PORTOFINO BAY HOTEL Information

[damo]

Oh...and you'll be happy having 2 bathrooms w/ the Portofino Suite :teeth:

This is one of the best reasons to book the Portofino Suite.

[bubba's mom]

This is one of the best reasons to book the Portofino Suite.

Oh yeah :cool1: OUR king bed & Bubba in the next room....almost don't have to ever see him at the room! :laughing:

[cieslack]

Are there in-room safes at PBH?

[JessicaR]

Are there in-room safes at PBH?

Yes, safe is in the closet.

[Skuba2]

Yep, yep, yep. Having 5 people trying to get ready to go in the morning just doesn't work too well with just one bathroom.

This is our fourth visit and our first in a non-kid suite.

Just FYI, my kids requested this vacation specifically for the hotel. LOL We went on a few Disney Cruises and each time spent a few nights here. They like the hotel so much, they wanted a longer stay and no cruise. It is just a beautiful property and the beach pool keeps their interest. They usually find "friends" their ages and make playdates for most of the vacation.

We spend the morning at the park, the afternoon at the pool, then head back over to the park until close.

DG

[DecaturDad]

We just returned form 4 nights in a kid's suite at PBH. It was fantastic! The room was great. Having the seperate bedroom really made it a relaxing vacation. We even managed to have dinner outdoors at Mama Dell'as during the evening "opera". The kid's suite is not the most inexpensive choice, but it was well worth it to us.

[93hokie]

This is my first post, and reading everyone's messages has been a great! Heading to PBH for the first time in two weeks, and had one question I had not found info on yet. The wife and I were thinking about using Campo Portofino one night for our 5 year old, so that we can have a night out. Do others have information on this service? When do we need to make reservations?

[bubba's mom]

This is my first post, and reading everyone's messages has been a great! Heading to PBH for the first time in two weeks, and had one question I had not found info on yet. The wife and I were thinking about using Campo Portofino one night for our 5 year old, so that we can have a night out. Do others have information on this service? When do we need to make reservations?



Welcome to the Dark Side :wave2:

Having a pre-teen, we've never used the Camp. But here is the info on their site:

http://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Loews_Portofino_Bay_Hotel/campo_portofino.aspx?ComponentId=6502&SourcePageId=7805#6

[JessicaR]

Just bumping this with the other two - should be a sticky, right?:)

[macraven]

Just bumping this with the other two - should be a sticky, right?:)

it used to be..........

[Laurabearz]

This is my first post, and reading everyone's messages has been a great! Heading to PBH for the first time in two weeks, and had one question I had not found info on yet. The wife and I were thinking about using Campo Portofino one night for our 5 year old, so that we can have a night out. Do others have information on this service? When do we need to make reservations?

I can tell you that each hotel rotates which kids club is open, on certain nights, so check which night it's at your hotel... otherwise you spend a lot of time traveling from one hotel to anotehr, and the kids clubs are pricey.

[JessicaR]

it used to be..........

Apparently.........

[LJF]

I found this link gave a good summary of the various room types:

http://res.universalorlandovacations.com/DetailedInformation/Hotel/Standalone.aspx?HotelId=MCOUPBH&RemoteSourceCode=LtmsHotel&DestinationCode=MCO&VendorCode=UNT

Just click on ROOMS.

[CRSTEPHE]

I've booked the PBH for Aug 1-6 at the Super Saver Rate and I'm a Lowes YouFirst Gold Member. I'm really excited about our trip but after reading reviews on Trip Advisor I'm concerned about my hotel selection and wondering if I should cancel and book at one of the other properties. If you have stayed there recently please comment on the condition of the rooms and the commone areas. If you have current pictures of the room interiors I would love to see those too!

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

We stayed at PBH in April. We love this hotel. I have not read tripadvisor reviews so I cannot comment directly on that. Our hotel room and the grounds/common areas were very clean. The furnishings are somewhat worn or a little faded. Like...the upholstered chair was faded or had some faded out spots, etc. Nothing is ratty or torn up. Should they refurbish some of the items, probably. Would it keep me from staying at PBH? No. THe rooms are beautiful, clean, and have nice amenities. Wonderful staff. Fabulous food. Fun pools. Great atmosphere.HTH:goodvibes

[CRSTEPHE]

Thanks for your comments. Do you recall if the TV's were flat screen or not?

[bubba's mom]

Yes they are.

There are pix in my '08 and '09 trip report.

My DH never wanted to stay at PBH because of the distance to the parks (furthest)...but, since that first stay in '08, it's his favorite now.

I wouldn't be concerned with anything you read on Trip Adv. NO hotel can please ALL the people ALL time.

PBH is a Loews 4 star hotel. And, imo, it definitely lives up to at least that. (if not, just push the * on your phone and Star Services will take care of any problems you have)

Don't cancel....you will like PBH.

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Yes--TV is flat screen and to add a little something extra, they even have a speaker in the bathroom with volume control so that you can listen to your TV program even when you are...doing your business:rotfl2:

Amenities are great and should not be overlooked. 2 comfy bathrobes hanging in the bathroom. Bathroom toiletries are from Lather and smell terrific. They even have cotton swabs and cotton balls on the vanity. A nice hair dryer with retractable cord. A Keurig coffee maker with Emeril brand coffees and teas. Best in-room coffee ever! Rooms are a nice size and the bathrooms are gigantic

The food at PBH is really tasty. We have eaten room service several times(best room service food and staff we have had in any hotel), Sal's pizza, Trattoria, and food service poolside. We have yet to try Mama Della's or Bice but plan to someday.

The grounds and public areas are top notch. Beautiful and relaxing. We love it so much we have discussed going to PBH someday just for a relaxing vacation and not even going to WDW;)

Ignore that Tripadvisor review and have a fabulous vacation.

[CRSTEPHE]

Thanks so much for all of your comments. Bubba's Mom I'm going to try to find your trip reports!

[bubba's mom]

Bubba's Mom I'm going to try to find your trip reports!

That's easy....they are linked in my sig! ;)

[CRSTEPHE]

I've read the 2008 and 2009 trip reports and I feel sooooo much better about my decision to stay at PBH. Thanks for posting such detailed reports.

[bubba's mom]

I've read the 2008 and 2009 trip reports and I feel sooooo much better about my decision to stay at PBH. Thanks for posting such detailed reports.

aww..you're welcome.

You will love PBH...don't worry.

and like I said...if you have ANY problems, just push Star Services on your phone to get it taken care of.

[damo]

This thread disappears so quickly. Wish it was a sticky.

[reelmom]

Trying to decide where to stay. Going back to read this thread.

[CRSTEPHE]

What do we need to do to get it turned into a "sticky"?

[gottaluvPluto]

All the hotel threads seem busy, but this one! Is the price too expensive or has it gone down hill from last year? It doesn't matter because I will be there in a couple of months.

[damo]

All the hotel threads seem busy, but this one! Is the price too expensive or has it gone down hill from last year? It doesn't matter because I will be there in a couple of months.

What happens is that once a thread creeps off the first page, it gets ignored and people make their own threads. This one seems to have fallen by the wayside for a bit.

[Qtips4Mick]

I'll be there in 10 days, cant wait! I hope I get an upgrade they said I was a blue member.

[gottaluvPluto]

I'll be there in 10 days, cant wait! I hope I get an upgrade they said I was a blue member.

What is a blue member? I want to be blue!

[gottaluvPluto]

What happens is that once a thread creeps off the first page, it gets ignored and people make their own threads. This one seems to have fallen by the wayside for a bit.

Thanks! I love PBH and I want everyone to love it too! Well, maybe not to the degree I can't get a room.

[damo]

What is a blue member? I want to be blue!

Did you sign up for Loews youfirst?

[Qtips4Mick]

Yes, you need to sign up, then each qualifying stay advances your status and perks. It used to be more generous now it is date determined. It confuses me. I have stayed three times but not in a single year. My last stay was days prior to the years end. I am hoping it is indeed counted and she was correct I can get an upgrade if available. When I stayed at Portofino the first time I was upgraded to a bay room. It was gorgeous.

[Poly-Anna]

Reviews on Tripadvisor can only be believed with a grain of salt as they say or 50/50. Never take a review as the gospel truth. If the majority of reviews are good for a hotel then I book it. But you will always find those one or two people that need to trash a really good hotel.

That said, PBH is the best Universal Hotel. In in our minds one of the top 3 in Orlando. (The other two being the Yacht and Beach Clubs). It is consistently excellent in theme, amenities, cleanliness, and proximity to the UO parks. You will not be disappointed with staying here. :thumbsup2

I've booked the PBH for Aug 1-6 at the Super Saver Rate and I'm a Lowes YouFirst Gold Member. I'm really excited about our trip but after reading reviews on Trip Advisor I'm concerned about my hotel selection and wondering if I should cancel and book at one of the other properties. If you have stayed there recently please comment on the condition of the rooms and the commone areas. If you have current pictures of the room interiors I would love to see those too!

[CRSTEPHE]

Poly-Anna,

We just returned from our stay and the hotel was beautiful and wonderful. We were in a Queen Deluxe with 5 people and we never felt crowded at all. The bathroom was fabulous and my husband even considered buying me one of the robes because I liked the ones in the room so much! Our children (all boys) loved the fitness center and I discovered that I like the elliptical machines. I never used the inroom wireless because my children specifically asked me NOT to use the computer while we were on vacation. Since thats the only thing they really asked me to-do or not-to-do, I decided it was really important to them and agreed. My computers sat in their cases for an entire week! The Geleteria and Sal's Deli were both great. The interior areas of the hotel were well maintained and I was very satisfied with our stay!

[trstno1]

Can I fit a roll-away in a deluxe room? I know, most (if not all) of the deluxe rooms have a chair that folds out to a single bed. Can I also fit a roll-away in there?

[damo]

Can I fit a roll-away in a deluxe room? I know, most (if not all) of the deluxe rooms have a chair that folds out to a single bed. Can I also fit a roll-away in there?

With the chair folded out, I'm not sure that you could also fit a rollaway.

[FeeFeeWhite]

It may fit, but I think there is a lounge chair that may be more comfortable and leave more room.

[chimo2u]

I had a hard time finding this thread, as I think it had fallen aways back! Too bad it isn't a sticky....it would be so much easier to locate it if it was. Anyway, I am very much looking forward to my stay here in Feb. I was second-guessing myself for a bit and thinking of switching to HRH for my 14 yo son, but the positive reviews here have made me think I will keep our CL reservation for PBH. It definitely looks like a beautiful resort!! :goodvibes

[canadianmickey13]

Hi, we've booked a club level room at Portofino Bay for March. Do I understand correctly that these rooms are scattered throughout the hotel? We've not stayed there before and would appreciate any tips on what we might request relating to room location. Also, is it possible to request a balcony - I understand there are few of these.
thanks.

[JessicaR]

Hi, we've booked a club level room at Portofino Bay for March. Do I understand correctly that these rooms are scattered throughout the hotel? We've not stayed there before and would appreciate any tips on what we might request relating to room location. Also, is it possible to request a balcony - I understand there are few of these.
thanks.

The room category would be a deluxe and you are correct. You can find them in the main bldg - west and east wing. Request a balony or patio. We really like the patio rooms that over look the villa pool.

Hope you enjoy the resort as much as we do! :)

[canadianmickey13]

The room category would be a deluxe and you are correct. You can find them in the main bldg - west and east wing. Request a balony or patio. We really like the patio rooms that over look the villa pool.

Hope you enjoy the resort as much as we do! :)


Thank you very much. Are there any important differences between the west/east wings and main bldg?

[bubba's mom]

Thank you very much. Are there any important differences between the west/east wings and main bldg?

Boat dock is at the West Wing. Most prefer that instead of walking all the way around the lagoon. Main (Villa) Wing connects the two.

[Mommy Poppins]

We are going to Universal for a day before and a day or two after our cruise in February. We have always stayed at HRH when at Universal. I was thinking of trying PBH for a change after the cruise. I've read that PBH is the farthest walk to the parks. Can you tell me how far it is to walk to IOA from PBH? Should we stick with what we know or try a different resort? We have kids 8, 12 and 15 (at trip time) if that makes any difference??

[JessicaR]

Thank you very much. Are there any important differences between the west/east wings and main bldg?

I like any room that isnt in the east wing - just too far.

