Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando

Virgin rating

The hotel

Experience la dolce vita — the sweet life — at Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando. Set on a stunning harbour, prepare to be transported to the charming, picturesque Italian seaside and cobblestoned streets. Sit and enjoy the views over the glistening harbour waters while sipping on a coffee. Taste traditional Italian food in one of the many restaurants. And, when the sun’s shining, jump into one of the pools to cool off. The parks are only a water taxi or shuttle bus away, and you’ll benefit from amazing extras such as FREE** Universal Express Unlimited ride access, allowing you to skip the regular lines in Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure all day (Valid theme park admission required) and Early Park Admission† to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and Universal’s Volcano Bay.

Amenities

  • Kids Club
  • Wheelchair access
  • Families
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Games Room
  • Hot tub
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool

Where is it

Within easy walking distance of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure plus Universal CityWalk and a quick shuttle bus ride to Universal's Volcano Bay. A water taxi or shuttle bus is also available to reach all 3 parks and Universal CityWalk. Transfer time from Orlando International Airport: 20 minutes.

Hotel information

750 rooms. All with air-conditioning, 42" flat-screen TV, iPod docking station, coffee maker, safe, iron and board, bathrobes, and hairdryer. Nightly turn-down service on-request. Garden View Rooms are 450 sq ft and have views of the lawns and gardens, with 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Bay View Rooms are 450 sq ft and overlook the piazza and scenic harbour, with 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. 

Deluxe Rooms are 490 sq ft and have views of the villa pool or the beach pool, with a larger living space and 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. 

Club Rooms are 490 sq ft and include exclusive club benefits (listed below), with 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. 

Despicable Me Kids Suites are large family suites, featuring two bedrooms and a separate kids room with a small table and chair set, wardrobe and TV. With 1 king-size bed in the master bedroom, and twin beds or bunk beds in the second bedroom, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children. (Please note: the children's bedroom only opens into the adult's bedroom). 


Club Level Rooms include access to the Portofino Club Lounge, offering the following benefits:  

Access to an exclusive Lounge for American buffet breakfast, drinks and afternoon snacks 

Access to the exclusive Compass Club Lounge for private breakfast, drinks and afternoon snacks  

Please note: all rooms can have an additional rollaway bed, sleeping a 3rd child. Rollaway beds are at an additional cost, payable locally

Complimentary water taxis or shuttle buses to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay and CityWalk™. Self-parking $28, Valet parking $37, both plus tax, per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Bice Ristorante (Italian cuisine, open for dinner). Mama Della's Ristorante (Italian food, open for dinner). Trattoria del Porto (Italian with a modern twist, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Sal's Market Deli (pizza, sandwiches and deli items, open for lunch and dinner). Splendido Bar and Grill^ (poolside dining). Gelateria (breakfast items, ice cream and milkshakes). Starbucks®. The Thirsty Fish (harbourside bar with evening entertainment on select nights). 24-hour room service*.

'Musica della Notte' (Music of the Night), an evening musical celebration at the Harbour Piazza.

Beach pool with water-slide, a sandy beach, adjacent children's pool, poolside games, 2 hot tubs and private cabanas*. Villa pool with private cabanas*. Hillside pool (quiet pool). Kids' camp* (reservations required), Mandara Spa®*. Fitness centre with hot tub, sauna and steam rooms*. Games room*.

Resort-wide charging privileges with your room key card. Complimentary delivery of merchandise purchased throughout the resort to your hotel. Wake-up call from one of your favourite Universal Orlando characters*. Gift and retail shops. Concierge. Complimentary WiFi. Universal Vacation Planning Centre.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. To discover all the special assistance services we offer please see additional information below.

2 nights at all times.

 

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23).

Special assistance

Please note: one person must be 21 years or over in each room to check-in

^ Must be 21+ with a valid photo ID to consume alcoholic beverages.

**Requires theme park admission. Valid only at participating rides and attractions in Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Not valid at Universal’s Volcano Bay. Excludes separately ticketed events. Park-to-Park admission required to board the Hogwarts™ Express. Benefit valid only for guests of Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel® and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, for the number of guests staying in the room for the length of hotel stay. Available during normal theme park operating hours only. Additional restrictions may apply and benefits are subject to change without notice.

†Requires theme park admission. Early Park Admission begins up to one (1) hour prior to regular scheduled park opening to either Universal Studios Florida or Universal’s Islands of Adventure as determined by Universal Orlando. Early Park Admission begins up to one (1) hour prior to regular scheduled park opening for Universal’s Volcano Bay. Valid at select attractions at each park. Attractions are subject to substitutions without notice. Additional restrictions may apply.

