Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando

We enjoy vacationing at Universal Orlando and try to stay at one of the onsite hotels with every visit in order to receive the extra perks.  Most of the time we choose Universal’s Cabana Bay, here is our post on Why we keep going back to Cabana Bay but every once in a while we splurge for the onsite luxury accommodations. On the most recent visit, we stayed at Loews Portofino Bay.

The Extra Reasons to Stay at an Onsite Universal Resort

If you are planning to spend a few days at Universal Orlando theme parks then these extra benefits will most likely appeal to you like they do us. Just for staying at Loews Portofino you will get some perks:

Universal Express Unlimited ride access-this lets you SKIP THE REGULAR LINES in both theme parks all day—this is a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day. You will need a valid theme park admission to take advantage of this benefit, but I am sure you could have assumed that.

Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- you get to enter the park one hour before the normal opening time. This gives you a chance to see and ride without the big crowd.

Transportation to City Walk, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure – The hotel is in a very convenient location. You can take a bus, ferry, or short walk to the attractions.

The Rooms: Comfy and Spacious

We had a Concierge Room with double beds. All rooms are spacious, the beds are extremely comfortable. The hotel property is very large, so try to find out where they are looking to assign your room. If we stay here again this will be something I pay close attention to. Our room was located at the far end of a hall that was on the opposite side of the resort, making long walks just to get to and from our room. This is only a big deal for us because theme park days are exhausting and those walks were not fun with cranky kids in tow.

If you are staying onsite the entire trip I highly recommend splurging for the concierge rooms. The complimentary breakfast, daily snacks, and cocktails are worth the upgraded fee for us. The fresh fruit, yummy pastries and hot bar was nice each morning. And the evening cocktails and appetizers was a warm welcome after a long day of walking around the parks.

There are three pools at Loews Portofino Resort at Universal Orlando

To Sum it up: Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando

ROOM RATES: Nightly rates at The Castle start at $119.00 for a standard room to $200+ for an Executive King Suite.

PARKING: Onsite self-parking is $15 daily, Valet $21 daily

DINING: In addition to the Garden Bistro and Bar, Antler’s Lounge is a chic bar on the lobby floor of the hotel that serves dinner. One of our favorite restaurants in Orlando, Cafe Tu Tu Tango is right next door.  Room services is available from 7am-11pm each day.

FITNESS & SPA: The gym is really nice. A variety of weight machines and free weights that go up to 35lbs. About 10 cardio machines from treadmills to steppers. Some core equipment as well. And some delicious fresh fruit infused cold water! The spa offers a variety of services and it is recommended to make reservations ahead of time.

RECREATION: There are 3 outdoor pools. The main pool has a large slide, sand areas, kids play area (needs refurbished), restaurant with a bar, wait service and daily staff-directed activities.