To the left is the West wing - closest to boat dock; Straight on is Main Bldg where we stay, patio room, villa pool view. and all the way to the right is the East Wing furthest from every/anything.

http://orlando-hotels.travelape.com/wp-content/gallery/universals-loews-portofino-bay-hotel/ORL_PORT-exter-1.jpg

[CornishPixie]

Okay, I am excited! I just switched my ressie from HRH to PBR for our January trip. For only $15 more a night I figured it was worth trying it out. We have stayed at HRH (once at club level) and RPR (3 times in a standard room). We have loved both hotels and we are really looking forward to trying out PBR.
Would love to know your educated opinions on a few things -
1. Should we do club level (is it better/worse than HRH)?
2. Is it too far to walk to the parks?
3. Any way to get a balcony? We are APHs and LoewsFirst members.

Every time we go to US and stay onsite our trip has been awesome because of these boards. I appreciate all the help and tips I have gotten over the years and in the future!:worship:

[JessicaR]

Okay, I am excited! I just switched my ressie from HRH to PBR for our January trip. For only $15 more a night I figured it was worth trying it out. We have stayed at HRH (once at club level) and RPR (3 times in a standard room). We have loved both hotels and we are really looking forward to trying out PBR.
Would love to know your educated opinions on a few things -
1. Should we do club level (is it better/worse than HRH)?
2. Is it too far to walk to the parks?
3. Any way to get a balcony? We are APHs and LoewsFirst members.

Every time we go to US and stay on-site our trip has been awesome because of these boards. I appreciate all the help and tips I have gotten over the years and in the future!:worship:

That's great you get to try the last one! I think you'll love it, we do.:yay:

Deciding on booking CL is really a personal thing. Some will tell you yes some feel it isn't necessary or worth it. We have done it both ways at all three. I like CL best at HRH. At Portofino since you're room isn't a private area for CL people only can be a distance to the actual lounge. Lately I like my space and loews suite upgrades at PBH better than CL. I found we dont use it as much at PBH due to proximity to our room.

No to far to walk and we do it often but we do find that we use the boats much more when staying at PBH. Has never deterred a return visit though! Its just a bit further.

I have a list of rooms that have balconies - or patios. There are very few of both. You can request one but no guarantees. What room category have you booked? And, what level Loews are you?

I have found of the three on-sites upgrades happen more frequently at PBH.:thumbsup2 Especially if you are going at a slow time.

Hope you have a great trip! :)

[CornishPixie]

Thank you, JessicaR!
That was very helpful info. For now, I have reserved a standard 2 queens room - garden view. I am not sure of Loews level but it is probably just basic. I think I will wait until we get there and see what happens at check in. I would love a balcony! Maybe I will decide on club level when I get there too. I am hoping that Jan 22-25 will be slow time and I will have some options. ;)

[Travel1989]

JessicaR would you know any rooms in the bayview category that have a balcony. Thanks for your help:)

[chimo2u]

My 14 yo son and I are going to Universal studios Feb 10-13th currently booked club level at PBH....but I must admit these pics are making me want to change over to HRH!!!! especially for Club level there. My son really thinks HRH would be cool, but I was leaning towards PBH for the luxury feel!! :)
However, your pics have me thinking about switching and surprising my son with a stay at HRH!!! Did you love the rooms??? the ammenities and location to the parks??? would you recommend HRH??
Thanks for any advice/opinions :goodvibes it's such a hard choice!!
~ Marie

[damo]

My 14 yo son and I are going to Universal studios Feb 10-13th currently booked club level at PBH....but I must admit these pics are making me want to change over to HRH!!!! especially for Club level there. My son really thinks HRH would be cool, but I was leaning towards PBH for the luxury feel!! :)
However, your pics have me thinking about switching and surprising my son with a stay at HRH!!! Did you love the rooms??? the ammenities and location to the parks??? would you recommend HRH??
Thanks for any advice/opinions :goodvibes it's such a hard choice!!
~ Marie

I would def. do HRH with a 14 year old son. That is my son's favourite hotel of the three. It is really, really close to everything and has a very cool vibe.

[chimo2u]

I would def. do HRH with a 14 year old son. That is my son's favourite hotel of the three. It is really, really close to everything and has a very cool vibe.

Thank you so much Damo :goodvibes I really respect your opinion and reviews, so perhaps I WILL surprise my son and make the change! I have a feeling it would be quite a bit cheaper than PBH as well, and Andrew has several times stated how cool he thinks HRH is and how much he'd love to try that hotel! Do you have any room recommendations (club level room) for a request?? ie) close to lobby/etc...that might make for a better room location??
I am thinking of calling them tomorrow to check on the rates/ perhaps make the switch! My son would be sooooo excited and surprised!!!
One last ??? Is the pool slide at HRH exciting?? he's also a big waterslide/pool fan!!
TIA for your help!

[damo]

Thank you so much Damo :goodvibes I really respect your opinion and reviews, so perhaps I WILL surprise my son and make the change! I have a feeling it would be quite a bit cheaper than PBH as well, and Andrew has several times stated how cool he thinks HRH is and how much he'd love to try that hotel! Do you have any room recommendations (club level room) for a request?? ie) close to lobby/etc...that might make for a better room location??
I am thinking of calling them tomorrow to check on the rates/ perhaps make the switch! My son would be sooooo excited and surprised!!!
One last ??? Is the pool slide at HRH exciting?? he's also a big waterslide/pool fan!!
TIA for your help!

The only time we stayed in club we were in a deluxe room, so I can't give you any normal room suggestions. I doubt you will be upset with any of them. The pool slide is very nice there. I think that the whole place is just more fitting for a young teen. It should be cheaper too. The other thing is that it is such a close walk and you really feel in the middle of things. You will have a great time. Perhaps you can just request a pool view?

[chimo2u]

The only time we stayed in club we were in a deluxe room, so I can't give you any normal room suggestions. I doubt you will be upset with any of them. The pool slide is very nice there. I think that the whole place is just more fitting for a young teen. It should be cheaper too. The other thing is that it is such a close walk and you really feel in the middle of things. You will have a great time. Perhaps you can just request a pool view?

Thank you again, Damo :goodvibes Just got off the phone with Universal and made the switch....quite surprising, the room is only $6.00/night cheaper! :confused3 that was shocking! (309/night AAA rate. Club room)
oh well, it will be worth the smile on my son's face when he sees the surprise! The lovely lady on the phone told me she had just stayed there with her teen sons a couple months ago and it was their favourite hotel! She helped me feel very comfortable with the switch :) and she even suggested and put in a request for a pool view room for us! Hope we get it :goodvibes
Hope I like HRH as much as I am sure my son will! (I will miss the pampered/luxury feel of a PBH room, but the HRH doesn't look too shabby either, so I won't feel tooooo bad, :rotfl:)
One great perk, HRH is closer to the parks, so that will be nice to quickly get to the parks in the AM :)
I am still excited!!! :lovestruc
~ Marie

[damo]

Thank you again, Damo :goodvibes Just got off the phone with Universal and made the switch....quite surprising, the room is only $6.00/night cheaper! :confused3 that was shocking! (309/night AAA rate. Club room)
oh well, it will be worth the smile on my son's face when he sees the surprise! The lovely lady on the phone told me she had just stayed there with her teen sons a couple months ago and it was their favourite hotel! She helped me feel very comfortable with the switch :) and she even suggested and put in a request for a pool view room for us! Hope we get it :goodvibes
Hope I like HRH as much as I am sure my son will! (I will miss the pampered/luxury feel of a PBH room, but the HRH doesn't look too shabby either, so I won't feel tooooo bad, :rotfl:)
One great perk, HRH is closer to the parks, so that will be nice to quickly get to the parks in the AM :)
I am still excited!!! :lovestruc
~ Marie

We'll be at Universal the next week. I really wish they had made our Family Day a week earlier than President's Day. We could have gotten such great cheap vacations! I'll be there with my son and girlfriend who will be on reading week from university. Unfortunately, it starts with Family Day and $100 more per night for a room!!! Oh well, we still will have a great time.

[CornishPixie]

I was wondering how many rooms actually have balconies. I have been looking at photos of the exterior of the hotel but it was hard to tell. It just sounds amazing to be able to listen to the singing at night from your own balcony. And if you don't have a balcony, can you open hotel room windows?

[Dreamer24]

We will be staying at this resort for 4 nights next month. It will be our first trip to Universal and as a long time Disney visitor, I am feeling like a fish out of water planning universal.

I had a couple of basic hotel questions:
Are there microwaves in the room?
How are the toiletries? Are they good for people with sensitive skin?
Any tips to getting around the resort or what to see in the resort?
How can we keep costs down for dining?
What is YOUR favorite thing abou thte hotel?

[damo]

We will be staying at this resort for 4 nights next month. It will be our first trip to Universal and as a long time Disney visitor, I am feeling like a fish out of water planning universal.

I had a couple of basic hotel questions:
Are there microwaves in the room?
How are the toiletries? Are they good for people with sensitive skin?
Any tips to getting around the resort or what to see in the resort?
How can we keep costs down for dining?
What is YOUR favorite thing abou thte hotel?

There are no microwaves. The toiletries are very nice and also available for sale. Sal's Deli has great pizza for a very reasonable price. You need to really explore the hotel. It has some really neat little areas that often go undiscovered. The ambiance is my favourite thing.

[LetsGoToDisney!]

Hello Everybody -

I checked the hotel's website but couldn't find any info on where to get a morning pastry. Seems like nothing opens until 11:00 AM???? Did I miss something? Or is the only breakfast option room service at Portofino?

Thanks!!!!!!

[damo]

Hello Everybody -

I checked the hotel's website but couldn't find any info on where to get a morning pastry. Seems like nothing opens until 11:00 AM???? Did I miss something? Or is the only breakfast option room service at Portofino?

Thanks!!!!!!

Gelateria Caffé Espresso is open early for coffee, pastries, etc.
Trattoria del Porto has a more traditional breakfast.

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Hello Everybody -

I checked the hotel's website but couldn't find any info on where to get a morning pastry. Seems like nothing opens until 11:00 AM???? Did I miss something? Or is the only breakfast option room service at Portofino?

Thanks!!!!!!


Sal's Deli opens quite early. They have ham&egg croissant sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, milk, coffee, juices and TONS of pastries. OMG--the chocolate croissants are so yummy. It is a croissant with dark chocolate chunks swirled inside.:love: Also--danishes, donuts, muffins, etc. We usually send one of us to pick it up and we all eat in the room while we are getting ready. The Keurig coffee/tea in the room is very tasty. The food at Portofino is outstanding. You must have room service for a treat some evening. They do a fabulous job.

[LetsGoToDisney!]

gelateria caffé espresso is open early for coffee, pastries, etc.
Trattoria del porto has a more traditional breakfast.

thanks!

[LetsGoToDisney!]

Sal's Deli opens quite early. They have ham&egg croissant sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, milk, coffee, juices and TONS of pastries. OMG--the chocolate croissants are so yummy. It is a croissant with dark chocolate chunks swirled inside.:love: Also--danishes, donuts, muffins, etc. We usually send one of us to pick it up and we all eat in the room while we are getting ready. The Keurig coffee/tea in the room is very tasty. The food at Portofino is outstanding. You must have room service for a treat some evening. They do a fabulous job.


Thanks! Will definitely try that chocolate croissant!

[CornishPixie]

Does anyone know if the pools at PBR are heated and open in January? Will it be too cold to swim January 21-25?
:confused3

[geenab]

E.Jane,

"We have a deluxe room booked, and wondered if these room types are available overlooking the villa pool. Or is the bay view better (or is a bay view even an option)?

A balcony is also very important to me and I've heard a few deluxe rooms don't have balconies. The first part of our week will be at the HRH, and we've always stayed at moderates at WDW, and never had a balcony. I want to be able to sit out there at the end of the day and sip a drink! From the pictures I've seen, the balconies don't look very big. Are they big enough to sit out on, and are there chairs out there?"

You have a deluxe pool view booked (beautiful rooms) so I would like to make a suggestion. Prior to our first visit a balcony was very important to me also. I didnt realize that most rooms do not offer balconies no matter what the view. So we ended up in a bayview with a very small balcony no table. While we were there I looked at the deluxe pool view rooms (like you have booked) and decided next trip we would request this. I was thrilled with our room ground floor that offered french doors opening to a patio overlooking the villa pool. The patio was more spacious than the balcony, table and chairs.

