Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Tracy Blahut

This was a quick trip to Orlando for us. We had never been to Universal and our daughter earned a trip with her excellent grades. We were upgraded to a family suite, which was an awesome treat! We loved the pool and the bar and grill. We had a very relaxing evening there before hitting up the parks! The express passes we got by staying here were so great! We didn’t have to wait very long for any of the rides!! The water taxi was convenient and relaxing. We will definitely be back to stay at the Portofino when we come back to Orlando to check out Epic.

Lisa Lowe

Beautiful hotel! Check-in was a breeze and Bethany made us feel welcomed and special right from the start. Loved the water taxi service to Universal. Boat captain and staff were always friendly. Back to the hotel - do club level if you can. It’s worth it especially if you don’t like being dictated by dining reservations every single day. Friendly and personable club manager - only recommendations would be to mix up breakfast a bit - add pancakes!! !! Our daily housekeeping was outstanding - it was such a pleasure coming back to crisp, clean room. Much appreciated by this weary mom.

Melissa Barney

Best hotel hands down. I've never been to a resort that makes me want to skip the theme park but this one did. The convenience of boat transportation is amazing. The hotel staff notice the big details all the way to the little details like a flowery fresh aroma that fills the hotel when you walk in. Club level was amazing and so convenient.

Sarah Minderlein

Excellent location to parks, constant ferry boat service, but don’t expect the Disney experience. Staff were clueless and less than friendly. Our room was run down, with visible debris on the floor upon checking in. Multiple broken dresser and desk drawers. The entire backing of the chair was ripped off and attempted to be hidden by pillows. We waited 12 hours (and 3 requests later) for towels. Food was mediocre at best but way overpriced. Disney food was 10x better and normal priced. Pool hours are good given parks close ridiculously early (6/7/8 pm). Hotels definitely lack activities and friendly staff. I cannot emphasize enough how unfriendly the staff is here and at universal with the exception being the bell staff and lifeguards (and some of the younger servers at the pool bar/restaurant). This is my 3rd stay here but haven’t been in 7 years and it has gone way downhill. My husband and I agreed we will not be returning to Universal and will extend our time at Disney going forward, despite the better thrill rides that Universal offers, because we were just so disappointed from the moment we checked in to the moment we checked out. We stayed in a minion room- minion beds are essentially cot mattresses, super uncomfortable (my 5 year old complained) and one bathroom in the main room only.

Heather Duda

We have stayed at Lowe’s Royal Pacific and The Hardrock hotels in Orlando before but this was our first time staying at the Portofino and it is hands down our favorite. Every staff member was so warm and welcoming. The hotel itself and the grounds are absolutely stunning and has such a relaxing feel to it. The regular two queen rooms are so spacious and the hotel was so clean. We only got a chance to eat breakfast at the hotel but it was delicious and quick. The later pool hours of 10pm were great for our kids, as was the water slide and the pool area was stunning. The parking garage with an elevator to the lobby was a nice surprise as well. The water taxi, early park admission and included fast passes really helps you make the most of the universal experience. We use to be huge Disney fans but the hotels and perks of staying at universal is truly unparalleled. We highly recommend the Portofino and will definitely be staying in the future.