves a selection of Italian sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and pizzas. We popped in here to pick up a few snacks and cold drinks to take back to our room one afternoon, and discovered plenty of delicious options.
During the evening, the whole of the Harbor Piazza really comes alive as even more restaurants open for dinner.
Bice Restaurant serves Italian cuisine in an elegant setting, providing a refined dining experience.
We opted for the more relaxed surroundings of Mama Della's Ristorante which is a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. An abundance of dark wood is offset by bright, flamboyant wallpaper, mismatched chairs, and white linen tablecloths. Prepare to be serenaded as you dine on classic Italian dishes such as: Baked Gnocchi, Lasagna or Spaghetti con Polpette. The food, atmosphere and service were all fabulous, and a fun night was had by the whole family.
If you like a drink before or after your meal, Bar American is situated near the main reception building. Alternatively, head to The Thirsty Fish, which is situated right next to the harbour. This is a great location to soak up some of the lively evening atmosphere and entertainment.
Live music plays at intervals throughout the evening, and some fabulous opera singers appear on the balcony overlooking the Harbor Piazza at around 8.30pm.
Portofino Bay Hotel Shopping
You can pick up a variety of mementos of your visit from one of the 6 shops at Portofino Bay Hotel. The majority of these can be found in the Harbor Piazza.
Alta Moda and L' Ancora are both clothing stores which stock some of the latest fashions and some stylish swimwear.
If Artwork is your passion, head to Galleria Portofino. Or, you can create your own personal pictures by having your photographs taken around the resort by one of the Family Art photographers who will then transform your snaps into works of art.
The onsite Universal Studios Store is ideal for traditional souvenir shopping. Here you can purchase a variety of Universal Studios themed merchandise.
Alternatively, enjoy an Italian inspired shopping experience at Le Memories di Portofino, which you'll find in the quaint alley near reception.
Other facilities and amenities
There are 3 pools dotted around the resort.
The main Beach Pool is zero entry with a number of sunbeds and parasols, plus a water slide. There's also the Splendido Bar & Grill which serves drinks, sandwiches, salads and burgers.
Lots of poolside activities are also available here. These include water fountains, sand to play in, plus a selection of games located near the main entrance.
Private Cabanas can be rented for an additional fee, both at the Beach Pool and at the smaller Villa Pool, which is situated near the Mandara Spa & fitness Center. Here you can indulge in relaxing Spa treatments, or work off all those extra calories consumed during your trip.
For those preferring a smaller, quieter setting, the Hillside Pool is tucked away over on the other side of the resort at the end of the East Wing corridor.
For even more fun, there's also an onsite Video Arcade, and a Kids Camp available at the Portofino Bay Hotel.
Access to the Parks from Portofino Bay Hotel
Both Universal Theme Parks, City Walk and Volcano Bay water park, are all within easy reach of the Portofino Bay Hotel.
There are a number of transport options available to guests:
1. Water Taxi
Complimentary water taxis ferry guests from the Boat Dock on the piazza harbour to City Walk. From here, it's a short stroll to the entrance of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
The journey takes approximately 8 minutes, and the first boat leaves the harbour around an hour before Early Entry begins at the parks. Boats then run every 10 minutes, until 2am.
2. Buses
Buses operate for the same duration throughout the day. However, they are less frequent, running approximately every 30 minutes.
The Bus Piazza is located at the front of the hotel. Again, the drop off is at City Walk, but the bus stop is further away than the boat dock, so you'll have a longer trek to the parks.
3. Walking
There's a pleasant, tree lined walking path leading from the West side of the Portofino Bay resort to a gate near the Universal Studios entrance.
Walking takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes, and the path leads you past Hard Rock Hotel, plus a delightful butterfly garden.
4. By car
If you're bringing your own car, you can also drive to the main Universal Orlando car park. However, this is significantly more time consuming than using one of the alternative transport methods.
Hint: Parking fees are applicable for anyone wishing to park their own car anywhere in the Universal Resort. Portofino Bay Hotel charges $28 per day, plus tax.
Tip: There is an Avis car hire kiosk located in the hotel. If you're planning to stay within the Universal Resort for the duration of your stay, consider doing as we did: return the car for the duration of your stay, saving on hire car costs and parking fees, then use the complimentary transportation available.
Hint: There's no access to Volcano Bay by car. All guests wishing to visit the water park can catch a direct bus from the bus piazza at the front of the hotel, or from the City Walk bus depot.
Guest Benefits
As Portofino Bay Hotel is one of Universal Orlando's Premier Resorts, hotel guests are eligible for the top level of benefits during their stay:
- Universal Express Pass - by far one of the most beneficial extras, and one which applies to Premier Resort guests only, is the Express Pass. Linked to your room key, this extra allows each guest to access rides via the Express Pass entrance, rather than stand-by. In the majority of cases, the benefit significantly reduces queuing times at attractions.
- Early Park Admission - every day, at least one of the parks opens an hour early to allow hotel guests to access the parks, and certain rides, before the official opening time. Check which park this applies to each day on the Universal Orlando website.
- Complimentary transportation - as already outlined above
- Charging Privileges - allowing most resort purchases to be charged to your room.
- Use of all hotel pools - if you fancy spending time at some of the other Universal Resort hotels, as a guest of one, you're welcome to use the facilities at all the others, including the pools.
Hint: If you're planning to purchase Express Pass, check the cost of staying at one of the Premier Hotels. The passes are valid for every day of your stay, including arrival and check-out day. Therefore, a one night stay provides 2 days of Express Pass, and can work out cheaper then staying off-site, or in one of the other hotels, and purchasing Express Pass separately.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. The tranquil setting and laid back atmosphere provides a welcome break from the parks, which are all within easy reach - despite the hotel being the furthest away. There are fabulous facilities on offer, and accommodation is both spacious and appealing. All staff we encountered were super friendly, helping us have an absolutely wonderful time.