I prefer the west wing to the east wing rooms. If you do decide to try for a patio we stayed in room #2258 (2 queen room)
Another room #2665 is a deluxe also with a balcony. (King room)
The other room was room #2461 (small balcony)

One other mention, if you are staying during a busy time dont be too upset if you get neither. If that happens have a nice relaxing drink at the main piazza and you can also stop by the Gelateria for authentic gelato to savor on the patio.

Hope you are able to get a room you desire! :)

yes, we stayed during a busy time and got what I think was the worst room on the property. After waiting for over an hour and a half to check in. And we paid for a deluxe balcony room. Got neither. I wonder if there are two Portofino Bay Hotels, because our experience was nothing like the great reviews I am reading. We were so disappointed in the service (there were other issues) that my daughter and I took a cab to the Yacht and Beach Club (where we stay every year) to see if they had any rooms available, and to hang out in the lobby before walking over to Epcot.

I will never stay in this hotel again, and I will avoid the Lowe's chain of hotels if possible.

[geenab]

We will be staying at this resort for 4 nights next month. It will be our first trip to Universal and as a long time Disney visitor, I am feeling like a fish out of water planning universal.

I had a couple of basic hotel questions:
Are there microwaves in the room?
How are the toiletries? Are they good for people with sensitive skin?
Any tips to getting around the resort or what to see in the resort?
How can we keep costs down for dining?
What is YOUR favorite thing abou thte hotel?

I am a longtime Disney visitor. We love the Yacht and Beach Club. We decided to try something new, so we booked PBH. We checked out yesterday, and I was glad to leave.

No microwaves, no empty refrigerators. The coffee/tea in the room is good.
Try to get a room as close to the reception area or the boat shuttle area as you can. We settled for a room on the far side of the resort, and the long walk down a boring hallway after a long day at the park was not fun, and negatively affected our stay.

Plan on going to the parks or doing some other activity after you check in, in case your room is not ready. Check in is at 4 pm (as we were told repeatedly while we waited for our room).

But the most thing to remember is that this is not Disney. This is a hotel like any other big chain hotel. After staying at PBH, we realized that we have been taking Disney for granted. We received very few smiles from staff (they are definitely not cast members), and the boat captains were downright hostile.

But the property is beautiful, and the food is good. The portions are huge, so when you get a sandwich at Sal's, split it and order an extra side.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

[L&Lfan]

My boyfriend and I stayed at the PBH twice: in Dec 2005 (garden view) and in Oct 2010 (bay view). We absolutely had a fabulous time with no complaints, and we plan to stay there in the future with no hesitation. On both occasions we found the staff as friendly as the CMs at WDW & DL. Although we always do Disney deluxe when we're at WDW or DL, and we love them (especially the Epcot Resorts and the GCH), we feel the PBH kicks it up a notch. We especially love the huge rooms (the bathrooms are enormous!) and the mini-bar. The lounges we went to (Bar American & Thirsty Fish) were lots of fun!

We give the PBH two hearty thumbs up!:woohoo:

[damo]

I am a longtime Disney visitor. We love the Yacht and Beach Club. We decided to try something new, so we booked PBH. We checked out yesterday, and I was glad to leave.

No microwaves, no empty refrigerators. The coffee/tea in the room is good.
Try to get a room as close to the reception area or the boat shuttle area as you can. We settled for a room on the far side of the resort, and the long walk down a boring hallway after a long day at the park was not fun, and negatively affected our stay.

Plan on going to the parks or doing some other activity after you check in, in case your room is not ready. Check in is at 4 pm (as we were told repeatedly while we waited for our room).

But the most thing to remember is that this is not Disney. This is a hotel like any other big chain hotel. After staying at PBH, we realized that we have been taking Disney for granted. We received very few smiles from staff (they are definitely not cast members), and the boat captains were downright hostile.

But the property is beautiful, and the food is good. The portions are huge, so when you get a sandwich at Sal's, split it and order an extra side.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Wow...we must stay at a different PBH than you. It is by far my favourite of any hotel on Universal or Disney property. We have never encountered any hostile or even unfriendly employees... quite the opposite. I love walking through the corridors around the lobby with the amazing theming of little streets in Portofino. I've never been any chain hotel that was even remotely like that! We even find that the beds and bedding are nicer at PBH than the Disney hotels.

I'm really sorry that your visit was so disappointing but I would stay there in a heartbeat over any Disney hotel.

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Wow...we must stay at a different PBH than you. It is by far my favourite of any hotel on Universal or Disney property. We have never encountered any hostile or even unfriendly employees... quite the opposite. I love walking through the corridors around the lobby with the amazing theming of little streets in Portofino. I've never been any chain hotel that was even remotely like that! We even find that the beds and bedding are nicer at PBH than the Disney hotels.

I'm really sorry that your visit was so disappointing but I would stay there in a heartbeat over any Disney hotel.

Ditto--I could have written this exact same thing. LOVE PBH and find the service and quality higher than WDW hotels. Better food, better quality linens, love the high beds to store shoes and such underneath, love the coffee and toiletries, bathroom size is enormous, and staff is very friendly. Pools are great and the atmosphere makes me feel transported to Italy. As much as I adore the Poly, PBH is our favorite. My only complaint is not enough balcony rooms....but I accepted that before my first stay.

[bubba's mom]

I am a longtime Disney visitor. We love the Yacht and Beach Club. We decided to try something new, so we booked PBH. We checked out yesterday, and I was glad to leave.

No microwaves, no empty refrigerators. The coffee/tea in the room is good.
Try to get a room as close to the reception area or the boat shuttle area as you can. We settled for a room on the far side of the resort, and the long walk down a boring hallway after a long day at the park was not fun, and negatively affected our stay.

Plan on going to the parks or doing some other activity after you check in, in case your room is not ready. Check in is at 4 pm (as we were told repeatedly while we waited for our room).

But the most thing to remember is that this is not Disney. This is a hotel like any other big chain hotel. After staying at PBH, we realized that we have been taking Disney for granted. We received very few smiles from staff (they are definitely not cast members), and the boat captains were downright hostile.

But the property is beautiful, and the food is good. The portions are huge, so when you get a sandwich at Sal's, split it and order an extra side.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Sorry to hear your stay wasn't as good as your Disney stay. We love PBH too and stay there each year. Altho, I can't help but wonder how much research you did prior to going? If you had, you would have found out (here on the DIS) that there are no micros or empty fridges (those are asked a lot) and that balconies are rare. You *should* have read to request the West Wing at the hotel...that's the side of the lagoon the boat docks at...quicker walk back to your room. I think most everywhere is 4pm check-in...but I assume you already knew that.

as for smiling staff and boat captains, I've never come across any grumpy ones. :confused3 Not sure what happened there.

I hope your experience at the hotel doesn't put you off to the other hotels...they ARE all very nice and you CANNOT beat the FOTL perk. I don't get service like they give at any other hotels we stay at.

[CornishPixie]

Bubba's Mom - I read some of your posts on PBR and it prompted me to go back and find your old trip reports. I LOVED them. I read '07 - '10 and I feel like I am a PBR expert now! We have stayed at the other two resorts and thought they were both fantastic. Can't wait to try PBR and stay in the west wing and use the short cut through HRH parking lot. Looking forward to Sal's and Thirsty Fish (and much more) due to your reviews. And the way you added your pics! Loved it! Thanks for being so helpful and thorough!!:worship:

[JeanfromBNA]

Where do you catch the boats at PBH, and to which parks or other locations do they take you? Is there bus shuttle service to the parks and Citywalk? What route do you take to walk from the hotel to the parks? Do you cut through Citywalk?

Is there a good map that would illustrate the transportation options? :confused3

[bubba's mom]

Bubba's Mom - I read some of your posts on PBR and it prompted me to go back and find your old trip reports. I LOVED them. I read '07 - '10 and I feel like I am a PBR expert now! We have stayed at the other two resorts and thought they were both fantastic. Can't wait to try PBR and stay in the west wing and use the short cut through HRH parking lot. Looking forward to Sal's and Thirsty Fish (and much more) due to your reviews. And the way you added your pics! Loved it! Thanks for being so helpful and thorough!!:worship:

You're welcome. Glad I can pay it forward and help :thumbsup2

Where do you catch the boats at PBH, and to which parks or other locations do they take you? Is there bus shuttle service to the parks and Citywalk? What route do you take to walk from the hotel to the parks? Do you cut through Citywalk?

Is there a good map that would illustrate the transportation options? :confused3

There is only 1 place to catch the boat...you can easily see it at the hotel. The boats only go between the hotel & City Walk. There is bus service, but would take longer...walk or take boat or pedicab. You have to hit City Walk somewhere to get to either park. The path is clearly marked from the hotel to City Walk...if you want to cut thru the HRH parking lot instead, it makes the walk shorter.

[CornishPixie]

Okay! On our way to PBH!! We will be there this weekend and I just wanted to see if anyone had any last minute tips for us?
I am praying for a balcony! Would love to score one and hoping that it will be a slow time while we are there and we will get lucky! I would just love to open our balcony doors and be able to hear the opera singers each night!

[CornishPixie]

We are back from our trip and all the tips were perfect!! We LOVED this hotel and did not want to come home!:love:
I had reserved a garden view room at the APR rate ($174) and we got upgraded to a 5th floor (highest floor) bay view room with a HUGE balcony!! It was gorgeous and every single employee we came in contact with was bend over backward helpful and sweet. :hug:
We walked everyday to the park and used Bubba's Mom shortcut through HRH parking lot. Awesome!:thumbsup2
We ate at Sal's a bunch and loved the pizza and the gelato. We even got quick breakfast there one morning and it was yummy. Very reasonably priced as well.
The pools and grounds were beautiful and extremely well taken care of and our room was wonderful with the comfy beds, huge bathroom and plenty of amenities. Obviously, I can't say enough! :cloud9:
Thank you to everyone who has posted on these boards to help others have the best trip possible! :cheer2:

[pink elephants]

After reading through this thread and thinking about what would be best for our family of 5, I made the leap and booked Club Level. The cost difference will easily be covered by the pullout sofa (no need to rent a rollaway) and breakfast for 5. Plus, the posts speak so positively of staying club level. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for a great read!:goodvibes

[damo]

After reading through this thread and thinking about what would be best for our family of 5, I made the leap and booked Club Level. The cost difference will easily be covered by the pullout sofa (no need to rent a rollaway) and breakfast for 5. Plus, the posts speak so positively of staying club level. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for a great read!:goodvibes

Make sure you contact the hotel a few days before you go to ensure that you get a pullout in your room. Some deluxe rooms don't have them.

[pink elephants]

They allowed me to put it in as a request on my reservation, but I'll be sure to check beforehand, too. Do I call the front desk or reservations, and would it be possible to request a balcony at that time (they wouldn't let me include that request on my reservation because there are so few of them).

[CornishPixie]

Pink Elephants - I thought I would mention that they wouldn't let us "request" a balcony in our reservation either but we asked at checkin and got an awesome one. Also, we didn't book club level this time but we did get the pull out bed thingy. It's the size of a twin bed and worked well for my teenage daughter. We peeked in the club room while we were there and it looked very nice. I'll bet it is so worth it for 5 people when you consider breakfast, snacks, happy hour, etc. We didn't do it this time because we knew if we were going to use the early hour option at the parks we would have to leave the hotel before club level opened for breakfast.

[pink elephants]

That's great to hear about the sofa bed, Cornish Pixie. Thanks!:goodvibes

[LisaDKG]

We are booked at PBH for our first venture to Universal for 2 nights in 16 days! We will be arriving at about 8:15 at night and heading to IOA first thing in the morning. I am wondering if there are any shops within the hotel itself that have Harry Potter souvenirs - like tshirts, or the house scarves which is what I'm really hoping for??? Would love to be able to bedeck ourselves before hitting the parks!

[*Flower*]

There is a souvenir shop in Citiwalk on the way to IOA that has ALL the HP items that you're interested in- even down to wands and Hogwarts school robes.
We had a lot of fun looking around, they even had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!

Have fun....

[atlantamom0805]

Sorry if this is too silly of a question, but here goes.

