Guest reviews Loews Portofino Bay Hotel At Universal Orlando

by Bos2n Boston, MA

A fun hotel with great Universal perks. A good value if you use them, otherwise...meh

My first thought upon arriving at Loews Portofino Bay was, “Wow, they are really committing to this Italian theme!” But it was a fun hotel, and there were some really nice parts, especially the pools and location that would make me want to bring my family back. (my full review is on Upgraded Points dot com) There were other parts of the hotels that were a little tacky and theme-parkish, like the fake bricks, windows, and balconies that were just painted on the side of buildings and quickly reminded you that you were in Orlando, not Italy. Despite studying the map and walking the grounds multiple times, I still found the property really confusing to navigate. Perhaps the hotel was designed this way on purpose to recreate the many winding paths you might see in an old Italian sea town, but from a guest perspective, I found it more frustrating than charming. Bringing the kids back and forth from our room to the pool meant multiple sets of stairs (or try to find an elevator) and zig-zagging our way through the mini piazzas (plazas/courtyards) we kept finding ourselves in. We only really knew where we were going when we got back to the main piazza. But for the reasons we stayed at Loews Portofino Bay, we were extremely satisfied. The transportation to the Universal parks was seamless and really enjoyable, the Universal Express Unlimited Passes were awesome to have on a busy park day, and the “free” parking on the day of checkout saved us at least $27. If you can get a decent Virtuoso rate that comes with breakfast and credits, this hotel can provide some extreme value. One thing about the property that I had to mention — if you have seen the Disney film “Luca,” you will instantly connect this hotel with the fake town of Portorosso. I know that the hotel is Universal and the movie is Disney, but I feel like there would have been some incredible branding opportunities and immersive guest experiences had they been related. Overall, my family and I really enjoyed our stay, however, for the price, I would probably stay elsewhere in Orlando if I wasn’t visiting the theme parks. The hotel and pools are very nice, but the Universal perks were the biggest draw (for me). For the same money, there are far better hotels in the area to enjoy if you don’t plan on visiting Universal Studios Florida or Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

by simonisb Colorado Springs, Colorado

Great hotel - Very scenic and comfortable

Beautiful hotel, comfortable bed, quiet room, several pools, club level available, but the distance to the theme parks and city walk is a 15 - 20 minute walk (but you could wait awhile and take the water taxis instead of walking)

by mikeylikesitbetter Santa Fe, New Mexico

guest room

Not cleaned and not very sanitary especially during covid times never brought toilet paper for four days had to borrow roll from my daughter room next to me. Dust in bathroom, didn't replenish hand sanitizer floor was never vacuum for entire stay,bathrooms did not look or feel sanitary a few of the staff cleaning rooms not very personable, whether understaffed or whatever reason rooms weren't very sanitary and that ruined the hotel experience

by reacarte Bloomington, Indiana

Wonderful place to stay when visiting Universal Orlando

We arrived at the hotel at 9 AM and were able to get into our room right away. Check in was smooth and the kids loved having having their names on their room key card/Express Pass. Going to Universal with the Express Pass is the only way to go! We had two children in our party and it's better for us to stay at club level and eat in the Club Lounge instead of paying for restaurant meals that might not get eaten. The Club staff was very gracious and hospitable. The river taxi is convenient and fun. You really can't go wrong with this hotel.

by 772filomenam

Beautiful Resort Central To Universal Parks

My husband and I stayed here the last few days of our honeymoon, which we spent doing the Universal parks. We got a great deal combining the hotel package with our park to park tickets. This is the second time we've gone to Universal. The first time we stayed at Cabana Bay, and we preferred this resort due to its location. The water taxi was a great way to get to and from City Walk, although we didn't mind walking the few times we did it. We felt safe at the resort. There were plenty of food options at the resort. We loved the pizza from Sal's. The pools were gorgeous. I wish we spent more time at them. The only downside we had at this hotel was that our shower water was not hot and did not even stay warm. Apparently, someone from maintenance checked it when we weren't there and said it was fine, but trust me - it was not fine. All in all, we had a pleasant stay besides the water issue!