There aren’t many theme park resorts that may really make you neglect you’re at a theme park, however Loews Portofino Bay Lodge at Universal Orlando appears to be like and feels as very like an Italian seaside village because the identify implies. As you stroll alongside the cobblestone grounds, you may encounter a vigorous piazza stuffed with outlets and eateries and a harbor stuffed with gently bobbing boats.
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Regardless of being inside strolling distance of Common, the lodge is secluded sufficient that you simply will not see (or hear) any curler coasters from the property. Even should you love theme parks, you may want a respite from the motion on the finish of the day. That’s precisely what you may discover at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge.
What’s Loews Portofino Bay lodge
Loews Portofino Bay Lodge is among the most upscale resorts positioned at Universal Orlando Resort. You will discover spacious rooms and a full slate of facilities, together with a number of pool areas, table-service eating places and immersive theming. It is also one of many closest resorts to Common’s theme parks, solely a 10- to 15-minute stroll from the park’s entrance.
For these causes, the lodge is fairly dear relative to the opposite lodging within the space. Charges begin at simply lower than $500 per night time, however there are methods to squeeze a variety of worth out of that nightly fee, which we’ll contact on under.
There are many budget-friendly hotels at Universal, however Loews Portofino Bay Lodge affords luxurious lodging and full-service facilities for theme park guests who need their trip to really feel indulgent. This is what my current keep on the lodge was like.
How one can guide Loews Portofino Bay lodge
There are three foremost methods to guide a room at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge: directly through the hotel’s website, via Capital One Travel or via the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program.
The costs are sometimes the identical no matter the way you guide, however The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders can make the most of extra advantages by reserving via Amex FHR. For those who guide via Capital One Journey, you possibly can earn 10 factors per greenback on money bookings or redeem Capital One Miles.
Though this lodge will not be a part of any main lodge rewards program, you possibly can nonetheless maximize your keep through the use of a card that earns points for travel purchases, just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which earns two factors per greenback on journey purchases. (For that cause, it is amongst our favorite credit cards for booking hotel stays.)
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Money costs for the standard room common between $500 and $600 per night time. You possibly can pay as little as $400 if Common is providing a lodge low cost — or as a lot as $900 per night time should you go to throughout a busy time of 12 months.
In case you are an eligible Amex cardholder and guide via the Amex FHR program, you possibly can pay with money, Amex Membership Rewards points or a mix of the 2. You will earn 5 factors per greenback spent on any portion of your reserving paid in money. Amex Journey lodge reservations are pay as you go, however most properties have versatile cancellation insurance policies. Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, for instance, sometimes permits cancellations till 5 days earlier than your arrival date.
Theme park advantages at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge
All friends of Loews Portofino Bay Lodge obtain beneficiant theme park advantages. The primary is Early Park Admission to one among Common’s parks as much as an hour earlier than the official opening time. You’ll be able to verify this page to see which of Common’s two parks (and which sights at that park) might be open for early admission on a given day.
Early Park Admission is open to all friends staying at one among Common’s on-site resorts, together with complimentary theme park transportation and resort-wide charging privileges utilizing your lodge key.
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Friends on the lodge additionally obtain complimentary Common Categorical Limitless for everybody staying within the room. Common Categorical permits you to skip the common line at most sights. It could save hours ready in line and begins at $119.99 per particular person per day, which generally is a enormous financial savings.
For those who plan on shopping for Categorical anyway, you possibly can break even or come out forward by staying at Portofino Bay or one other of Common’s Premier resorts (Loews Royal Pacific Resort or Arduous Rock Lodge at Common Orlando) over a less-expensive lodge.
Amex Advantageous Inns + Resorts advantages at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge
Friends who guide via the Amex FHR program obtain extra advantages on high of these talked about above.
You’ll be able to obtain a room improve when accessible (we had been upgraded from a garden-view room to a bay-view room), complimentary Wi-Fi, midday check-in and 4 p.m. checkout. You additionally obtain a each day breakfast buffet for 2 at Mama Della’s Ristorante and a $100 meals and beverage credit score that can be utilized at most eating places across the lodge. We used our credit score to cowl our youngsters’s breakfast buffets throughout our keep.
We additionally obtained a beautiful welcome amenity in our room: a fruit and cheese platter, two bottles of water and sweets.
Friends get pleasure from easy accessibility to Common’s theme parks
Common Orlando and Loews Portofino Bay Lodge are each solely about quarter-hour from Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO). One of many high causes for selecting this lodge is its proximity to Common’s theme parks. For those who journey to the lodge by automobile, you could pay a $31 payment for self-parking or a $40 valet parking payment per night time.
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From the resort, you possibly can attain Common Studios, Common’s Islands of Journey and Common CityWalk by bus, water taxi or a backyard walkway. A shuttle bus may also take you to Universal’s Volcano Bay water park.
I favor the strolling path or water taxi when staying right here. The watch for the water taxi is often round 5 minutes, and also you undergo safety earlier than boarding the water taxi. This protects you from ready in line on the foremost safety screening space, which you may bear should you arrive by automobile or bus.