My family of four - two teens - is booked in a deluxe queen room at PBH in three weeks, and I really need the pull out for one of the kids. Our last two trips have been to HRH in their deluxe queen that has a pull out sofa, and it makes all the difference!

I called the hotel directly, but was transferred back to the regular Universal reservations line. The agent confirmed my request for the pull out, as well as a bay view, but do I need to talk to the actual hotel staff?

Thank you!:)

[CornishPixie]

Sorry if this is too silly of a question, but here goes.

My family of four - two teens - is booked in a deluxe queen room at PBH in three weeks, and I really need the pull out for one of the kids. Our last two trips have been to HRH in their deluxe queen that has a pull out sofa, and it makes all the difference!

I called the hotel directly, but was transferred back to the regular Universal reservations line. The agent confirmed my request for the pull out, as well as a bay view, but do I need to talk to the actual hotel staff?

Thank you!:)

I'll bet you will be okay. I didn't request a sofa bed or balcony but got them at check in when I asked. Also got a balcony but we were there during a slow week. The point is, I think they do all they can do to accommodate you. We love PBH.

[damo]

Sorry if this is too silly of a question, but here goes.

My family of four - two teens - is booked in a deluxe queen room at PBH in three weeks, and I really need the pull out for one of the kids. Our last two trips have been to HRH in their deluxe queen that has a pull out sofa, and it makes all the difference!

I called the hotel directly, but was transferred back to the regular Universal reservations line. The agent confirmed my request for the pull out, as well as a bay view, but do I need to talk to the actual hotel staff?

Thank you!:)

About a week before you go, fax the hotel and remind them that you really need the pullout.

[Tinkerbellie16]

Is there any place I can see information on the hotel? On the Disney hotel threads, many of them have lots of information and pictures but this thread doesn't have it (or at least not on the first page). Anyone recommend a site or a thread that has this type of information?
Thanks!

[atlantamom0805]

About a week before you go, fax the hotel and remind them that you really need the pullout.

Thanks for the advice - will do. We will be there in 2 weeks!

[macraven]

Is there any place I can see information on the hotel? On the Disney hotel threads, many of them have lots of information and pictures but this thread doesn't have it (or at least not on the first page). Anyone recommend a site or a thread that has this type of information?
Thanks!

you can see more about the hotel rooms on the UO website.
go to hotels on that site.

also, this video includes all three hotels with infor and pics.
click on the one you want to view.

i started it out at pbh.


http://www.ineedavacation.com/universalmco/Portofino.html
rph: http://www.ineedavacation.com/universalmco/RoyalPacific.html

[pas130]

I am very thankful for these boards,I am learning a lot. I called earlier today to inquire about rates and rooms. It is 7 of us, 2 adults, 4 kids and 1 infant. After speaking to a very friendly, helpful agent we booked a Portofino suite. I am happy we are all in 1 room, and the price wasn't that much more than 2 regular rooms. the more I learn about PBH, the more excited I am. This is our first onsite visit. We do WDW almost every year! Thanks for all the info. PLus I love if a better rate comes out, they'll apply it to an existing ressie!

We are coming Aug 26-28th

[TwingleMum]

Where are the club rooms located??? Are they on the same level as the lounge??? We have 3 kids will we all be comfortable?? Do club rooms have a pull out sofa??? Very excited big TIA :banana:

[HLAuburn]

Just booked a room at PBR for April. We've stayed at RPR before, and we loved it, but I'm excited to try something new.

I'm sure this has been answered, but can anyone tell me about how long the walk is from PB to the US gate? Also, I read about the shortcut through the HR parking lot - where can I find more info about that? After a long day at the park, a short cut sounds like a good option!

Thanks! :thumbsup2

[Tinkerbellie16]

you can see more about the hotel rooms on the UO website.
go to hotels on that site.

also, this video includes all three hotels with infor and pics.
click on the one you want to view.

i started it out at pbh.


http://www.ineedavacation.com/universalmco/Portofino.html
rph: http://www.ineedavacation.com/universalmco/RoyalPacific.html

Thank you!

[macraven]

:thumbsup2

[RACEFAN9]

[QUOTE=atlantamom0805;40031867]Thanks for the advice - will do. We will be there in 2 weeks![/QUWe are a family of 5 and every time we have requested something,sofa in room,connecting rooms they always tell us yes and last time I even called day before we came and also was told we have a sofa in our room only to get there and NO SORRY your room dont have sofa but we will charge you 25 a night for a roll-away.So dont get your hopes up that you will have a sofa like we did.They also didnt charge us for the roll away since it had pee all over it:sad2:We will be at Porofino March 4-9 still love staying onsite but have learned not to bother requesting.

[MaryKatesMom]

Does anyone have any pictures of the club lounge?

I have been all over this thread and google and the only picture I see is a tiny image on the Universal site. Way to small to give any idea of the layout.

Am I correct in surmising that not all club lounge rooms have a balcony and I can't request one in advance?

[pas130]

I have paid off our August trip. I am so excited to have paid in full. Loews cashed my check and posted the Advance Deposit to our reservation. There's even a credit I guess that will cover Parking fees, etc. :banana:

As far as room requests, are all the Portofino Suites in a particular building? I know we have a garden view, but do I have to make any specific requests? This is our first onsite stay. TIA

[ADP]

Does anyone know where I could find a schedule for this years Harbor Nights celebrations at Portofino. I know the next one is April 15th, 2011, but was wondering when the next one will take place.

TIA

[nytimez]

Stayed here for the first time this week... terrific hotel.

[atlantamom0805]

We had a fantastic stay at PBH. Can't say enough about how nice everyone was and how beautiful the room and resort in general both were. We did get the pullout sofa, which was comfortable for even my 6'3" son, and a lovely bay view. No balcony, but you certainly can't have everything!

Thanks to all on this board for the invaluable information. It all helped to make our vacation a great one!:goodvibes

[thedisneymom]

try page 30 on this thread for club pics of breakfast. I have done club numerous times. It is wonderful and the pictures don't do it justice.

[Tinkerbellie16]

I'll be staying here for just one night with my family (DH, DD, DS & me). I paid a AAA rate in advance. The prices are STEEP but we wanted to get to the park one hour early and have that front of the line pass since we only have one day at IOA.

I was wondering - should I make any room requests?

Thanks!

[dpratt68]

We are going for two nights in early December and I have the Entertainment Rate for RPH for $99 ( plus still have to buy the Entertainment book). I can get a rate of $169 for a Bay View at PBH through Expedia. Since we are only ther for the two nights, I was thinking we should splurge and stay at PBH.... but not sure what to do :confused: Is PBH nicely decorated for the holidays? Also... at the Universal hotels is there somewhere to buy a container of milk for DD? Thanks!!

How do I get the entertainment rate? I went to entertainment.com and couldn't find it. any help?

[Tinkerbellie16]

oops

[bjakmom]

I'll be staying here for just one night with my family (DH, DD, DS & me). I paid a AAA rate in advance. The prices are STEEP but we wanted to get to the park one hour early and have that front of the line pass since we only have one day at IOA.

I was wondering - should I make any room requests?

Thanks!

PBH is rapidly becoming one of my fav resorts:lovestruc - each stay there has been more relaxing and enjoyable than the last - and they have all been wonderful. The only request I would make would be for the West wing - that puts you nearest to the Beach (main) pool, the boat ramp, and the walkway if you want to walk. For a short stay it will just save you some steps/time getting around. Enjoy!

[SandraLee]

Is there a map of the grounds posted someplace?
I need to start to get a lay of the land before our trip!

And, I'd like to look at the map while everyone talks of their room placements.

Thanks.
Sandra

[damo]

How do I get the entertainment rate? I went to entertainment.com and couldn't find it. any help?

Entertainment rates haven't been available for years.

[Tinkerbellie16]

PBH is rapidly becoming one of my fav resorts:lovestruc - each stay there has been more relaxing and enjoyable than the last - and they have all been wonderful. The only request I would make would be for the West wing - that puts you nearest to the Beach (main) pool, the boat ramp, and the walkway if you want to walk. For a short stay it will just save you some steps/time getting around. Enjoy!

Thank you for the recommendation - I will do that!

[natebenma]

My family has booked a CL room at PBH for July 11-14 and we are really looking forward to our stay.

I understand that the club lounge is on the same floor as the lobby (3rd floor?). I have read that all CL rooms are in the villa wing, floors 5 and 6- is that correct?

I believe in some instances that other deluxe rooms can be given club privileges if the CL rooms are sold out. Is this common? If this happens, does that mean that our club room could be pretty much anywhere in the resort?

Thanks so much!!!

PS- I enjoyed reading through the "post your room assignment" thread, and I will post info about our room after we return. It is fun to read about the different rooms that are available!

[housetomouse]

PBH is rapidly becoming one of my fav resorts:lovestruc - each stay there has been more relaxing and enjoyable than the last - and they have all been wonderful. The only request I would make would be for the West wing - that puts you nearest to the Beach (main) pool, the boat ramp, and the walkway if you want to walk. For a short stay it will just save you some steps/time getting around. Enjoy!

I agree about the West Wing! I asked for a WW room at check-in, and one wasn't ready right away, but it was so worth the wait. I was totally and pleasantly surprised by how much we liked this resort. It really gives you a feeling of being away from it all, which was what I wanted after being at the crowded theme parks. The service was very good, the transportation easy and fast, the resort was clean and pretty, and the opera & other live music at the harbour at night was terrific!

[Harry Potter]

When Portofino Bay opened back in summer 2000, can anyone remember if it was compared to Tokyo Disney's Hotel Miracosta which was nearly built by that time (opened with DisneySea park in spring 2001).

I think the designs are very similar, both mediterranean-themed, and although I am a huge Universal Orlando fan, even I must admit that DisneySea is the grandest of all theme parks, and the MiraCosta, which is actually located inside the park overlooking the Mediterranean Harbor section of the park where the big water shows are played, is probably the best theme park hotel I know of.

Not dissing Portofino Bay, or anything, but I am sure if you judged purely on architecture and atmosphere, MiraCosta would reign supreme over its Universal Orlando rival.

http://www.tdrfan.com/around_the_resort/hotel_miracosta/index.htm

http://www.tdrfan.com/tds/index.htm

[damo]

When Portofino Bay opened back in summer 2000, can anyone remember if it was compared to Tokyo Disney's Hotel Miracosta which was nearly built by that time (opened with DisneySea park in spring 2001).

I think the designs are very similar, both mediterranean-themed, and although I am a huge Universal Orlando fan, even I must admit that DisneySea is the grandest of all theme parks, and the MiraCosta, which is actually located inside the park overlooking the Mediterranean Harbor section of the park where the big water shows are played, is probably the best theme park hotel I know of.

Not dissing Portofino Bay, or anything, but I am sure if you judged purely on architecture and atmosphere, MiraCosta would reign supreme over its Universal Orlando rival.

http://www.tdrfan.com/around_the_resort/hotel_miracosta/index.htm

http://www.tdrfan.com/tds/index.htm

I really want to go to Disney Sea. It looks amazing and I agree that the theming is incredible.

[SandraLee]

Why is it necessary to fax a request to the hotel. Is it sufficient to have the request on your reservation?

[MastaMind]

Hey everyone,

I've been researching as much as I can for our upcoming trip to Universal Orlando (two nights PBH, three days park-2-park). I do have a few questions that I couldn't easily find answers to:

1. Where is the parking for guests staying at PBH? I was only able to find info about a general parking garage for universal studios guests.

2. Can we walk to the parks from PBH, or do we have to use the water taxis? If water taxis are the primary option, do they get overcrowded?

3. What is the best way to get to the Harry Potter section in IOA from PBH? We will be taking advantage of the early entry!

4. Anything else newbies should know about?

I'm typically the vacation planner, but this Universal trip is on such short notice that it's throwing me a curve ball. We're really looking forward to checking out PBH. Our favorite Disney resort is the Boardwalk Inn, and PBH looks to have some similarities. Thanks!

[housetomouse]

Hey everyone,

I've been researching as much as I can for our upcoming trip to Universal Orlando (two nights PBH, three days park-2-park). I do have a few questions that I couldn't easily find answers to:

1. Where is the parking for guests staying at PBH? I was only able to find info about a general parking garage for universal studios guests.

2. Can we walk to the parks from PBH, or do we have to use the water taxis? If water taxis are the primary option, do they get overcrowded?