Portofino Bay Hotel TM & © 2022 UCF Hotel Venture. All rights reserved. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2022 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

Please note: the hotel will be making repairs to the façade of the hotel from June 2023 – June 2025 to maintain the immersive experience of the Italian village. All work will be done during business hours 9am – 6pm. These repairs are being done one section at a time and may be visible to guests. Guests can expect noise from time to time. ​Thank you for your understanding as the hotel make these repairs to the distinctive environment created for guests. Areas where repairs are in progress may be visible to guests, depending on the location of their room within the hotel. Most common areas of the hotel and food and beverage outlets will remain available for guest use. There may be modifications required in certain areas as work is being completed. 

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
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Traveller rating

  • Excellent (5137)
  • Very good (1646)
  • Average (807)
  • Poor (441)
  • Terrible (459)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Stay at hard rock

Mar 28, 2024 carlad404 North Canton, Ohio

Nice amenities but room was very small. They put a rollaway bed in as there were five of us but felt like we were in a tuna can The bathroom was huge. Not sure why they wasted space in there and not the room. Very pricey. $5 for a soda but that is standard for most places. Sals had good pizza and the food at the pool was reasonably priced. Just… Read more
Nice amenities but room was very small. They put a rollaway bed in as there were five of us but felt like we were in a tuna can The bathroom was huge. Not sure why they wasted space in there and not the room. Very pricey. $5 for a soda but that is standard for most places. Sals had good pizza and the food at the pool was reasonably priced. Just not what I was hoping for. Liked the hard rock better Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great staff and hotel

Mar 24, 2024 ARASH G

Great staff and great hotel, very accommodating and helpful in any single way. Made our stay very pleasant. Especially if traveling with family and want to visit Universal Studios, this place is amazing and convenient. They definitely made our trip very memorable.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Disappointed

Mar 19, 2024 Marion M Bishopbriggs, United Kingdom

Having just arrived at the hotel I was disappointed at our view which was of a building site. We checked in, went to our room only to find a paper cup full of cigarette butts on the patio table. The patio floor has butts there too. We gave the cup to the receptionist on our way out. As we excited the car park, we came around the bend and were… Read more
Having just arrived at the hotel I was disappointed at our view which was of a building site. We checked in, went to our room only to find a paper cup full of cigarette butts on the patio table. The patio floor has butts there too. We gave the cup to the receptionist on our way out. As we excited the car park, we came around the bend and were nearly hit by a dumper truck. The driver looked at us as if we had done something wrong. I would expect higher standards from a basic motel never mind this place which must be the most expensive in Orlando. We are only here for one day as we are staying in Cape Coral on vacation. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Comfortable and Pleasant

Mar 15, 2024 T7145KCmh

Even with construction, we enjoyed our stay. We went to the parks or the pool during the daytime, so the noise from renovations didn’t bother us. We found our room to be very quiet at night and the king bed was comfortable. The vibe in the evening on the plaza and by the pool in the daytime was very pleasant. One minor complaint was seeing trash… Read more
Even with construction, we enjoyed our stay. We went to the parks or the pool during the daytime, so the noise from renovations didn’t bother us. We found our room to be very quiet at night and the king bed was comfortable. The vibe in the evening on the plaza and by the pool in the daytime was very pleasant. One minor complaint was seeing trash from the day before around the poolside. We enjoyed a tasty Italian dinner on the patio at BICE and decent sub sandwiches from the hotel. Good food was a welcome treat after eating poorly prepared food inside Universal. We’d stay here again. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Pleasant stay at Portofino Bay Universal

Mar 15, 2024 mhr98 Nashville, Tennessee

We had a lovely stay here. Staff was all very good, lots of dining options. Starbucks on property is a plus. Beds were very comfortable and the bathroom was huge! You get an Express pass for the parks which cuts your wait times for rides in half. Boat to and from the parks was quick and easy (15 min) but the walking path was also really… Read more
We had a lovely stay here. Staff was all very good, lots of dining options. Starbucks on property is a plus. Beds were very comfortable and the bathroom was huge! You get an Express pass for the parks which cuts your wait times for rides in half. Boat to and from the parks was quick and easy (15 min) but the walking path was also really pretty. Construction at the hotel is significant but if you request a room in the West wing you can avoid it being right outside your window. It’s loud in the outside harbor area but unless you’re staying at the property all day it’s manageable. It will be an even better property once the renovations are done. Read less