Loew's Portofino Bay Hotel Review

Great Hotel. Probably my favorite @ universal. Awesome amenities, and the express tickets that come with the room make it all more worth the price of the hotel. Will be back.

Taste of Italy! Nice place to visit. If you are not staying at the hotel, valet parking is $38 but restaurants an validate it and you only pay $5 :)

I have to say the best part so far so of our stay has been relaxing by the quiet pool. The service has been impeccable and friendly. They make you feel so important.

This is our first experience with Loews Portofino Bay and everything has been 5 star. From the friendly staff to the wonderful rooms with an incredible view. Everything we could ask for in a resort.

Fast and efficient service. The valet service personnel are top notch!

The club lounge Is spacious and warm, the double doors draw you in as you are welcomed by the friendly staff. The hot hors d'oeurvres and complimentary beer and wine (5-7pm) makes the experience that much enjoyable. The boards games, comfy couches, and piping hot tea and coffee are the cherry on top.

Harbour nights , wow what a great night out. Varied music and traditional operatic singing made the evening more enjoyable . Great to taste wine to accompany the food from all the site restaurants . Well done Lowe's and all the staff for making such a great night . Thank you .

Great atmosphere, great shops and service, though rather small rooms.

Great place, great service, very clean rooms, very clean place, super friendly and helpful staff. Very family oriented, and beautiful.

Everything was excellent, Hotel friendly employees
I would return.

Dinner at Mamma Della's is always enjoyable. The strolling minstrels make for a romantic dining experience. The food is always wonderful as well. Great for a date night.

Loved it!
The pool area is great. The water taxi is very convenient. The food options were all delicious. Friendly staff and nice rooms. Would absolutely recommend

Excellent stay. Great customer service and awesome atmosphere.

Amazing and so relaxing. Beautiful atmosphere and great food!

Clean, when you asked for something it was fast. Only complaint was it is pricy.

Fantastic location for visiting Universal studios & volcano bay. It's a 15/20min walk or take the free boat which runs every 15 mins (except when it's thundering!) The free express passes and getting into everywhere an hour early (especially Volcano bay) made a huge difference. The hotel itself was picture perfect, restaurants nice and very peaceful. The rooms were not 5 star standard though. No dressing gown or slippers, no free bottled water. However you choose this hotel for Universal access alone

Great experience. Everyone was extremely helpful in helping me find places that I needed to go to. Also made some great recommendations on things to do.

Fantastic hotel, very nicely decorated. Concierge was very helpful. It is convenient to have packages delivered from Universal, however delivery was inconsistent. We had one package not delivered, but they are mailing it to our house so it worked out. Kids camp was convenient. We had a great time, and the ferry taxi to the park was a great touch. Thank you for everything.

I ve been coming here for 18 years and I can never get tired of the view as I enter the property.

An update on our home away from home! We recently visited earlier this December. Of course this is 2020 and while some things have changed, The Portofino Bay remains our wonderful home away from home. We always look forward to the visits, and while their is less staffing right now, those that are there are simply amazing and very helpful. The updates to the hotel have made it fresh and clean.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the previous decorating and color scheme felt more Italian, but overall the changes are nice.
Right now there are no Valet, or Bell services like pre-Covid, but the Luggage service will still hold your bags for you. The parking Garage was a new experience, and was kept clean, and is relatively efficient.
I am however not a huge fan of parking gates, and the way that room keys interact with them, and I am normally pretty tech saavy, but the contractors for that service could step up a bit to enhance the level service expected at the Portofino. Here's hoping that valet returns soon, it is worth the little extra per day. I really do miss the Concierge services, Faith is possibly the most kind and helpful concierge I have ever met, and does a truly wonderful job taking care of us, and helping make our vacations amazing. I am hoping that the concierge services return soon! I will update this post after our next trip with the newest happenings! (previous review follows) This is an amazing hotel, the decor, and all of the staff are simply wonderful. The service is top notch. It has truly become our home away from home, and our favorite vacation destintion. The concierge service is extremely helpful, and capable of helping with any extras and with making various reservations. Nighttime opera performances in the bay, and cocktails poolside with an eager waitstaff make for an outstading stay.

We stayed at Portofino for 8 nights on our honeymoon. I was very impressed that for such a large hotel our stay was quiet and relaxing. They have 3 pools but we enjoyed the beach pool the most. Everything is provided, towels, chair covers, and sunscreen. Chilled scented towels and frozen grapes were passed around. Activities for parents and kids. The shopping and restaurants are plentiful and very good. Loved the bay view room. Having the fast pass was phenomenal and saved us many hours of waiting in line. The water taxi and shuttle transportation was a great feature. I recommend Portofino bay because of all the amenities and quiet atmosphere.

