Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is an entire resort located on Universal Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. If you stay at the Portofino Bay Hotel Orlando, you will gain exclusive benefits of the Universal Orlando Resort, such as Universal Express Unlimited, which lets you skip the lines at Universal Studios rides. And early entry into the parks! You will love relaxing by the pools at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and enjoying the feeling of being in Italy.

Universal Orlando resorts have eight official on-site hotels with approximately 9,000 rooms. Included in your stay are water taxis or shuttle bus services to the Universal Studios theme parks from any of these hotels.

Keep reading to find out why you should stay at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel the next time you visit Universal Orlando.

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Why Stay at Portofino Bay Hotel?

First of all, the Portofino Bay Hotel is beautiful. It’s designed to mimic the fishing village and harbor of Portofino in Italy. The entire resort is themed around this iconic village, right down to the buildings’ color schemes. The hotel sits right on a beautiful harbor and features picturesque architecture and landscaping that will transport you straight to Italy.

If you stay on-site at Universal Orlando Resorts, you will have access to different amenities. However, each resort is in a category, and the included amenities vary by category.

Premier Resorts

There are eight Universal Orlando Resorts. However, only three of them are Premier:

• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
• Loews Royal Pacific Resort
• Hard Rock Hotel®

Benefits of Premier Resorts

Staying onsite at one of Premier Resorts gives you:

• Unlimited Universal Express to skip the lines at Universal Studios theme parks. Each person in a room has a key, and the key is your Unlimited Universal Express. This is worth $100-$170 per person per day! The rates for Unlimited Universal Express vary daily based on visitor volume. This is a major benefit; it’s worth at least $400 a day for a family of four. This is by far my favorite reason to stay at one of Universal Orlando Resort’s Premier Resorts.
• A shuttle service that takes you to the theme parks. This is another cool benefit: you can enjoy a drink if you choose, without worrying about driving. Not to mention, it’s super convenient not to have to park!
• Earlier entry to Universal Studios parks. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is. Universal is home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. There are two words: Diagon Alley™ in Universal Studios Florida™ and Hogsmeade™ in Universal’s Islands of Adventure™. Both get packed, so getting into the park before the general public is a way to make sure you see it all.
• Priority Seating at restaurants throughout Universal Orlando Resort™.
• Resort-wide charging privileges using your room key card.

The History Of Portofino Bay Hotel

The Portofino Bay Hotel Universal was first announced in 1996. The hotel was finally opened in 1999. The hotel was built to become part of the world-class resorts and a luxurious vacation destination for those looking to visit Universal Studios theme parks.

Out of all the luxurious venues, Portofino Bay Hotel is considered one of the best. I don’t disagree, it’s up there. However, my personal favorite of the Premier Resorts is Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Purely because I like the restaurants over there more, and I prefer the rooms. 

About Loews

Loews is a luxury-based hotel chain with hotels in multiple destinations. While large in scale, Lowe’s is boutique-like in design, offerings, and service.  Not a household name for the average traveler, probably due to the price point. These are not budget-friendly hotels or resorts. Yet, the ones at Universal offer benefits that outweigh the cost. 

Some of the locations where you can stay at a Loews hotel include:

• Boston, Massachusetts
• New York City, New York
• Miami Beach, Florida
• Orlando, Florida
• Arlington, Texas
• Tuscon, Arizona
• Santa Monica, California

The hospitality services you will experience at the Loews hotel or resort are impeccable.  And, the beds are heavenly!

Rooms At Portofino Bay Hotel

The guest rooms here vary.  There are rooms with or without views of the harbor.  You can choose the bed sizes, the number of beds, and the actual room size.

Some options include garden-view rooms, bay-view rooms, deluxe rooms, and club rooms. I stayed in a bay view room with the Monkey. To be honest, there wasn’t really that much of a difference in price, so we took the view.

Usually, you can choose either two Queen beds or one King bed, but Club rooms come with only two Queen beds. All rooms include a flat-screen television, a coffee maker, slippers, and a plush bathrobe.

