Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Janie Mueller

We stayed here for the last few nights of our honeymoon and we had a great experience! Charlie at the front desk went above and beyond to make our stay incredible. The hotel is very clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. We loved using the water taxi to travel to and from the parks and eating at the restaurants on site. The bed was very comfortable and housekeeping kept our room clean after long days in the park. We will definitely book here again on our next trip to Universal!

Maria C De Pena

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 – Fantastic Stay! Beautiful hotel with a charming Italian village feel. It’s spotless, smells wonderful, and the staff went above and beyond to make our stay special. The water taxi made getting to the parks easy, and the Early Park Admission + Express Unlimited were a huge bonus. Great pools and delicious dining. Highly recommend!

Susie George

I've been staying at this hotel for many years, and that says a lot. The consistency in service and quality makes me believe they truly have a strong ethos when it comes to their staff and customer care. As someone who regularly stays on the club level, I have to say Greg, the manager, is absolutely fantastic. Andrew was also a huge help—he's since been promoted within the property, but he went out of his way to assist me with my family's complex allergy needs. Traveling with allergies can be incredibly challenging, but they went above and beyond to make sure we were looked after. The concierge team is excellent as well. We did have a small issue with the bed during one of our stays, and the difference in how it was handled compared to other hotels (like the Marriott) was night and day. At the Marriott, it took 14 days to resolve a similar issue at the Grande Vista, but this hotel it was addressed and fixed within 30 minutes. The location is also great—very close to the parks, just a short bike ride away. But what really sets this place apart is the staff. The porters are amazing and always ready to help with anything you need.

Mark Avery

Overall a lovely hotel with great staff for whom nothing seems too much trouble. The added benefit of express passes being included as well as basic food and drink (if you pay a bit more for club level) is great. The only negative is possibly (having stayed at Hard Rock previously) that it’s quite a way from the parks and if lightning is in the area then the water taxis stop running

Joey Garman

I've been coming to the Portofino Bay Hotel for more than15 years. Sure, it costs a little more than the other hotels at Universal, but your room key is a Fast Pass, and that will literally save you hours of time not waiting in lines. Another thing we have always loved about the Portofino is using the water taxi to get to the parks from the hotel. In the past, they have always had 2 water taxis dedicated to the Portofino Hotel, and the wait time go get on one was usually between 5 and 15 minutes, even during peak times like park open or close. The last few times, however, they have been using 2 taxis to service BOTH the Hard Rock Hotel and the Portofino Hotel. It stops at the Hard Rock first, then comes to the Portofino before dropping off at Citi walk. The last few times I have stayed at the Portofino, we have had to wait upwards of 45 minutes to get on a taxi. They were showing up almost completely full of Hard Rock guests and there was only room for about 10 to 15 guests to get on. I'm not sure if this is a cost savings idea or what, but the service is significantly longer than it used to be. When you call the hotel desk to ask about it, they simply state that the water taxi schedule is not fixed and can change without notice. If you don't mind waiting for 45 minutes to an hour to get on a water taxi, then this is a great place to stay. I am really disappointed to see the cost of the hotel go up, and the service we are used to go down. Portofino, surely you can do better for your guests than that.