Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Beth Girasia

We just returned from our first time visiting Portofino Bay Resort. It was amazing! The front desk staff was very helpful and Gilberto was incredible. He was able to get us a room upgrade with the most amazing view. Not only was he extremely helpful with every question we asked, but he remembered our names 2 days after our check in date. The boat ride to city walk was also wonderful. It made the trip to the parks so much more relaxing and easily attainable. Will definitely be back!!!!

Viajero frecuente

We had a very nice experience visiting Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. We were not staying at the hotel, but we took the boat from CityWalk just to walk around and explore the property. The atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing, with amazing architecture and a very elegant Italian-style vibe. One of the highlights was seeing an opera performance while walking through the area, which made the experience feel even more special and immersive. Everything looked clean, well maintained, and peaceful. It was a great place to stroll around, take in the scenery, and enjoy a different side of Universal Orlando. Definitely worth visiting even just for a relaxing evening walk.

Christopher Shaw

I booked this hotel with pretty high expectations after hearing good things from reviews on YouTube, but was pretty let down and frustrated with most of my stay. My wife and I splurged for this as our opportunity to finally stay at one of the high end park hotels and we were really excited. The check in process was normal, no issues there and we got our temporary room keys for early park admission on the day we arrived. The parking was underground which was actually nice, but a little confusing at first since the elevators didnt go to the lobby area(Parking was also $53/night which definitely adds a big cost on to the nightly rate). We got our room assignment texted at about 3pm, which was great to have that earlier than expected. We ended up being the very last room in the very furthest wing, and it was a HIKE to get to and from the room, enough so that it felt very annoying to even want to leave it once we got there. The room itself was nothing above any standard 3* chain hotel room, so there wasn't really any premium amenity there, and the water bottles in the room still cost $8 if you wanted one. We did eat at Mamma Dellas restaurant, which was tasty and an overall good experience. The water taxi is nice, but not really any different in speed to most park bus systems, just a different esthetic. The hotel ambiance is fine if you dont look too close, but most of the details on the exterior are just painted on and feel quite flat, which really broke any hope of immersion. If this hotel was in the entry price range, down closer to $200(which is still nothing to scoff at), it would feel pretty good/fine, but when the rooms here typically price at $400-$700 per night, there really is almost no value to booking here outside of the express passes you get for your room guests. That value does make the hotel make some sense if you are wanting express passes anyway, but if you're simply looking for a luxury and high class stay, you wont really find anything special at Portofino Bay.

Jacqueline Lee

Location great! Rooms are decent. The toddler area at the pool was pretty trashy tho. There was rust on the metal poles and trash. Pool service was so slow at the big pool and then the waiter would get upset if you went to the bar directly. In their defense, it looked like they might be working 2 pools at once. One day there was throw up in a hallway outside. Litter could be found around the resort daily. The place could use a little face lift. I think the experience might be different without Kids and with use of some of the on-site restaurants, but we didnt do any of that. The night time singer in the balcony was pretty neat and the walk/boat to Universal was so nice I do not think this resort is worth the price point. Royal Pacific was far nicer.

Leslie Detlefsen

My sister, a dear friend and I booked a quick trip to Portofino to use our season passes at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The Express passes drew us to Portofino and we were so impressed and delighted with all the amazing people, beautiful surroundings and lovely amenities this resort had to offer. We were treated so well and felt so pampered and safe! The boat to the parks was such a wonderful thing too!! Our room keys were our ticket to short lines and cool indoor spaces with shade and ac. Back at the resort the hot tub was gorgeous and movies were playing out by the pool! The Italian atmosphere was stunning. The food and cafe ambiance was just perfect! The staff treated us well and even sent my sister a little treat for her birthday!! We loved the room too! We will come back again soon!!