3. What is the best way to get to the Harry Potter section in IOA from PBH? We will be taking advantage of the early entry!

4. Anything else newbies should know about?

I'm typically the vacation planner, but this Universal trip is on such short notice that it's throwing me a curve ball. We're really looking forward to checking out PBH. Our favorite Disney resort is the Boardwalk Inn, and PBH looks to have some similarities. Thanks!

We didn't have a car, so I can't help with the parking question. We took the boat from PBH to Citywalk, and from there entered IOA for HP early entry. We were at the boat launch by 6:30am and were walking into the park by about 6:50/6:55am. We might have had to wait for a boat once while we were there, but the next one came along quickly. It seemed like it would be too far to walk from PBH to Citywalk.

[MastaMind]

We didn't have a car, so I can't help with the parking question. We took the boat from PBH to Citywalk, and from there entered IOA for HP early entry. We were at the boat launch by 6:30am and were walking into the park by about 6:50/6:55am. We might have had to wait for a boat once while we were there, but the next one came along quickly. It seemed like it would be too far to walk from PBH to Citywalk.

Thank you, that's great information (I'm the kind of guy that appreciates the times ;))! It sounds like the boats are our only option for getting to the parks, then. I take it that Citiwalk is right outside of US and IOA, so it's kind of like the central hub for Universal.

I believe the park hours during our stay will be 9-8 (8am early entry), so I guess we'll aim to be at the boat dock around 7:15.

[damo]

We rarely take the boat from PBH. There is a very efficient way to walk that takes under 10 minutes to get to the Citywalk entrance right beside Universal. You simply walk past the boat and stay to the right instead of going along the walking path. Stay on the sidewalk along the road, cross the main street and head towards HRH. Walk to the right through the HRH parking lot, right to the end and you will almost be at the entrance to Universal. It is much quicker than taking the path.

There are maps of this route if you look back in this thread.

[MastaMind]

We rarely take the boat from PBH. There is a very efficient way to walk that takes under 10 minutes to get to the Citywalk entrance right beside Universal. You simply walk past the boat and stay to the right instead of going along the walking path. Stay on the sidewalk along the road, cross the main street and head towards HRH. Walk to the right through the HRH parking lot, right to the end and you will almost be at the entrance to Universal. It is much quicker than taking the path.

There are maps of this route if you look back in this thread.

Thanks for the info, damo. I tried searching the thread but nothing came up. I'll just go through the pages one by one when I have the free time.

Since you appear to be a guru on this stuff, any idea where I'll be parking while staying at PBH?

[damo]

Thanks for the info, damo. I tried searching the thread but nothing came up. I'll just go through the pages one by one when I have the free time.

Since you appear to be a guru on this stuff, any idea where I'll be parking while staying at PBH?

There is underground parking at PBH, so your car will stay nice and cool. When you drive in, just before you reach the hotel you will see the sign for parking on your right. You will go through the gate and curve down to a parking garage.

Here is my map. Bubba'smom has instructions and photos.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

If you look at this aerial view, you can see where the real walking path is and you can see where the route that I have highlighted above is. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=28.475082~-81.467672&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

[nytimez]

There is underground parking at PBH, so your car will stay nice and cool. When you drive in, just before you reach the hotel you will see the sign for parking on your right. You will go through the gate and curve down to a parking garage.

Here is my map. Bubba'smom has instructions and photos.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

If you look at this aerial view, you can see where the real walking path is and you can see where the route that I have highlighted above is. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=28.475082~-81.467672&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

Awesome map! I always took that meandering path along the water, this looks much shorter and more direct.

[tink20]

We are staying at PBH (first timers) So, I need to request the West Wing? And if we walk, we go past the boat launch, cross over Universal Blvd. (is this a busy street?), then go to HRH parking lot, then what? Is there a sidewalk or path? Will it be easy to see the entrance?


Or should we just take the boat? Do you really save alot of time walking?

[MastaMind]

There is underground parking at PBH, so your car will stay nice and cool. When you drive in, just before you reach the hotel you will see the sign for parking on your right. You will go through the gate and curve down to a parking garage.

Here is my map. Bubba'smom has instructions and photos.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

If you look at this aerial view, you can see where the real walking path is and you can see where the route that I have highlighted above is. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=28.475082~-81.467672&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

That really helps, thanks! Good to know about the parking garage, too.

[tink20]

found these wonderful instructions :yay: post 7

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2482075&highlight=pedicab

[damo]

We need to sticky those instructions. They tend to get buried.

[tink20]

We need to sticky those instructions. They tend to get buried.

I know, I knew they existed and wanted to find them. I kinda found them by mistake. I need directions like this or I will definitely get lost. :rotfl:

[maryisme]

Hi,

I just booked a concierge room at the Portofino (2 queen beds) for 3 adults and 2 children ages 16 and 7. We normally don't squeeze into 1 room but really wanted to try concierge this trip and don't want the expense of a second room. Am I crazy or will we be ok? We are only there 2 nights after our cruise.

Thanks so much!
Mary

[damo]

Hi,

I just booked a concierge room at the Portofino (2 queen beds) for 3 adults and 2 children ages 16 and 7. We normally don't squeeze into 1 room but really wanted to try concierge this trip and don't want the expense of a second room. Am I crazy or will we be ok? We are only there 2 nights after our cruise.

Thanks so much!
Mary

It will be tight! Make sure that you realize that the bathroom is self contained. There is no external sink so that someone can be inside doing their stuff while others are outside doing their stuff.

There are two sinks inside the bathroom though, which makes it nice.

[nytimez]

Hi,

I just booked a concierge room at the Portofino (2 queen beds) for 3 adults and 2 children ages 16 and 7. We normally don't squeeze into 1 room but really wanted to try concierge this trip and don't want the expense of a second room. Am I crazy or will we be ok? We are only there 2 nights after our cruise.

Thanks so much!
Mary

Sounds loco to me -- I'd get two regular rooms over one concierge for that. Unless you're used to extremely close quarters -- and, as has been pointed out, real patience with the bathroom (and slower starts each day as a result).

That said, I think you can get a rollaway bed added to the room that will make it a little bit easier -- two adults in a bed, two kids in a bed, one adult in a rollaway -- but it would still be a tight squeeze, and wouldn't solve the bathroom issues.

[MastaMind]

We need to sticky those instructions. They tend to get buried.

It would be helpful to have them prominently displayed. If the mods don't want to sticky the info, maybe they could update the first post in this thread to display them.

[damo]

Sounds loco to me -- I'd get two regular rooms over one concierge for that. Unless you're used to extremely close quarters -- and, as has been pointed out, real patience with the bathroom (and slower starts each day as a result).

That said, I think you can get a rollaway bed added to the room that will make it a little bit easier -- two adults in a bed, two kids in a bed, one adult in a rollaway -- but it would still be a tight squeeze, and wouldn't solve the bathroom issues.

Club rooms are deluxe and it SHOULD have a small pullout sofa. However, there are a few deluxe rooms that don't have the small pullout.

If the room doesn't, then definitely get a cot in there. Make them comp it.

[Tinkerbellie16]

There is underground parking at PBH, so your car will stay nice and cool. When you drive in, just before you reach the hotel you will see the sign for parking on your right. You will go through the gate and curve down to a parking garage.

Here is my map. Bubba'smom has instructions and photos.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

If you look at this aerial view, you can see where the real walking path is and you can see where the route that I have highlighted above is. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&cp=28.475082~-81.467672&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

found these wonderful instructions :yay: post 7

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2482075&highlight=pedicab

Thank you both for these!!!!

[maryisme]

Sounds loco to me -- I'd get two regular rooms over one concierge for that. Unless you're used to extremely close quarters -- and, as has been pointed out, real patience with the bathroom (and slower starts each day as a result).

That said, I think you can get a rollaway bed added to the room that will make it a little bit easier -- two adults in a bed, two kids in a bed, one adult in a rollaway -- but it would still be a tight squeeze, and wouldn't solve the bathroom issues.

It is crazy and it would not be the first time! It usually works out well as 2 of the occupants of the room pass out pretty quickly and sleep really deep:thumbsup2 .

If it were longer than 2 nights I would not do it. My girls want to see Harry Potter so this trip preceeds our DVC vacation (2 bedroom:)).

Thanks!


Club rooms are deluxe and it SHOULD have a small pullout sofa. However, there are a few deluxe rooms that don't have the small pullout.

If the room doesn't, then definitely get a cot in there. Make them comp it.

Thanks for the heads up. We are getting there early so will definitely request one with the pullout.

Mary

[nytimez]

It is crazy and it would not be the first time! It usually works out well as 2 of the occupants of the room pass out pretty quickly and sleep really deep:thumbsup2 .

If it were longer than 2 nights I would not do it. My girls want to see Harry Potter so this trip preceeds our DVC vacation (2 bedroom:)).

Thanks!




Thanks for the heads up. We are getting there early so will definitely request one with the pullout.

Mary

There is one big "pro" to your plan: If you're the first one to get ready in the morning, you can take off and explore the hotel while everyone else takes their turn in the bathroom/shower. It's a fantastic place to just wander around... even if you just head out to the courtyard area and get a cup of coffee while you wait for your family to join you. They'll have to come out there anyway to get to the boat/walking path, so you won't lose any time looking for each other.

[camsmomE]

Hi All!

I'm booked for a King Deluxe Club Level room at Portofino in about 3 weeks... Can anyone tell me if the King Deluxe rooms have the pull-out love seat?

Last time we were there, we booked a King, and were assigned to a 2-Queen Deluxe with the pull-out. That's a whole-lot of bedding spaces for us, so we really insist on begging for the King. I just want to make sure we get the little pull-out sofa- my DD slept like a princess on that thing!! :thumbsup2

[Disneyhappy]

Hi,

I just booked a concierge room at the Portofino (2 queen beds) for 3 adults and 2 children ages 16 and 7. We normally don't squeeze into 1 room but really wanted to try concierge this trip and don't want the expense of a second room. Am I crazy or will we be ok? We are only there 2 nights after our cruise.

Thanks so much!
Mary

PBH deulxe rooms are larger than the other onsite rooms but 5 people may still be a little tight. Only you know your family's ability to handle it. We had 5 in my family growing up and always stayed in one room. No biggie for me. DH was one of 11 who grew up in a row home and he definitely needs his space. Go figure! The bathrooms are very large with two sinks tub and a shower. Also, club guests get free access to the fitness center and they have great showers/locker rooms there. My husband and I have both used them. Personally, if personalities are patient, I would stay in one room and enjoy the club lounge if that is what your budget allows. While there may be a little stress, I think it will end up making the trip more memorable for the kids!

[jacksg@l]

Does PBH have feather pillows and comforters in their rooms like the HRH? Both of my children are allergic to feathers, and the last time we stayed at HRH it was all feathers. I Literally had to put all of it out in the hallway!! Just want to find out so I can call the hotel ahead of time.:thumbsup2

[damo]

Does PBH have feather pillows and comforters in their rooms like the HRH? Both of my children are allergic to feathers, and the last time we stayed at HRH it was all feathers. I Literally had to put all of it out in the hallway!! Just want to find out so I can call the hotel ahead of time.:thumbsup2

Yes they do. Definitely call ahead and get some non-allergenic stuff put in there.

[jacksg@l]

Yes they do. Definitely call ahead and get some non-allergenic stuff put in there.

Thank you for the answer. I will call them ASAP so the room will be feather-free.

[Tinkerbellie16]

I just got back from a Florida vacation and thought I'd tell you about the one night we stayed at Portofino Bay. So here's my review:

Check-in: This took forever. They have a very small check-in station and only two people were working it. They take a long time to check you in because they ask you a ton of questions and tell you a lot of stuff. While I appreciated some of the information, it could have been much quicker to email most of this ahead of time or just ask if I even wanted to know about it (I already knew about the hour early entry to WWOHP and all of that). After a long time, the man showed me where my room was (in the East Wing). I knew from this thread to ask for the West Wing. He said he'd have to call the room scheduler to make a change (WHAT?) I didn't understand why he couldn't do it but oh well. I was so tired by this time, I just said it was fine.

Pool: FABULOUS! The slide was fun, the pool was fun, there were places to sit, lounge, grab a spot in the shade and there was some seriously yummy drinks and snacks - not too mention a waiter that came around :woohoo: This was the best part of the hotel!

