Kaci Champion

Review of Portofino Island Resort

For the price we paid for a 4-day, 3-night stay, I...

For the price we paid for a 4-day, 3-night stay, I would expect a few things to be much better. First, we booked our room for a wedding over a year in advance. Because we booked before the wedding party, we called back afterwards to ensure that we were in the same tower. Once we got there, we found that we were not in the same tower after all. Our party had a baby with us, making going from one tower to the other for the scheduled parties very inconvenient. We asked if we could be moved, but all the three bedrooms in the other tower were booked.

There is also the issue that we booked a three bedroom with a king size bed and three queen size beds. The room that we were in had a king and three full size beds. Idk about the king size, but everyone who had a full size bed said that they were not comfortable beds. It was likened to limestone by one of our party. That's certainly an exaggeration, but I've had more comfortable beds in cheap motels.

My own room was uncomfortably hot at night, and it faced east, so it wasn't because of the sun. My partner and I woke up many times throughout our stay because we were tossing and turning due to the temperature and the uncomfortable beds.

I was perturbed by the apparent lack of kitchen towels, but there was one by the end of the trip. I looked everywhere for one, so I believe someone purchased it. No "stocked" kitchen should be without dish towels. Additionally, a three bedroom condo should be given more than three beach towels. Whatever. Some things are nit picky, but I'm just showing the range of disappointments.

The elevators need maintenance as there were wall panels that rattled.

The condo itself is beautiful. There's a grill, although the balcony gets very smoky while using it. The bathrooms are nice enough, especially the master with the spa tub and separate shower, which is spacious. The staff was friendly, though one girl was clearly learning on the job. The pools and grounds are well kept and lovely. The view from the balcony facing the Gulf was absolutely gorgeous.

We went to the spa, and had nice services, but we've had better experiences and amenities for the price. The staff who made drinks at the wedding party could be better trained. Larry was great: he went to get the makings for old fashioned's for my partner and me. The others were hit or miss. Friendly for the most part, but one person put rye and soda in a glass and garnished it with lime when we asked for OF's. Oof.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend this place. I hope that others in the party had better experiences, but I don't see us returning for our own adventures.