The costs typically range from $564 per night to $634 per night. Now, before you pass out. I did not pay that much; it was $374 a night. And, remember I told you it includes Unlimited Universal Express? Well, on a cheap day (park empty), this will cost you $100 per person. So, when you factor this in, the actual price I paid is $174 a night. And yes, I would have purchased the Unlimited Universal Express if I hadn’t been staying on-site. My days of standing in the heat, waiting in hour-long lines for a ride are done.

Bathroom

At first look, I thought the bathroom was dated for the price point, but it’s deliberate to follow the theme, aka Italian. It had all of the amenities I would expect. In terms of style, not for me. I am not a fan of terracotta anything, especially terracotta tiles. And the bathtub is a standard tub, which is disappointing. I’ve stayed at many Lowes, while these bathrooms are big they are not as plush as other hotels and resorts.

Room Service

If you’ve decided to treat yourself and stay at a Lowes hotel or resort, you must do room service! There’s nothing more luxurious than room service. It’s up there with spa treatments! And, if you are staying at Portofino Bay Hotel because you are off to the parks, what better way to end the day? 

Here’s the Monkey in his bathrobe ordering room service!

I can tell you from experience that the food at a Loews hotel or resort will not disappoint. 

Restaurants Portofino Bay Hotel

You can use a Loews Portofino Bay Hotel map to find one of the multitude of restaurants available at this hotel. Some of the restaurant options include:

• Mama Della’s Ristorante
• Splendido Bar & Grill
• BiCE Ristorante Orlando
• The Thirsty Fish
• Sal’s Market Deli

If you like fine dining restaurants at Portofino Bay Hotel, then try Mama Della’s Ristorante. Here, you can enjoy Italian meals like Pollo Alla Carbonara or spaghetti and meatballs.

For a more casual atmosphere when dining at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel restaurants, try Splendido Bar & Grill, which offers outdoor seating and serves burgers, sandwiches, salads, cocktails, and more.

Lastly, if you are visiting Universal Studios you’ll want to try The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at Universal Studio’s Orlando!

Map of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Amenities of Portofino Bay Hotel

The amenities of Portofino Bay Hotel include:

• Three Swimming pools
• Hot tubs
• Sandy beach
• Poolside cabanas
• Arts and crafts, ping pong tournaments, and pool basketball
• Live music shows every night
• Wine tasting and jazz event
• On-site shopping
• Pet-friendly accommodations

Spa Services

Loews is known for its luxury spas.  Portofino Bay Hotel has the luxurious Mandara Spa® that uses ELEMIS products – another luxury brand.  

Mandara Spa at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel facilities include:

• 14 private treatment rooms
• Two couples’ rooms
• Relaxation lounges
• Co-ed lounge
• Co-ed hydro-therapy pool
• Separate men’s and women’s sauna and steam rooms
• Full-service hair and nail salon
• Full-service Fitness Center
• Retail boutique

If you are looking for more advanced treatments, see our recommendations for sciatica relief & smile makeovers

Opera Singers at Portofino Bay Hotel – Musica della Notte

You’ll love the opera and festive music played every night. The music starts at sunset in front of the Harbor Piazza. The opera singers provide a celebration of charm, beauty, and romance commonly found in Italy. This is the perfect way to be together with your family.

Don’t forget to check out the performance times when you stay at the Portofino Bay Hotel.

Reviews of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel has 4.5-star reviews on TripAdvisor. Most guests enjoy staying here and mentioned how beautiful the hotel is, the delicious food at Portofino Bay Hotel restaurants, and the great pools.

Guests also mentioned how comfortable the rooms are and the benefits of the Unlimited Universal Express.

Closing Thoughts

When you’re planning a vacation to Florida and want to take your family to Universal Studios theme parks, consider staying at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. This resort will provide you with plenty of swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, fine-dining restaurants, and more.

Best of all, you’ll get an Unlimited Universal Express to skip the lines at theme parks when you stay at Universal Orlando Resort. What are you waiting for? Book a stay at the Portofino Bay Hotel today!

Looking to explore more theme parks? Start here:

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