Relying in your tempo, you possibly can stroll to the parks in 10 to fifteen minutes. It is a stupendous stroll, and I discovered it a calming technique to begin a busy day. There may be additionally a separate safety screening on the finish of the strolling path, which saves you from becoming a member of the crowds in the primary safety screening space.
Rooms are spacious with a European aptitude
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From the {custom} furnishings to the patterned drapes and carpets, the visitor rooms had an upscale European really feel; they stored up the phantasm that I used to be far, far-off from Central Florida. The 750 visitor rooms (together with 45 suites) are designed with colourful carpeting and material, marble counters, light-colored furnishings and blue accents just like the padded headboards on beds.
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Our room had a espresso and tea station and an ice bucket within the entryway. The closet held two spa-style robes, a secure, an iron and an ironing board. The beds had been agency however comfy, with plush comforters that you simply will not discover in a few of Common’s lower-tier resorts. The nightstand between the beds had two energy retailers, and the clock radio supplied USB retailers for ample charging choices.
The large bay-facing window supplied loads of pure gentle, however there have been additionally bedside lamps, a desk lamp and a flooring lamp close to the seating space.
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The big lavatory had a separate tub and bathe and a double self-importance. The lavatory was stocked with Julien Farel merchandise, together with a bar of cleaning soap, a bathe cap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion. The bathe was small however useful, although the massive dimension of the bathtub made up for that (particularly if you’re touring with youngsters who like to take a shower). Just like the bedding, the towels had been of upper high quality than these at a few of Common’s lower-tier properties.
Even with two queen beds within the room, there was loads of room for a rollaway mattress, which is critical for us as a household of 5 once we keep in a normal room.
The lodge additionally has club-level rooms which can be barely bigger and provide entry to an unique lounge and suites; these embody Despicable Me Youngsters Suites with custom-made missile beds and a separate sleeping space for folks.
Friends can dine in an Italian-inspired piazza
Loews Portofino Bay Lodge has a mixture of quick-service and table-service eating places, in addition to a Starbucks, a gelateria and room service.
We had breakfast at Mama Della’s Ristorante, which was included in our Amex FHR advantages. The common worth for the breakfast buffet is $30 for adults and $16 for teenagers ages 3 via 9 (youngsters below 3 are free). The buffet unfold was spectacular, with recent pastries, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs and different typical buffet gadgets, together with an omelet station. You too can order off the common breakfast menu.
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Up to now, I’ve eaten at Mama Della’s for dinner, and musicians circulated via the restaurant throughout the night. (They even took requests.)
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We additionally steadily visited the lodge’s Starbucks espresso store, which had a virtually an identical food and drinks menu to different Starbucks places. Sal’s Market Deli contained in the foyer is an effective spot for on-the-go snacks and drinks or a scorching, recent pizza to convey again to your lodge room.
We ate most of our meals contained in the parks on this journey; nevertheless, I’ve visited The Thirsty Fish for dinner and drinks prior to now and beloved the expertise of eating exterior within the piazza. With the stay music and different friends having fun with the night, it felt harking back to comparable nights I’ve had that had been truly in Italy.
There’s loads of household enjoyable available exterior the theme parks
Loews Portofino Bay Lodge has one among my favourite pool complexes at Common. The principle pool is named the Seashore Pool and has a sandy seaside, a gently sloping zero-entry space, two scorching tubs, pool video games and a waterslide normal after a Roman aqueduct. There may be ample seating, and cabana leases are additionally accessible. Two different swimming pools, the Villa Pool and the Hillside Pool, are smaller and provide a quieter environment.
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The lodge additionally has a 24-hour health middle, a well-marked out of doors jogging path, an arcade and a full-service spa. The health club had a wide selection of cardio tools, free weights and weight coaching machines, although the variety of machines could make it really feel a bit crowded if various individuals are figuring out. The Mandara Spa affords hair, nail and pores and skin therapies, massages and sauna services. You’ll be able to view a full price list here.
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Causes Loews Portofino Bay Lodge may not be for you
One factor that will deter some friends from checking into Loews Portofino Bay Lodge is the sheer dimension of this property; every little thing is sort of unfold out. Varied areas (just like the health club and eating places) usually are not housed in a single constructing, and chances are you’ll end up strolling a long way to get out of your room to the foyer or different public areas.
From the elevator, you must stroll down two units of stairs (or take one other elevator) to the world the place the visitor rooms, pool, eating and most different lodge facilities are. This one is probably not the most suitable choice should you favor smaller resorts.
Accessibility
Loews Portofino Bay Lodge affords specifically outfitted, accessible visitor rooms with wheelchair-friendly options like decrease closet rods and peepholes, wider doorways and roll-in showers. All eating places and elevators are wheelchair accessible, together with the foyer and swimming pools. The swimming pools even have zero-entry areas and wheelchair lifts.
Visitor rooms have Braille room numbers for visually impaired friends, in addition to a visible alarm and doorbell, a flashing gentle on the telephone and TTYs (Teletypewriters) for friends who’re listening to impaired.
Trying out
This wasn’t my first keep at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, and it will not be my final. The serene setting, giant rooms, proximity to Common’s theme parks and the perks like complimentary Common Categorical skip-the-line entry will preserve me coming again. The potential of being serenaded whereas I dine alfresco overlooking the bay does not damage, both.
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