Very nice place ..convenient to Universal Studios park..water taxis run timely

It was a beautiful venue for the wedding we attended. The staff was excellent and we're always invisible unless when needed.

From the moment you walk in there is this pleasant aroma that you just want to have for your own home. We love visiting. The surrounding restaurants are very yummy too.

Located conveniently next to Universal Studios with boat service to get you close to either park. Comfortable beds and cozy rooms made for a good night's sleep. Checkout time was nice and reasonable to give you extra time to get out in the morning. The resort has many large pools with hot tubs and their own beaches. Very large resort do be prepared for a lot of walking to get around but it's all comfortable and indoors.

So classy! We really felt like we were in a different part of the world (with the exception of the occasional palm tree out a window here and there). Cant wait to go back!!

Amazing rooms and overall decor. The courtyard area between wings really resembles a small town square area - especially with restaurant options, live music, and boat to City Walk. By far the best hotel at Universal Studios.

The truth is that this hotel has disappointed me. With the prices they charge, nothing corresponds to the quality of the hotel. It must be said that the service is excellent, the common areas are well maintained and very nice, but what is missing are the rooms, since they are a bit obsolete and outdated. The value for money is bad. They have to work hard to put the hotel in the quality standard they want.

Very nice, themed hotel. Had a great time enjoying a drink and cheese plate outside.

We had a wondeful stay. The staff was very kind and courteous. Went to celebrate me and hubby's wedding anniversary. They made our stay extra special when we mentioned we were celebrating. We felt welcomed. Lovely hospitality.

The hotel is beautiful, staff is amazing, its location is great!

Atmousphere, food, and service were all above and beyond but a bit pricey and usually a wait.

Gorgeous property with very friendly and helpful staff.

Fantastically convenient for transport and the parks I'm general. The hotel itself is well designed with spacious rooms and good amenities. The real bonus is the express pass for the parks, included entry to CityWalk's clubs, and the complimentary transport.

Beautiful place! You forget that you're not in Europe but actually in Florida. The scenery is amazing. The staff is very very courteous and always there to help with a smile.

Great hotel to stay at for choices at Universal. A little quieter and away from the main parks. Restaurants at the hotel were great, service overall was good minus a couple very minor details. I will say the hotel seems a little outdated (at least the part was in) for the price you pay.

Fantastic staff, we loved the theme of the hotel and the room was amazing. Included express pass in the park which was well worth staying on property.

Ate at the Italian restaurant downstairs. Good portion sizes and Italian experience. They had a group of guys singing for every table.

Beautiful resort, please do yourself a favor and go have drinks or dinner if you can't stay the night

Currently staying in King Suite. Front desk and all support staff have been everything you could want in a hotel. Security, gift shop operators have been Meh at best. Taking the water taxi to the theme parks is a great convenience. The faux villa looses it's charm the moment you look at anything up close. For the last 3 days there has been a mini fridge in the middle of the hallway. Furniture/decor of the room I am in don't really match the decor on the outside of the building. The only wow factor is the premium price, without the premium experience. Hotel bar is described as a speak easy style lounge, just a hotel bar with dark wood trim and obnoxious flat screens like every other hotel bar. The wine bar executes a slightly younger/more chill give. Wifi is adaquit for working on the road, even youtube works pretty well on phones and tablets, there is also "permium" wifi "for multi media streaming" but I haven't found it necessary as I am writing this review from it inside the bathroom.