Rooms: This gets tricky. The rooms themselves are nice. The beds are high off the ground (I didn't like it because I'm not tall), the furnishings are nice, the bathroom is huge (but that cuts into the size of the bedroom), and you can listen to the TV in the bathroom on speakers (cool). So the rooms are great, right? Well...they put us in the dog wing. Let me repeat - they put me who is HIGHLY ALLERGIC TO DOGS in a kennel... The place stunk and there were barking dogs everywhere. We didn't realize it at first because we put on our suits and went directly to the pool. We realized it very quickly upon our return. I called to ask why there were dogs everywhere only to find out their hotels are pet friendly and that it wasn't noted on my reservation that I was allergic. WHO lets PETS in hotels without telling you when you check in that you will be put in the kennel??? I was furious (and sneezing with very red puffy eyes). They wouldn't MOVE US. I had it. I told my husband, got in the shower to get the dander off of me and packed my bags. My husband came back as I'm getting my bags out the door and he found us a new room (amazing, huh?). And even though I was completely livid with the hotel, my husband took care of it all and they credited back the entire night's stay. So, they earn a :thumbsup2 from me. They eventually rectified the situation and I didn't have to deal with it since my husband did.

Transportation - There are not enough boats for the early morning IOA rush but they are nice modes of transportation. The pedi-cab was our favorite but it costs money. But I would budget for that because it was worth it - fun, quick, and immediate.

Overall - It was eerily empty except for the pool. I didn't like that feeling but my DH did. I like the Disney hustle and bustle feeling. But the resort was nice, the rooms were nice (minus the dogs) and the pool was fabulous. I would stay there again if I wanted that front of the line pass for Universal.

[jacksg@l]

I just got back from a Florida vacation and thought I'd tell you about the one night we stayed at Portofino Bay. So here's my review:

Check-in: This took forever. They have a very small check-in station and only two people were working it. They take a long time to check you in because they ask you a ton of questions and tell you a lot of stuff. While I appreciated some of the information, it could have been much quicker to email most of this ahead of time or just ask if I even wanted to know about it (I already knew about the hour early entry to WWOHP and all of that). After a long time, the man showed me where my room was (in the East Wing). I knew from this thread to ask for the West Wing. He said he'd have to call the room scheduler to make a change (WHAT?) I didn't understand why he couldn't do it but oh well. I was so tired by this time, I just said it was fine.

Pool: FABULOUS! The slide was fun, the pool was fun, there were places to sit, lounge, grab a spot in the shade and there was some seriously yummy drinks and snacks - not too mention a waiter that came around :woohoo: This was the best part of the hotel!

Rooms: This gets tricky. The rooms themselves are nice. The beds are high off the ground (I didn't like it because I'm not tall), the furnishings are nice, the bathroom is huge (but that cuts into the size of the bedroom), and you can listen to the TV in the bathroom on speakers (cool). So the rooms are great, right? Well...they put us in the dog wing. Let me repeat - they put me who is HIGHLY ALLERGIC TO DOGS in a kennel... The place stunk and there were barking dogs everywhere. We didn't realize it at first because we put on our suits and went directly to the pool. We realized it very quickly upon our return. I called to ask why there were dogs everywhere only to find out their hotels are pet friendly and that it wasn't noted on my reservation that I was allergic. WHO lets PETS in hotels without telling you when you check in that you will be put in the kennel??? I was furious (and sneezing with very red puffy eyes). They wouldn't MOVE US. I had it. I told my husband, got in the shower to get the dander off of me and packed my bags. My husband came back as I'm getting my bags out the door and he found us a new room (amazing, huh?). And even though I was completely livid with the hotel, my husband took care of it all and they credited back the entire night's stay. So, they earn a :thumbsup2 from me. They eventually rectified the situation and I didn't have to deal with it since my husband did.

Transportation - There are not enough boats for the early morning IOA rush but they are nice modes of transportation. The pedi-cab was our favorite but it costs money. But I would budget for that because it was worth it - fun, quick, and immediate.

Overall - It was eerily empty except for the pool. I didn't like that feeling but my DH did. I like the Disney hustle and bustle feeling. But the resort was nice, the rooms were nice (minus the dogs) and the pool was fabulous. I would stay there again if I wanted that front of the line pass for Universal.

I called PBH this week and got the Preferred :confused3 Center and had them put on our reservation that (1) NO Feathers whatsoever in the room, and (2) No room near the pet friendly rooms. My children are highly allergic to both:sad1:
Do You think they will pay attention to these special requests? I am thinking about faxing them the day before we leave so they have it in hand and so do I....
P.S. - Why the West Wing???:confused::confused:

[bumbershoot]

P.S. - Why the West Wing???:confused::confused:

It's closer to the walkway to the parks.

I found a site that says that PBR allows pets on the first floor of each wing. At least at Royal Pacific it's one specific wing, out of 3, that you have to worry about.

So, OP...I'm allergic to lots of things myself, so I really empathize with you...but...on the one hand you didn't want to listen to all the stuff the TM wanted to tell you, but on the other you wanted them to tell you something that it seems they didn't tell you.

I don't know how you booked, but if you go to the PBR site (http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Portofino-Bay-Hotel/index), halfway down the page is a picture of a person with a dog, with Loews Loves Pets under it. I know not everyone reads everything about things, but when you're very allergic, you do *need to* protect yourself making sure you've familiarized yourself with hotel policies.

[Tinkerbellie16]

It's closer to the walkway to the parks.

I found a site that says that PBR allows pets on the first floor of each wing. At least at Royal Pacific it's one specific wing, out of 3, that you have to worry about.

So, OP...I'm allergic to lots of things myself, so I really empathize with you...but...on the one hand you didn't want to listen to all the stuff the TM wanted to tell you, but on the other you wanted them to tell you something that it seems they didn't tell you.

I don't know how you booked, but if you go to the PBR site (http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Portofino-Bay-Hotel/index), halfway down the page is a picture of a person with a dog, with Loews Loves Pets under it. I know not everyone reads everything about things, but when you're very allergic, you do *need to* protect yourself making sure you've familiarized yourself with hotel policies.

You are right, I didn't want to listen to the guy at the Front Desk tell me things I already knew but I did not tell him to stop and it was all about Universal, the parks, and WWOHP. He did not tell me anything about being put in a room that allowed dogs though. So I listened to his spiel but no mention of dogs.

And I did not book online at their website, I did it through AAA. It is odd that someone like me who is so detailed did not peruse everything about the hotel but I just didn't. I do think they should have asked if it was ok to put us in a wing that allowed dogs (and had dogs in the room previously). Even my DH who is so laid back could not believe they had done that. And so did the manager. While they immediately gave us a credit on our account for $100, the manager was so aghast that he credited the rest of the nights' stay and offered to pay for our meals and a future stay (which we declined but we did appreciate the free night). I'll tell you what is more interesting, my husband did not even tell the manager I was allergic (I did tell the front desk that once I found out where they put us so they possibly told the manager but my DH said the manager never mentioned it). My husband was more offended by the barking dogs and the smell and not being given a choice in the matter. DH was calm and cool and I'm glad he handled it.

But I need to let everyone know that my husband was incredibly impressed with how the hotel handled the situation and so was I! That is why I said I would stay here again. The pool alone was fabulous. We lounged on comfy chairs under an umbrella and the kids enjoyed the beautiful pool and slide. We had some really good food and drinks too! My favorite was the honey drizzled fruit with yogurt and banana bread but I think my husband's was the nachos!

The rooms were nicely decorated and the pedi-cabs to the parks were the highlight of my daughter's trip! So the hotel itself was nice and we will go back.

As a courtesy on these threads, I like to give my honest reviews and opinions so others are better informed. We all come to the boards for information and hopefully my experience will prepare someone else so they don't end up in the East Wing, Ground floor when they do not want to be around dogs.

While you are giving your opinion, you weren't in the situation either. What is important though is that the manager realized their error (not informing us at check in the type of room we would be placed in) and he rectified it. So again, kudos to the staff at Portofino Bay and I would welcome a chance to stay there again.

[Tinkerbellie16]

I called PBH this week and got the Preferred :confused3 Center and had them put on our reservation that (1) NO Feathers whatsoever in the room, and (2) No room near the pet friendly rooms. My children are highly allergic to both:sad1:
Do You think they will pay attention to these special requests? I am thinking about faxing them the day before we leave so they have it in hand and so do I....
P.S. - Why the West Wing???:confused::confused:

I'm glad I posted my experience so others who read it know to request a room away from the pet friendly rooms if needed. As long as you have it listed on your reservation, you should be fine. Definitely mention it at check in as well! The hotel did say the East Wing Ground Floor was the pet floor so I suppose you could be on the higher floors without the pets but I'm not 100% sure about that. The West Wing is closer to the pool and the boat launch so that is probably why everyone recommended it to me before I left and it is why I would recommend it to others.

[llb]

We (family of 4) will be at PB July 8, departing on the 9th. If I do early entry on the 9th from PB, not having been there before, is it best to take the path, the shortcut path (I read one person got lost!) or the boat.
If I want to do HP, once I get to Citywalk from the boat, where do I go? If I do the path, where does it lead me? Al I have read states "and your right there", but I don't know where that is.

[dimimi]

We (family of 4) will be at PB July 8, departing on the 9th. If I do early entry on the 9th from PB, not having been there before, is it best to take the path, the shortcut path (I read one person got lost!) or the boat.
If I want to do HP, once I get to Citywalk from the boat, where do I go? If I do the path, where does it lead me? Al I have read states "and your right there", but I don't know where that is.


I'd like to know this too. I'll be there in August and with the heat...I know we won't want to get lost...and we get lost easy!

[damo]

Take the shortcut. That will spit you out at Universal Studios. Do not try to line up there. Continue along to Islands of Adventure. Show them your room key and line up on the left. Once they let you in follow the crowd. EVERYONE will be going to the same place.

However...if the boat is there...take the boat.

[dimimi]

Take the shortcut. That will spit you out at Universal Studios. Do not try to line up there. Continue along to Islands of Adventure. Show them your room key and line up on the left. Once they let you in follow the crowd. EVERYONE will be going to the same place.

However...if the boat is there...take the boat.

I know this will sound dumb...it's our first time to Universal/IOA. Are there 2 boats, one to Universal and One to IOA?

Do the boats run the 1 hour early....and will we be able to use the pedal bike men/women to get us there?

We are used to Disney mania so we will be there before IOA(geez I hope that's the right park!) open for Harry Potter. We'll try for at least one morning.

Thanks for all of your help.

[macraven]

I know this will sound dumb...it's our first time to Universal/IOA. Are there 2 boats, one to Universal and One to IOA?

Do the boats run the 1 hour early....and will we be able to use the pedal bike men/women to get us there?

We are used to Disney mania so we will be there before IOA(geez I hope that's the right park!) open for Harry Potter. We'll try for at least one morning.

Thanks for all of your help.

the boats that leave your hotel go to city walk.
all the boats for the 3 hotels will dock there.

you then walk up a ramp or stairs and decide which park you wish to enter first.
the studios or ioa.

it is about equal distance from the boat dock in city walk.


ask any question you want.
that is they way you will figure things out and be more prepared for your vacation at the darkside.

[macraven]

boats do leave early.
they run about every 20 minutes.
they leave your boat dock at the hotel and go straight to the city walk dock.
they wait at city walk for a short time, then depart back to the hotel.

at city walk, the lines for the boats are marked for each hotel.


you can use the pedicabs.
they work on tips.

[damo]

If you are going for early entry, every other person heading to the parks is going for that too. Just join along in the parade. There is only one park with early entry. No one will be trying to go to Universal Studios.

[Rip]

Take the shortcut. That will spit you out at Universal Studios. Do not try to line up there. Continue along to Islands of Adventure. Show them your room key and line up on the left. Once they let you in follow the crowd. EVERYONE will be going to the same place.

However...if the boat is there...take the boat.

Stupid question, but I've always stayed at either the RPR or HRH. However, I booked an impromptu weekend trip this weekend with my 5 year old at PBH, and I have no idea where either the regular path or the shortcut is. Do you have a picture or anything?

Thanks.

