From the stunning Italian-inspired architecture to the relaxing vibes and incredible dining, Portofino Bay is the perfect blend of luxury and theme park convenience. Whether you’re looking for a romantic escape, a family-friendly stay, or just top-tier perks like Universal Express Unlimited, this detailed guide from Discover Universal has everything you need to know about this incredible resort. In fact, I even spent my 40th birthday there! Check it out below!
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Have you ever wanted to live “La Dolce Vita” (the sweet life) without traveling all the way to Italy? Well, a taste of quintessential Italia is closer than you might think at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort.
A stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel places you in the center of this picturesque harbor village, nestled in the heart of the Italian Riviera. In all my years of travel, and of all the hotels I have stayed at both domestically and internationally, this is definitely among my favorites in terms of elegance, quality and offerings.
About The Hotel
Every detail of the hotel has been crafted to reflect the authenticity found in actual Portofino, Italy. For those seeking a hotel experience that emanates Italian charm, look no further than Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.
Price Range: $$$$
Perfect for: Families, couples and groups who desire an elevated hotel experience.
Theming: Whether you find yourself dining at any of the eateries in the piazza, boosting your Vitamin D as you lounge poolside or enjoying the comforts of the impressive rooms, every moment at the hotel is meant to feel like you are on an unforgettable European retreat on the shores of the Portofino Bay.
Rooms & Suites: A recent visit with my family to the hotel included a stay in one of the impeccably-designed bay view rooms, a spacious and stately retreat adorned with marble accents and elegant furnishings throughout. Each evening, we found ourselves craving the magnificent sleep that laid ahead of us as we dove into the relaxing queen beds — a true treat after the adventure-filled days at the theme parks. Each morning, we were greeted by the warming glow of daybreak as the Italian sunshine (OK it was Florida sunshine… different peninsula) welcomed us to the start of each new day as the rays beamed off the mellow ripples of the harbor.
Garden View Standard Rooms: Bedrooms at Portofino Bay Hotel are the largest standard rooms offered at Universal. With 450 square feet, lounge like the king or queen you are.
Bay View Standard Rooms: Offering the same composition as the Garden View rooms but with a stunning view of the harbor.
Deluxe Rooms: Elegantly appointed rooms that sleep up to three (one king bed) or five (two queen beds with rollaway). With 490 square feet of space, these rooms are perfect if you desire a little extra room to spread out.
Club Rooms: Spacious 490 square foot rooms that sleep up to five (2 queen beds and a rollaway), offering Club Level perks such as a nightly turndown service, personal concierge service and access to the 3,500 square foot Portofino Club Lounge. The Lounge serves continental breakfast and complimentary beer and wine with an assortment of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres each evening and something sweet each night.
Villa Suites: Expansive suites, over 1,000 square feet each, offering one- and two-bedroom villas that feature a kitchenette, dining area, casual seating and a sleeper sofa for two guests.
Governatore Suites: Indulge in European elegance in this 2,265 square foot suite with a primary bedroom featuring a walk-in closet, separate living room offering a balcony overlooking the harbor, dining room, office and kitchenette. This retreat of wonder sleeps up to three guests with a rollaway.
Minions Kids Suite: What better way to experience an incredible vacation than immersing yourself in the excitement of the park right from your hotel? The Despicable Me Kids Suites bring the laughter to your room in these 800 square feet accommodations reminiscent of Gru’s Laboratory – down to the Minion bedding and custom missile beds. The suites feature one king bed and a separate room with two twin beds.
Theme Park Benefits
If I, in all my sage wisdom, were to rattle off the top reasons to stay at a Universal hotel, the theme park benefits would be at the top of the list. Make sure you take advantage of all the perks offered with your stay (valid theme park admission required):
Universal Express Unlimited: A perk of staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is that each stay comes with complimentary Universal Express access to Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Epic Universe. Valid for each member staying in the room, all you need is your room key to get the best of Universal Orlando’s theme parks without waiting in the regular lines as your room key card offers you the ability to utilize the Universal Express lanes at all participating attractions. This perk is without a doubt a fan favorite for families looking to optimize their vacation time.
PRO TIP: Your Universal Express Unlimited benefit is available to you on your check-in and check-out day. Maximizing your time made even easier.
Early Park Admission: Enjoy early access to various rides and attractions at Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Epic Universe and Universal Volcano Bay (attractions and parks subject to change). Make the most of your visit by getting into the parks up to an hour before opening (up to 30 minutes for Universal Volcano Bay).
Transportation: Your route to Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Epic Universe and Universal CityWalk is taken care of. Complimentary shuttle buses, the water taxi, and even picturesque walking paths offer a way to get to these parks with ease without ever moving your vehicle.
Room Key Charging: You can seamlessly charge purchases to your room resort-wide, from the theme parks to Universal CityWalk — only your room key is needed.
Complimentary Purchase Delivery: To take home the action, select stores throughout the resort will deliver your merchandise directly to your hotel. No need to worry about carrying everything around with you.
Priority Seating Benefit (exclusive to guests staying at Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort): As if your cup isn’t already running over with all the amazing benefits of staying at an onsite hotel, how does priority seating sound? You’ll enjoy the sweet life by getting priority seating at select dining venues thought the resort.
What To Do
While my family and I definitely enjoyed our time at the theme parks, we were amazed at how we equally enjoyed spending time solely at the hotel. To say a stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a retreat is an understatement; it felt like truly being on a dream vacation in Italy.
