Portofino Bay

[Ahmanet]

I've always thought of Portofino as a business / convention hotel.

Will it get any updates related to a certain pair of plumber brothers?

 

[moistowlette1989]

My husband and I are staying there in October this year- we usually stay at RPR. I LOVE the smell of RPR - the lobby in particular. Does portofino have a smell, hopefully as good?

 

[JoeCamel]

My husband and I are staying there in October this year- we usually stay at RPR. I LOVE the smell of RPR - the lobby in particular. Does portofino have a smell, hopefully as good?

Garlic

 

[Vampyr]

My husband and I are staying there in October this year- we usually stay at RPR. I LOVE the smell of RPR - the lobby in particular. Does portofino have a smell, hopefully as good?

I love Portofino’s lobby scent. I’ve always said if Portofino and Hard Rock could bottle their lobby scents and sell them as colognes, I’d be a customer.

 

[moistowlette1989]

I love Portofino’s lobby scent. I’ve always said if Portofino and Hard Rock could bottle their lobby scents and sell them as colognes, I’d be a customer.

Good to know! I would 100% wear Royal Pacific's scent. I think there are addictive properties in the scents that make us keep coming back.

Garlic

So, if @Vampyr likes it, it's probably not garlic!

 

[wayne01]

For those who know Portofino Bay well, are there rooms in the West wing you would suggest trying to ask for? We have a standard 2 queen bay view room booked, just curious if anyone has a room number they have stayed in that has a great view. We want the West wing as it is closest to the boat taxi. We also would rather be higher up than at lower level rooms. If there is a great room that isn't in the West wing, we would obviously consider it.

 

[snayberry]

For those who know Portofino Bay well, are there rooms in the West wing you would suggest trying to ask for? We have a standard 2 queen bay view room booked, just curious if anyone has a room number they have stayed in that has a great view. We want the West wing as it is closest to the boat taxi. We also would rather be higher up than at lower level rooms. If there is a great room that isn't in the West wing, we would obviously consider it.

Try asking for one of the balcony rooms high up. Only a select few have that balcony, I love the view from up there and it makes it a nice experience.

 

[Thorne-UK]

New member, First post so hope this is in the right place.

Is is possible to walk from The Portofino to the nearby Walgreens and 7-Eleven ?
Many Thanks

 

[Brian G.]

New member, First post so hope this is in the right place.

Is is possible to walk from The Portofino to the nearby Walgreens and 7-Eleven ?
Many Thanks

Yes it is!

and welcome!

 

[wayne01]

Stayed at two on-sites so far. Here and Royal Pacific. I don't think I would stay at Portofino again. Great views, great rooms, terrible showers. Going to try an onsite budget room this year, going to stay at Endless Summer Dockside. We shall see, not having an express pass seems odd however

 

[CMM]

I have a love-hate relationship with Portofino.

To preface, it is my preferred resort at UO. Great amenities, large rooms, great pool, usually great staff, and very good room service. I vastly prefer it to Hard Rock (which I think comes off as tacky - don't @ me!, and I find the room configurations weird) and the Royal Pacific (room interiors feel crammed together to me), both of which just seem a notch below Portofino overall. BUT....

- It annoys me that it's the furthest from the parks (albeit giving it a very secluded vibe).
- The theming hits the uncanny valley hard for me. Better than you'd think it would be, but not authentic enough to feel "right". Makes it appear cheaper than it really is at first blush.
- Layout is suuuuuuuuper spread out and confusing.
- Bathrooms are a good decade behind the times. They are enormous, which is great, but mostly just useless, wasted space. Great place to heap 500 pounds of used towels, I guess? Absolutely makes no sense they haven't reconfigured these into a split bathroom design which would make then 1000% more functional.
- Related, a lot of the room furniture is just oversized and dated. Could really use a hard refurb.

 

[UNIrd]

- The theming hits the uncanny valley hard for me. Better than you'd think it would be, but not authentic enough to feel "right". Makes it appear cheaper than it really is at first blush.

I used to feel this way until I went to Italy. Then I was like damn.. they nailed it.

 

[Mad Dog]

I used to feel this way until I went to Italy. Then I was like damn.. they nailed it.

Yes....plus it's much cleaner than I witnessed on my trip to Italy...And, as I recall, they brought artisans in from Italy to perform much of the artwork, frescos, etc. when building Portofino.
Like you, my impression was that they nailed it. I've spent well over 100 nights there since 2010. My only issue is that guest service has deteriorated a bit ever since they discontinued the
rewards program, and that was trending before the covid 'we're short of employees' excuses for lesser service. But, even with that, my last Portofino stay in fall of 2021 was pretty good.
Portofino is just about perfect for older adult guests. It's quiet and has a refined feel. Not many young kids around. Guests with young children and/or teenagers would probably be more
comfortable in the livelier atmosphere at Hard Rock or Royal Pacific if looking for the deluxe hotel experience, though.

 

[CMM]

Yes....plus it's much cleaner than I witnessed on my trip to Italy...

That's exactly the problem - it's way too clean, which makes it look fake. But then no one wants their resort looking dingy. Sort of an impossible situation.

 

[shiekra38]

That's exactly the problem - it's way too clean, which makes it look fake. But then no one wants their resort looking dingy. Sort of an impossible situation.

There is a point where authenticity/theme stops and practicality takes over

The two are locked into an eternal battle like two dragons

That being said, Sapphire my favorite

 

[Tyr12]

Does anyone know exactly what's going on with this planned refurbishment through 2025? I'm curious just how disruptive it's going to be.

 

[Mad Dog]

Does anyone know exactly what's going on with this planned refurbishment through 2025? I'm curious just how disruptive it's going to be.

Damn....seems like they just finished their room refurbishment a couple years ago.

 

[Tyr12]

Damn....seems like they just finished their room refurbishment a couple years ago.

I gather that it's an external renovation due to the hurricane, rather than internal. But who knows.

 

[Brian G.]

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando hosting Harbor Nights Primavera on April 21, 2023

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel’s food and wine event, Harbor Nights, returns to the Harbor Piazza for Harbor Nights Primavera on April 21, 2023. Taking place from 6:30pm - 9pm, the evening features select wines, sparkling wines, and expertly-prepared food from each of the hotel’s restaurants, along with

www.insideuniversal.net

 

[liquix]

Has anyone done the Harbor Night? Is it worth the price of the ticket?