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Portofino Bay

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Last updated: November 21, 2024

Overview

If you want the ultimate European-style, spare-no-expense on-site experience, look no further than the Portofino Bay Hotel. Universal's top of the line hotel evokes the Italian seaside city of Portofino, complete with a man-made Portofino Bay past the lobby.

Cost Range

$414–$739

Lodging Area

Universal Orlando Area

Category

Deluxe

Transportation

Boat, Bus, Walk

Guest Overall Rating

Based on 94 surveys. (See our Ratings and Research page for details)

Our Overall Rating

Room: A

Pool: B-

Room Quality
Check-in Efficiency
Quietness of Room
Park Transportation
Hotel Pool
Staff
Food Court

Tour of Universal Orlando's Portofino Bay Hotel

Universal Orlando's Portofino Bay Resort Room Tour

Resort Strengths

Italian seaside theming is done well

Largest standard guest rooms on site

Shower water pressure is like being bathed by the hand of God

Three on-site pools

On-site dining options

Walking distance to parks

Includes Universal Express Unlimited

Resort Weaknesses

Overnight parking fee

Some rooms feel dated

What Readers Are Saying About Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

The Portofino was great.

H

Heidi S

October 15, 2022

My husband and I prefer the larger rooms at Portofino Bay to other Universal hotels.

K

Kate C

August 31, 2022

Portofino Bay Resort is far superior to any deluxe hotel offered by Disney - bigger rooms, water taxi to parks is 50 steps from rooms in West Wing, unlimited Express Pass, better food, and so on.

A

Alexandra K

July 28, 2021

The club room at Portofino Bay was fabulous. It was well worth the extra cost for our party of 5, with Express Pass included.

N

Nathan C

May 15, 2019

We all LOVED the Portofino. It seems like Universal appreciates their guests more and does more to show it.

H

Heidi S

February 6, 2019

Rooms

Most guest rooms are 450 square feet and have either one king bed or two queen beds. King rooms sleep up to three people with an optional rollaway bed; the same option allows queen rooms to sleep up to five.

  • Room with Queen Bed(s) and en-suite bathroom
  • Dresser with drawers
  • Full-length mirror
  • Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi)
  • Flat-panel TV
  • Coffee maker and starter supply of coffee pods
  • Ironing board and iron
  • Hair dryer
  • Digital thermostat
  • In-room safe
  • Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bar soap

A very small number of rooms have working balconies; you can't reserve one in advance but may upgrade at check-in if one is available for an extra fee.

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Standard Room

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Portofino Bay Bathroom

Dining

Bice Ristorante This is part of a chain of very upscale and quite impressive restaurants found in New York, Tokyo, Las Vegas, and other international locales. The food is incredibly fresh, well prepared, and elegant, and the service is top-notch. But be prepared: Even a modest meal will put a dent in your wallet, and even though the food and service are definitely worth it, it may be too expensive for many vacationers. If you want to try a variety of things on the menu, split a salad, appetizer, or pasta dish between two people for a starter; portions are large enough for sharing, and the staff is more than happy to accommodate. The appetizers, mostly salads and antipasti of meats and cheeses, aren’t bad, but you’ve probably had something similar already. We rate Bice as one of the best restaurants in all of Universal Orlando Resort, and it compares favorably to any of the similar restaurants at Walt Disney World. Because the Portofino gets a lot of business-convention traffic, it’s probably easier to get a reservation at 5:30 p.m. than 7:30 p.m.

Mama Della's Ristorante This restaurant falls on the fancy scale somewhere between Bice and Trattoria del Porto. Traditional Italian food is served in a comfortable atmosphere conducive to a special meal but not quite as extravagant as its lavish neighbor, Bice. If you want food (almost) as tasty but for (a bit) less dough, Mama Della’s is a great choice.

Splendido Pizzeria

The Thirsty Fish

Trattoria del Porto Where Mama Della’s succeeds in not feeling like a hotel restaurant, Trattoria del Porto does not. The food is perfectly fine and moderately priced (relatively speaking). The interactive Pasta Cucina is available every night until 10 p.m., allowing you to create your own entrée from a variety of noodles and sauces. Omelets at breakfast are pricy, so opt instead for the buffet (when available) offered in the mornings.

Gelateria - caffe espresso

Sal's Market Deli This casual counter-service deli and pizzeria is practically the only affordable option on Portofino Bay property. The pizza is the best in Universal outside of Red Oven and can be made with gluten-free dough. Around the corner, a full-service Starbucks with an attached gelateria and bakery serves breakfast and desserts. Food can be packaged and taken back to your room, undercutting the expensive room service.

Starbucks at Portofino Bay A Starbucks location operating at Universal's Portofino Bay resort. This is popular with conventioneers.

Bar American

Amenities

SWIPE TO EXPLORE

3 Pools

Portofino has three pools. The Beach Pool is for active families and includes a water slide, children's pool. The Villa Pool is more quiet and offers private cabana rentals. The Hillside Pool is even more private.

Arcade

The Game (Not) Over Arcade is located next to the pool and features relatively recent video games of all kinds.

Spa

The Mandara Spa at the Portofino (a short walk away) is a full-service spa and salon. Services include massages, body treatments, mani/pedi. and more.

Jogging

One lap around this part of the Universal resort can be as much as 3.6 miles. Some of it is on roads with traffic. Check with the front desk for options.

Priority Restaurant Seating

Guests staying at the Portofino Bay get priority seating at many Universal park and CityWalk restaurants. Check with the front desk for options.

Early Park Admission

Guests staying at Portofino Bay get in up to one hour early to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Express Pass

Guests staying at Portofino Bay get free Universal Express Unlimited passes to skip the standby lines at most popular Universal Orlando attractions.

Resort amenities at-a-glance
Universal-owned
Early Park Admission
Universal Express
Suites
Club Level
Room Service
Wireless Internet
Fitness Center
Transportation to Parks
Water Sports
Marina
Tennis
Beach
Biking
Airport Transportation

Practical Matters

Check In/Out Time

Check-in is 4:00pm
Check-out is 11:00am

Mobile Check-In

Hotel mobile check-in lets guests perform several check-in tasks before leaving for their visit, leading to a smoother and shorter process once they arrive at the hotel. Check your email about 24 hours in advance for an invitation to do mobile check-in.

Theme Park Tickets

Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Universal Orlando or from a trusted reseller. However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the Vacation Planning desk in the hotel lobby.

Dining Reservations

Table service dining reservations can be made via Universal Orlando's Dining Reservations website or app.

Laundry

Washers and dryers are availabile in laundry facilities at each Universal Orlando hotel. Only credit/debit cards can be used for payment. A small selection of soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets is sold in vending machines in the laundry rooms.

Lost and Found

If you lose something during your stay, visit Universal's Lost and Found website or call (407) 224-4233.

Shopping

Universal hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like.

Child Care

Universal recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels.

Transportation

Driving to the Resort
Getting to the Parks
and Universal CityWalk
Getting to Another Hotel from Portofino Bay
Getting to Walt Disney World

More

Getting to Know Universal – On-Site Hotel Overview

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