Pools
The hotel’s pools were a major part of the unforgettable experience. If you love a variety in terms of pool options, this is the Universal hotel for you.
There are three pools to explore:
The Beach Pool: This fun pool offers a fun water slide and a sandy beach — a perfect setting for your family to play together at the pool, especially if you have little ones looking for their own poolside fun. Order poolside snacks and drinks from Splendido Bar and Grill to really up your pool day experience.
The Villa Pool: An exclusive oasis of relaxation, tucked away from the center of the hotel. We couldn’t resist spending days here lounging poolside. (Villa pool loungers can also order from Splendido’s with their poolside server.)
The Hillside Pool: Luckily for us, our room was right next to another pool — the Hillside Pool — that allowed us to get a swim in early in the mornings. We loved how exclusive and private this pool felt due to its smaller size and proximity to our building.
Even if you are not dining at any of the hotel’s restaurants, you can delight in the sounds of the choral celebration at the Harbor Piazza every evening at sunset (weather permitting). You can find this chorus, Musica della Notte, if you are facing the front of Sal’s Market Deli — they are located on the upper balcony. Musica della Notte (Music of the Night) makes the piazza come alive as it presents a blend of many music styles, including opera and romantic music.
If you desire an elegant Italian engagement offering wine, music and food, look no further than Harbor Nights at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. Harbor Nights is a quarterly nighttime wine-tasting and jazz event offering vibrant Italian cuisine and music that is designed to capture the ambiance of the Mediterranean. The event is adorned with food stations, plated hors d’oeuvres, over 15 labels of wine, live bands and even opera. Check this guide out to learn more about this incredible event.
What To Eat and Drink
Our mornings were made complete by the delectable menu offered through the hotel’s room service that allowed us to live our best lives on the Italian Riviera. For lunch and dinner, we enjoyed the rich cuisine offerings at the various eateries sprinkled throughout the piazza, such as Trattoria del Porto, Sal’s Market Deli and Bice Ristorante.
This casual full-service restaurant offers delicious and elegant fare with a touch of Italian charm that your family is likely familiar with for breakfast, lunch and dinner (pancakes, eggs, soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta). You can’t go wrong with making Trattoria your homebase for your meals.
Offering Northern Italian cuisine, Bice is a great location for those seeking world-class Italian cuisine for a night out. You’ll even delight in knowing a pastry chef crafts decadent desserts like tiramisu and limoncello cheesecake each day. Note that resort or business casual attire is recommended.
Just steps away from the harbor, Sal’s is a neighborhood delicatessen that makes a great base for snacks and quick eats for your entire family. With everything from Italian staples like homemade pizzas, sandwiches, salads, meats, cheese and fresh fruit, this quick-service deli is likely to be a place you visit multiple times during your stay.
To cool off in the balmy afternoons, we enjoyed the tasty artisan gelato options offered at the Gelateria – a charming shop on the lower piazza that serves ice cream, smoothies, gelato, and coffee and tea. We really enjoyed stopping here for our morning caffeine and a sweet treat before we crossed the piazza to queue up for our water taxis to take us to the parks.
Splendido Bar and Grill
Ever have those days where you want to grab a bite at the pool but don’t want to actually leave the pool? The Splendido Bar and Grill is a magnifico option, allowing you to eat poolside and even grab a cocktail.
Thirsty Fish
This harborside bar offers wine, cocktails, beer and appetizers where you can take in the views from the outdoor patio.
We have had many fine dining experiences in our travel but there is one that arguably tops them all: dinner at Mama Della’s Ristorante. We joined friends to have a large Italian-style dinner at the hotel’s marquee restaurant. Upon being seated in a very warm and inviting dining room, we were unsure of what to expect since the restaurant promised to prepare our dinner family style. This made the entire experience!
Our family style dinner at Mama Della’s included a delicious assortment of some of Italy’s famous dishes: lasagna, Bistecca (filet mignon), salmon & shrimp, pollo alla carbonara (pan-searched chicken) and of course, spaghetti and meatballs. For dessert there was a healthy flow of tiramisu, cannoli and a restaurant specialty, dark chocolate flourless pistachio torte (white chocolate pistachio Chantilly). A fitting ending to our dinner included listening to a chorus that serenaded the restaurant with some of the most incredible singing voices you will ever hear (they even played songs on request).
Where To Shop
Le Memories de Portofino
If you want to fully embrace the charm of the Italian Riviera, be sure to visit Le Memories de Portofino. This shop sells traditional merchandise such as sunglasses, wine glasses and luggage, alongside Mediterranean-style souvenirs and even apparel with the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel logo.
Universal Studios Store
A great way to get a jump on your shopping is the check out the Universal Studios Store – the flagship store of Universal Orlando with a convenient location right at the hotel. The Studios Stores are located throughout Universal in the theme parks, CityWalk and hotels. These stores sell your expected Universal products – apparel, gits, collectibles – in a fun way with many character options to choose from for every member of your family. What a fun way to take some of Universal home with you, all while not having to leave the hotel.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a crown within the league of top-quality, preeminent hotels anywhere, but especially within the group of theme park hotels. As a Signature Collection Hotel at Universal Orlando, Portofino Bay is in the highest category of hotels at Universal offering unmatched offerings that are unique to this class of hotel.
Regardless of how you fantasize of living your best life on the Italian Riviera, a stay at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is the ultimate fulfillment of your dream hotel retreat in Italia.
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