We went to this hotel because of a conference being held there. Had that not been the case, we would have left. The check in process was terrible. We arrived around 3 pm which was before the check in time and was told our room wasn't ready but they would text us when it was. Ok, no problem. We walked around the property which is beautiful and ate pizza at Sal's and had gelato, both of which were really good. An hour after check in time we still had no text message indicating that the room was ready so we headed to the front desk. We were told that there were no rooms available and maybe they could find us a king size bedroom to stay in with a roll away for the 3rd person to sleep in. We had booked a 2 queen bedroom. The front desk made us keys (not sure why because we had no room assignment) and encouraged us to go to CityWalk while they tried to find a room for us. At that time they said their system was down but they would text us the moment it came back up. So we went (the water taxi driver was interactive and a lot of fun) but never heard anything from the hotel. At this point it is 10 pm, we have a young child who needs to go to bed and there has been NO communication to us from the hotel. So we took the water taxi back and 7 HOURS after arriving, we finally have a room. We are irritated and were given a voucher for two free drinks by the front desk, but neither myself or my husband drink so its useless. Eventually we were given a voucher for the breakfast buffet which was nice, but honestly, how did it take 7 hours to check in? The room itself was nice and big. The bathroom is huge but the stand up shower is way too small. The next day after checking our bank statement, we found out we were charged $1,000+ and was told by the front staff that it was for "hotel room incidentals". We were NEVER told how much was going to be charged "just in case". That charged caused a serious issue through our bank and the morning was spent trying to figure that out rather than spending all day at Universal. Then, the NEXT DAY another random charge popped up on the credit card because whoever ran the credit card at check in, did so as if it was a debit card. It was not. So we spent more time at the front desk than we did in the pool. In terms of other things on the property, the bell hop was nice and friendly, the Starbucks employees were a little rude, and the front desk staff need to be re-trained. In addition, seriously consider having transportation to and from the airport. I shouldn't have to buy a special car seat and create an Uber account just so I can get to a hotel from an airport in a city that is known as a popular family destination. Before I arrived on your property, I was informed that the only way to get to your hotel was via Uber, taxi, or a town car service. I was also told there were no life vests at your pool for my child to wear so I brought his. And guess what...there were some there. We will not be back.

Great experience overall. City walk and Universal is a 10 minute walk away or you can take the water taxi. Several nice restaurants and bars located inside the hotel. Rooms and hotel staff were great.

Had a wonderful experience at the spa! Entire staff of hotel, spa and restaurants were so gracious and helpful! Definitely worth the money...you get what you pay for!

Hair ball in shower, moldy enclosure corners. Room was supposed to be deluxe with view of pools. Instead had a big tree in the window, same as garden view for less money. Bedside lamp bulb was out and they didn t fix it during our stay even though we reported it.

This place is like an fabulous adventure. The staff are more than accommodating. If you are wanting the best in service and accommodations it's a must in Orlando. Though do not leave without a dinner experience at Mama Della's Ristorante', it's amazing!

Very quiet and content hotel. Detail is intricate and really makes you feel like your seaside at portifino, italy. The rooms are very nice and massive. Plenty of pool time with three. Make sure to hit the hillside pool. Never anyone there.

Great customer service, very clean and nice rooms with lots of ameneties.

So beautiful. A true retreat from the hustle and bustle of the area. Friendly staff and super helpful. I love every time I visit

Stayed here for 6 nights in a Garden View King and it was perfect. Requested early check-in, and even though it wasn't ready right when we got here, it was ready within a half hour. The room was very clean when we arrived, and very quiet as it was away from the bay and crowds walking around. If you are planning to go to Universal the walkway to City Walk was fairly short and well-lit for night time walks. The free water taxi was also a plus. The food at the hotel is fairly pricy, however there are cheaper choices at City Walk. Overall a great experience with this resort and I do plan on coming back in the future.

Lookswise it's beautiful. There was mold in our bathroom shower stall. And would not close properly and all the water came outside. See photo. It was so noisy bc they put us in next to the ice machine and cleaning service room. Hotel was barely filled, why put guest in that room unless absolutely necessary. Also there was a green spot on the bed and it got on my pants. How weird? See photo. No hospitality room for a quick shower and clothing change. They made us lug our luggage uphill to the spa to change our clothes and we just couldnt make it, ao we resorted to the nearest outside bathroom while walking to the spa. Very disappointing for the price.

Amazing resort, quick access to the parks and city walk. Enjoyed our stay and will stay again in the future.

100 points, really nice place to stay with kids and family.

Super nice people, super helpful. They gave me a number I could text 24/7 for requests or information--which I used a lot. The food was good, great views, nice pools and large hot tubs. The evening court yard featured opera singers for about 20 minutes--I don't consider myself a fan or the opera but I enjoyed that tremendously.
The Portofino has a neat Italian feel to it. There is a bay, with ducks walking around the courtyard--I'm nor sure if the hotel planned this but my family and I enjoyed the ducks. Shops and restaurants are.located near the pool and ariu nd the courtyard and open early and stay open late.
In the courtyard there is both a walking path and a sick with a boat to taxi guests to the main Universal parks and City Walk, which is the main strip of shops and restaurants. They vary is variety and cost and type of food. It's a great selection.
The only down side would be the cost of food and drink (which had good quality) on campus which is high. After a couple of days of $15-18 per person meals, $3.50 soda bottles and $10 per beer (tip included) we made a trip off-site restaurant and to Publix for a few items so we could spend a little less. Once you factor.in the cost & inconvenience of driving off site, it's probably not a huge savings unless you go to Burger King or something like that.
Otherwise, we loved every other detail. The people and service REALLY made this a great place to stay, the best during my 42 years of life.
5 of 5 stars easily.