[damo]

Here is my map...The regular trail goes along the waterway.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

Bubba's Mom has clearer photos and instructions: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36946846&postcount=7

[Rip]

Here is my map...The regular trail goes along the waterway.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

Bubba's Mom has clearer photos and instructions: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36946846&postcount=7

thanks!

[damo]

Also, if you go to Googlemaps.com and type in Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando, you can zoom and follow the path very clearly. If you go into the walking view, you can actually see people walking the shortcut.

[dimimi]

Thanks everyone!:banana:

[diskids2]

Hi...we are thinking of eating at one of the PB restaurants during our next trip. Can anyone tell me about them? Recommendations? Do any have outdoor waitress/waiter seating?

Thanks!

[damo]

Hi...we are thinking of eating at one of the PB restaurants during our next trip. Can anyone tell me about them? Recommendations? Do any have outdoor waitress/waiter seating?

Thanks!

You can eat outside for Mama Dellas or Sal's. You can find the menus here... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2681315

[diskids2]

You can eat outside for Mama Dellas or Sal's. You can find the menus here... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2681315

Thank you!

[natebenma]

Two questions-

Is there a store at the resort where we can pick up bananas or pastry the night before for quick morning snack before we head over to Harry Potter World? We are staying club level, but my understanding is the lounge will not be open before the early entry time next week.

Are there changing rooms/lockers by any of the PBH pools? Our return flight is at 6 PM and if we hang around the resort before we leave for the airport will there be a place for us to change?


TIA

[damo]

Two questions-

Is there a store at the resort where we can pick up bananas or pastry the night before for quick morning snack before we head over to Harry Potter World? We are staying club level, but my understanding is the lounge will not be open before the early entry time next week.

Are there changing rooms/lockers by any of the PBH pools? Our return flight is at 6 PM and if we hang around the resort before we leave for the airport will there be a place for us to change?


TIA

You can pick up stuff at Sal's Deli the night before. There is an evening snack at club where you might be able to get a few things too. There are places to change if you hang around all day. I'm pretty sure you get to use club service that whole day too.

[macraven]

if you booked club, you are allowed to use the services until the time you leave the hotel, even if you checked out at 11:00.

[natebenma]

Thank you damo and macraven!

I appreciate your responses and all of the valuable info you provide on these threads! Your posts have been extremely helpful to me and to so many others!

[ddluvsdisney]

natebenna- I love your ticker!!! We feel the same way. This is the second year in a row we are doing both WWoHP and Disney.
Although I still like Disney way better my kids LOVE Harry Potter and HRH.
Is this your first time doing WWoHP?
I think we were at the BC around the same time last year lol. BTW i am also from MA.

[macraven]

Thank you damo and macraven!

I appreciate your responses and all of the valuable info you provide on these threads! Your posts have been extremely helpful to me and to so many others!

tanx, just wanting to help.
and i'm sure damo would say the same thing.

[natebenma]

natebenna- I love your ticker!!! We feel the same way. This is the second year in a row we are doing both WWoHP and Disney.
Although I still like Disney way better my kids LOVE Harry Potter and HRH.
Is this your first time doing WWoHP?
I think we were at the BC around the same time last year lol. BTW i am also from MA.

Thanks! I delayed in making my ticker. I am very close to Teena, the Beach Club greeter and she was sad that I was doing a Universal Trip instead of a stay at the BC this year. Although she will be away welcoming her first grandchild while I am in Orlando, I don't want to rub salt in the wounds.

After I posted my ticker, there was a little Universal subforum going on over on the BC thread.

We have had really good luck for a couple of years crowdwise and weather wise going the 2nd week in July. Hope it holds this year, too!

First time at WWoHP. My DH and I went to Universal about 15 years ago, but me-thinks things have changed a wee bit since then!

[ddluvsdisney]

Thanks! I delayed in making my ticker. I am very close to Teena, the Beach Club greeter and she was sad that I was doing a Universal Trip instead of a stay at the BC this year. Although she will be away welcoming her first grandchild while I am in Orlando, I don't want to rub salt in the wounds.

After I posted my ticker, there was a little Universal subforum going on over on the BC thread.

We have had really good luck for a couple of years crowdwise and weather wise going the 2nd week in July. Hope it holds this year, too!

First time at WWoHP. My DH and I went to Universal about 15 years ago, but me-thinks things have changed a wee bit since then!

It definately has changed. The last time we went before last year was 1995. We had a great time last year hence the returning trip but I just can't go down there without going to Disney too. It's just not the same.
Have a great trip!!

[dtchgrl]

We will be staying PBH club so my understanding is that we should get free access to the fitness room. Since it will be 5 of us in a room, I'm planning on sending my husband and teenage son to the fitness center bathroom for their morning "routine" if you know what I mean.
What are the fitness center bathrooms like? Are they large (ie more than one sink, toilet, shower stall)? Do they have shampoo, towels, blow dryers, etc?
Is the fitness center a separate place from the spa? Is it on the lobby level?

Anyone have pics?
Thanks!

[damo]

We will be staying PBH club so my understanding is that we should get free access to the fitness room. Since it will be 5 of us in a room, I'm planning on sending my husband and teenage son to the fitness center bathroom for their morning "routine" if you know what I mean.
What are the fitness center bathrooms like? Are they large (ie more than one sink, toilet, shower stall)? Do they have shampoo, towels, blow dryers, etc?
Is the fitness center a separate place from the spa? Is it on the lobby level?

Anyone have pics?
Thanks!

The fitness centre is attached to the Mandara Spa. It is accessible across from the Beach pool, beside the Spendido Pizzaria.

http://www.oyster.com/orlando/hotels/universals-portofino-bay-hotel-a-loews-hotel/photos/spa-universal-portofino-bay-hotel-a-loews-hotel-v641246/

There are several photos there but not really any of showers and that type of facilities.

[damo]

club level photos

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=41871903

[diskids2]

Does this exist......West wing, high floor, not near pets, deluxe or suite Club level with balcony?

And if it does what room category am I looking to book and how do I note/express my requests?

[damo]

Does this exist......West wing, high floor, not near pets, deluxe or suite Club level with balcony?

And if it does what room category am I looking to book and how do I note/express my requests?

We had a Villa suite that matched those requirements. Club level can be anywhere since there is just a Club Lounge--it is not a floor or anything.

When you make your booking have them put that on the reservation.
About 5 days before you go, call the hotel and request.

[dtchgrl]

We have a reservation for a deluxe room with club benefits starting the 25th. I called the reservation number the other day to have a room request of "pull out sofa and patio" added to our reservation. I prefaced it by saying "I know this is only request and not guaranteed...." The person said "there aren't any rooms with both sofabeds and patios available". Feeling pretty sure I had read here of others that a room like that existed, I asked if couldn't she just go ahead and put in the request. She sighed and said something like "Ok, I will, but you are not going to get that".
I know that club rooms can be any deluxe room (not restricted to a certain area) and that most deluxe rooms have the pullout. Do you think she was correct, or just trying to be difficult? I agree that my chances are slim just b/c there aren't many patio rooms but I don't know how she would know that particular room is "not available". I thought they don't assign specific rooms until a few days before check in.

[bubba's mom]

The person said "there aren't any rooms with both sofabeds and patios available".

Not all deluxe rooms have pullout beds. Probably no deluxe rooms have a balcony. Maybe that's what she meant?

If the pullout is more important than the balcony, you better note that on your res. Even tho your chances of the pullout are better than the balcony.

[DisMom72]

Hello All, Just booked a 10 night stay at the PBH Club Level for next June :cool1: Have never stayed there before and was just wondering if the Club Level rooms are considered deluxe rooms ( I believe it had the square footage at 490) and if all of the Club rooms have balcony's? I also read in the much earlier posts, that the bigger rooms had some sort of a pull out sofa :confused3. Is this correct? Thank you so much for you help ;)

[keenercam]

In an early post, I read that the Universal hotels are not smoke-free. I am severely allergic to cigarette smoke so I need to be clear on this - are the rooms smoke-free? Or do I specifically have to request a smoke-free room?

[damo]

In an early post, I read that the Universal hotels are not smoke-free. I am severely allergic to cigarette smoke so I need to be clear on this - are the rooms smoke-free? Or do I specifically have to request a smoke-free room?

As of this past spring, all Universal hotels are smoke free.

[damo]

Hello All, Just booked a 10 night stay at the PBH Club Level for next June :cool1: Have never stayed there before and was just wondering if the Club Level rooms are considered deluxe rooms ( I believe it had the square footage at 490) and if all of the Club rooms have balcony's? I also read in the much earlier posts, that the bigger rooms had some sort of a pull out sofa :confused3. Is this correct? Thank you so much for you help ;)

If you book a club room, you are given a deluxe room. Very few rooms have balconies. Most of the deluxe rooms have pullouts but not all.

[senecabeach]

Just came back from my 1st & last trip to U.S. 10/3-10/7.

Went specifically to see HP which did not dissappoint. Parks were empty, rides were fun, closed @ 6PM, and I rode the HP castle ride 2-3 times before noon with no wait every day. Butterbeer, maybe too sweet.

Portofino a beautiful hotel but very boring to me especially after 6pm with nothing to do. OK, Had a glass of wine @ the outside bar, chilled out and listened to music...nice. Pool was relaxing. OK....Go to CW.

CW at 9, 10, 11 PM was empty each night in the clubs/restaurants and maybe 10-15 people tops on the street (usually grabbing a smoke). :confused3

Consierge less than knowledgable. Taxi's to go other places were very expensive ($40....1 way..ie DTD/SeaWorld). Found out from a Mears driver that before 11AM and after 5PM you can reserve a Mears pick up to DTD for $19. per person round trip. Consierge knew nada....so I called Mears and went to DTD one night and enjoyed my stroll and Ghirardelli ice cream.

Had a few main meals at lunchtime, Mythos, Finnegans and Lombard's Grill were wonderful...H.R.also good no ressies needed anywhere. Couldn't wait to check out to meet my family for a grand gathering @ Disney for the next 15 days and didn't even mind the $50. fare to get there !!:rolleyes1


Guess...I'm just a Disney person!!:lovestruc

[keenercam]

As of this past spring, all Universal hotels are smoke free.

That is such a relief! Thank you, damo!! :goodvibes

[dsmom]

just got back from 2 nt stay at PB- had pb suite - rooms 3135 and 3137-
ground floor right by the boat dock. perfect stay!! food at all the resturants
were great! everyone there was SOOO nice! i could live here!

we stayed one night at GF before for the mickey halloween party and my
husband and I said NEVER again! it was so crowded- food was horrible- we
stayed main building -club level- food was not so good and room was small and
in need of refurbishment- very small bathroom- guess we are just spoiled by
Universal:love:

[bumbershoot]

I did a search of the thread, and the last mention of this I found (using the "search this thread" feature) was in 2009. Maybe it has changed.

Does PBR have a laundry room yet? Or do guests still have to go to another resort for that still?

Thanks!

[damo]

I did a search of the thread, and the last mention of this I found (using the "search this thread" feature) was in 2009. Maybe it has changed.

Does PBR have a laundry room yet? Or do guests still have to go to another resort for that still?

Thanks!

No laundry rooms at PBH. You have to go elsewhere to use one.

[bumbershoot]

Thanks damo!

And now, hopefully, someone searching in the future will have a more updated answer. :)

[humphreydog]

They have empty storefronts along in the harbor (by the old gelateria). They would be perfect for a laundry room. Just seal the exterior doors and enter through hotel side and no one harbor-side would know it was there (aesthetically).

They are all vacant anyway.

[bumbershoot]

good idea!

Is that a malamute in your avatar picture?

[natnelliesmom]

Okay, you guys are the experts here....

My DSis and DBIL are looking to book a 3 night stay at PBH this January. They asked for my help, since I'm known as the Disney trip planner!
I don't know a thing about Universal!! :confused3

So where do I start? How do I find the best price for them, what do they need to know about their trip, and what are the tricks that will help them out?

Thank you!

[damo]

Okay, you guys are the experts here....

My DSis and DBIL are looking to book a 3 night stay at PBH this January. They asked for my help, since I'm known as the Disney trip planner!
I don't know a thing about Universal!! :confused3

So where do I start? How do I find the best price for them, what do they need to know about their trip, and what are the tricks that will help them out?

Thank you!

You can generally find the best price by calling the hotel. They will discuss all of the rates with you.

The best tickets for them are available through undercover tourist.