Love this place! We have stayed here twice and it has been wonderful both times!

We always walk over and listen to the Opera singers and have some pizza. Both the pizza and the entertainment are amazing! Highly recommend!!

Housekeeping does not bother to leave fresh towels or toilet paper and management brushes off all complaints. My son left his glasses by the pool and when I inquired about them at the front desk they called lost and found and I was told they were running them right up to me. I waited 20 minutes until my party had to leave. So they called back and the guy took my number, which seemed odd since he had already confirmed that had the glasses. I received no call, so at checkout we asked again. We were on a bit of a tight schedule but again we were held up for 30 minutes waiting. As it turns out they had to retrieve the glasses from the managers office, she was in a meeting, and they made it perfectly clear that her time was more valuable than ours. I'd much rather stay at a Best Western or Sheraton where they make me feel valued at a fraction of the price.

the ambiance was great... wish the shower was better

Great place to stay and with the added bonus of an express pass for everyone!

Super friendly staff, beautiful grounds and love the water taxi to City Walk

Had dinner here at Bice. Service and food were excellent, but it was pricey.

Beautiful hotel with great ammenities. There was an issue with the bathroom door in our room and at one point the boats shuttling us to the park were quite a bit off schedule. Overall, it was great though.

Hotel was nice and the early admission to parks was great but I wasn't to please by my trip there. Found little bugs all over the countertops in room and asked to be moved rooms and took them an hour and 15 mins to move us. Staff also just walks in to the room if your in there or not without knocking on door. But my main problem is paying well over 3 grand for trip and all the parks and the stay a universal resort and still have to pay for parking every night. Parking was $22 a night. You would think by booking a package deal and all that you wouldn't have to pay for parking which they don't tell you about when you book vacation. Point is stay somewhere else you can get more for your money then staying at loews portofino bay

Was great except for a really terrible neighbor and thin walls.

SUPERB!
That one word sums it pretty much. My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary here, this past weekend. We are locals and only had time for a quick staycation and decided to go somewhere we haven't been. We were NOT disappointed, whatsoever. From the moment you pull up to the grounds, you can tell you are going to be in for something pretty unique and special. As you drive up to the property, you are greeted with a fantastic overview of the property, framed by a large lake. If you didn't already note your surroundings when driving up, you'd never, in a million years, guess that such a large and beautiful property was even back there.

[PARKING]
You have two choices for parking: Self park and Valet. Both you will have to pay for. I will not post prices here, as they may change. Anyway, we opted for self-parking, as we weren't planning on leaving the grounds much. The self-parking is pretty close and accessible from the grounds via stairs or elevator and is quite convenient. There is plenty of COVERED parking, which is a must because of the Central Florida weather and temperatures.

[OVERALL FEEL]
As I mentioned, it was our anniversary and, after noting this, the staff really made us feel special, wishing us happy anniversary around the grounds (we had on buttons). Not only that, when we got to our room later in the evening, there was an anniversary display setup for us on our desk, complete with Champagne, champagne flutes, a happy anniversary card and chocolate covered strawberries. They didn't have to do this, but in doing so, the mood was set for the entire weekend. We also received our deserts free at the Tratoria restaurant as well!

Every last one of the staff we came upon was very cheerful, helpful and all seemed to enjoy working there.

[AMENITIES]
With a property this large, it was no surprise to see (3) pools (there is even an adult only pool). The beachside pool was our favorite, with a large, tropical pool and bridge you can retreat from the sun under. There was a cabana to pick up fresh towels and the staff also located a suitable spot for us to relax, while setting it up for us as well. There was no shortage of food or drinks either.

As the name would suggest, there is a very large body of water that the resort sits on. On the lake is large dock with boats that run to and from Universal City Walk quite regularly. It was a picturesque and calming run between the two, no matter the time of day. The last boat leaves City Walk at 2:00am on the dot, no exceptions.

In addition to pools and quite a few restaurants, there was a Starbucks and TONS of little shops as well. Pretty much all inclusive, if you need it to be. But again, as residents of Orlando, we did opt to leave once or twice to visit our favorite eating spots outside of the grounds. The places on the grounds that we did eat at were great, however.

This is definitely a location my wife and I would visit again at anytime in the near future. Time well spent.

excellent hotel with great views, energy and service. A boat ride from US and IOA!

I had a lovely time here with my girlfriend. Rooms were great clean, setting was romantic on the fake lake at night.

Staff at this hotel are awesome. They were so friendly and helpful, made us feel right at home. However, this is still an overpriced hotel. Both self and valet parking costs are outrageous.