Another option you might want to look at is purchasing one annual pass at $250 and see what the hotel savings are for 3 nights. Annual pass savings can be huge and counteract the price of the AP. You can check AP rates by entering the code APH at www.loewshotels.com

[johnnyr]

You can generally find the best price by calling the hotel. They will discuss all of the rates with you.

The best tickets for them are available through undercover tourist.

Another option you might want to look at is purchasing one annual pass at $250 and see what the hotel savings are for 3 nights. Annual pass savings can be huge and counteract the price of the AP. You can check AP rates by entering the code APH at www.loewshotels.com

How do you know when AP rates are released? I just entered code APH for my dates in July but the price is the same as what I currently have with SMSM.

[damo]

How do you know when AP rates are released? I just entered code APH for my dates in July but the price is the same as what I currently have with SMSM.

If the ap rates are out, when you enter the code APH it will come up with a rate saying Annual Pass Rate. If it doesn't say annual pass rate on the rate, then either the rates are not out yet, or they are sold out. I don't think July rates are out yet. You can check the dates and rates threads to see when the first people reported getting July AP rates last year.

[Mouseturtle]

do they check AAA cards at check in?

[macraven]

they usually do.

[Mouseturtle]

Any requests I shoudl make for my deluxe queen room? Would appreciate any pointers....gonna be there friday! Ahhhh! 1st time :)

[damo]

Any requests I shoudl make for my deluxe queen room? Would appreciate any pointers....gonna be there friday! Ahhhh! 1st time :)

Just ask for villa or west wing. They are closer to everything.

[diskids2]

Hi all!
I still haven't made up my mind as to the kind of room at PBH. Usually I can make a decision but for some reason I keep going around and around. I really wish someone would make this decision for me;)

We are a party of six - basically all adults. My children are 25, 21 and 17. My mom is coming with us this trip.

I keep going back and forth between two deluxe rooms and a Portofino suite. We will be there for four nights. I know I want to be in the villa or west wing.

Any thoughts?

[macraven]

Hi all!
I still haven't made up my mind as to the kind of room at PBH. Usually I can make a decision but for some reason I keep going around and around. I really wish someone would make this decision for me;)

We are a party of six - basically all adults. My children are 25, 21 and 17. My mom is coming with us this trip.

I keep going back and forth between two deluxe rooms and a Portofino suite. We will be there for four nights. I know I want to be in the villa or west wing.

Any thoughts?

what is your priority?

do you plan to spend a large amount of time in the room or at the parks/citywalk/pool?


do you plan all 6 in your group to be together and do everything as one group all the time?
possible, the suite would work best then.


do peeps in your group want more privacy?
will anyone in your group prefer alone time so they can rest, watch tv or do work?
if that is the case, 2 rooms would work out.

[jcvalenti]

I'm an old hand at Disney, but totally new to Universal. Family wants to stay there for two nights in June (6/20 through 6/23). Is it worth shelling out the extra money for a deluxe or bay view Queen room on the reservation ?

I wouldn't mind paying a little extra for a nicer experience, but if it's just a slightly nicer view for the 9 hours we're in our room each day, I'd probably rather save the $100 knick-knacks.

[wrrock]

For the portofino; you want to stay by the river and above the square by shops and stuff. Any other hotel has a pool view. This you can look out and have some resemblance of Italy. It's nice to walk downstairs; browse some shops and then go on the river for a boat ride.

[damo]

I'm an old hand at Disney, but totally new to Universal. Family wants to stay there for two nights in June (6/20 through 6/23). Is it worth shelling out the extra money for a deluxe or bay view Queen room on the reservation ?

I wouldn't mind paying a little extra for a nicer experience, but if it's just a slightly nicer view for the 9 hours we're in our room each day, I'd probably rather save the $100 knick-knacks.

The bay views are really nice but so are the pool views. For one night I wouldn't bother.

[bumbershoot]

For the experts....


We have a 2Q Garden view booked. Is that ONLY going to be on the east wing? Or is there such a view on the other side?

Although, typing that out I remember that we are actually Blue level members, and are hoping for the upgrade the Loews site talks about...so I don't know if requesting something would harm that process...any thoughts?

[macraven]

what are your dates bumble?

[bumbershoot]

Oh, 2/10-2/16.


I'm still not sure how we got Blue level, b/c according to their site, our first stay, at RPR, didn't count towards status (used SMSM). But that's what the site says!

Last September we had the same 2Q Garden room that we've reserved this time, and it was perfectly lovely, I quite liked the view. But we were all the way over on the other side of the boat launch (we were in the east wing, right?) and it got frustrating to walk allll that way. I know, sad to complain about. :)

But I don't even know if Garden views (if we get exactly what we reserved) rooms are on the other side, and if it would be a waste to request a certain wing.

[macraven]

Oh, 2/10-2/16.


I'm still not sure how we got Blue level, b/c according to their site, our first stay, at RPR, didn't count towards status (used SMSM). But that's what the site says!

Last September we had the same 2Q Garden room that we've reserved this time, and it was perfectly lovely, I quite liked the view. But we were all the way over on the other side of the boat launch (we were in the east wing, right?) and it got frustrating to walk allll that way. I know, sad to complain about. :)

But I don't even know if Garden views (if we get exactly what we reserved) rooms are on the other side, and if it would be a waste to request a certain wing.

here is the link to get to the benefits for loews youfirst:

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/youfirst/benefits



for blue level membership, you get the benefits on your 2nd stay at a loews hotel.

you can sign in at the loews youfirst site to see what your standing is.
you mentioned you have stayed at Loews in the past so if this is the 2nd stay since your membership, you should have the blue perks.


from the website:
*All upgrades are applicable to certain room and suite types only and subject to availability. Blue members receive a room upgrade, if available, upon arrival. Gold members receive an upgrade to a premium room, if available, guaranteed at time of reservation. Gold members can also enjoy a suite upgrade for only $50 per night, if available upon arrival. Platinum members receive a premium upgrade, if available, guaranteed at time of reservation. Platinum members receive a suite upgrade, if available at time of reservation, at no additional cost.



BENEFITS: MEMBER BLUE GOLD PLATINUM
Eligibility 0-1 stays 2-4 stays 5-9 stays 10+ stays
Special Partners Offers Yes Yes Yes Yes
Free Internet No Yes Yes Yes
Free Fitness Center Access No Yes Yes Yes
Free Room Upgrade* No Yes Yes Yes
Late Checkout** No Yes Yes Yes
Guaranteed Availability*** No No Yes Yes
Custom-created destination packages No No Yes Yes
Special Welcome No No Yes Yes
Spa, Golf, or Food & Beverage Credit valued at $100 No No No Yes

[bumbershoot]

Oh yes, I've looked at that.


What I'm wondering is if I should try to make any requests for a wing, or if the room upgrade, if available, will interfere with requests (or worse, if requests will interfere with the potential room upgrade).

Also, if the upgrade is not available and we do end up in the Garden View, are there any Garden Views available on the west wing? (or is that just pool view on the non "pretty" view side?)

[damo]

Pretty sure there are other garden view rooms in the villa wing. Go to googlemaps and type in Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. You can see several areas that neither overlook the bay, nor a pool in the villa wing.

You can always email the hotel directly and ask what your options are.

[diskids2]

what is your priority?

do you plan to spend a large amount of time in the room or at the parks/citywalk/pool?


do you plan all 6 in your group to be together and do everything as one group all the time?
possible, the suite would work best then.


do peeps in your group want more privacy?
will anyone in your group prefer alone time so they can rest, watch tv or do work?
if that is the case, 2 rooms would work out.

Good things to ponder....
Groupings would be DH, me, DS (17) and my Mom (75). The other group is DD (21) and DD's BF (25).

We do everything together, but parts of our group go back to the room to rest while others keep trucking along.

For this trip, we will spend most of the time in the parks, but some time at the hotel.

We will be there for four nights, but this is the second leg of our trip. WDW is the first...where we will be for 10 nights. 1 Bedroom villa and a studio villa at BCV.

Is there a floor plan for the suites anywhere that I could look at?

[damo]

http://www.uomeetingsandevents.com/Hotels/Portofino_Bay/Accommodations/Accommodations.asp

This has photos and floor plans.

[vbarry]

I just booked the portofino suite. So the parlor room is only 280 square feet. I thought I ready somewhere that the suite was 900 square feet. Not sure if I am willing to pay as much as I am for just another 280 square feet.

Is there a fridge in these rooms?

Those who have stayed...would you choose a Portofino or Deluxe Club?

[macraven]

I just booked the portofino suite. So the parlor room is only 280 square feet. I thought I ready somewhere that the suite was 900 square feet. Not sure if I am willing to pay as much as I am for just another 280 square feet.

Is there a fridge in these rooms?

Those who have stayed...would you choose a Portofino or Deluxe Club?

doesn't that include the large suite?
you get the suite and the side parlor room.
or if i have that wrong, damo will correct me........:laughing:

[macraven]

Portofino Suites

Our Portofino Suites are cozy and comfortable with plenty of space to relax after a day at the theme parks. These suites have a 450 square foot parlor which adjoins to a 450 square foot Garden View bedroom. A second adjoining Garden View room can also be reserved to create a two-bedroom suite.

Call 1-888-273-1311 to book this suite.


isn't this what you booked ?

go to http://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Loews-Portofino-Bay-Hotel/Accommodations/Luxury-Suites.aspx for the picture of the suite.

[damo]

doesn't that include the large suite?
you get the suite and the side parlor room.
or if i have that wrong, damo will correct me........:laughing:


When we stayed in one, the parlor was pretty much the same size as the bedroom. The sofa in the parlor pulls out to a full bed. Each room then has its own bathroom.

[General Panic]

Have just tretaed myself and 2 brothers to 3 nights in the hotel arriving 17th September.

This will be our 4th visit and only on our first visit did we end up on the top floor in a room with a balcony which was just wonderful.

Next visit garden wing and also one after that. I asked if we could get a balcony on our last trip and was told this was for guests paying the bay view supplement which of course we hadn't. Our first trip must have gained us a free upgrade and i didn't realise you had to pay for the view and balcony on subsequent visists :)

Soooo , does anyone know of a room number we can request that would hopefully net us a balcony again? We just have the regualr bay view room booked not a suite or club room if that helps.

I've paid the supplement myself this time and brothers think we'll just have a garden view again but i'm hoping to surprise them with another lovely room with somekind of balcony :)


Any advice greatly appreciated.

[diskids2]

http://www.uomeetingsandevents.com/Hotels/Portofino_Bay/Accommodations/Accommodations.asp

This has photos and floor plans.

Ok thank you. Does anyone know if you can take a Rickshaw from PBH to HRH. We will be having dinner there one night and I'm not sure at the end of the day if my DM (75) could do the walk. I know I can boat it to Citywalk and transfer which I would do if that was the only option.

[damo]

Ok thank you. Does anyone know if you can take a Rickshaw from PBH to HRH. We will be having dinner there one night and I'm not sure at the end of the day if my DM (75) could do the walk. I know I can boat it to Citywalk and transfer which I would do if that was the only option.

You sure can!

[diskids2]

You sure can!

Best news I've heard today!

[pigby]

Just looked for APH rates and they are available up to now the day BEFORE we check in June 7th - still keeping our fingers crossed - we were all set for RPR but looking at the week before the Portofino is only $25 more than RPR per night (for a garden view room and not at the weekend) - seems like a really big discount (going for 5 nights).

The distance to the parks puts me off a little bit but would enjoy the quietness I think - HRH was too noisy for us last year.

What do you guys think - if the rates get extended at a similar price - should we go for it?

[MomtoGKC]

We're going on our first trip to US and just booked our room at PBH. I have a few questions (well, probably more than a few..)

How long does it take to get form the hotel to IOA for the early opening for HP? Which is the best way to go - boat, walk?

How are the restaurants? I think I've been to Bice in Palm Beach, if it is the same one, so I know that is great. What about the others? How does character dining work? Which characters are there? Trying to decide if that is worth it or we should just go to a regular restaurant.

I booked a garden view room, is there a special area I should request? Am I allowed to request an area?


I think that is it for now - this is a last minute trip so I only have about 5 days to plan everything!!

[LMO429]

Just booked Portofino Bay Oct 27th -Nov 3 2012 looking forward to staying here ..we stayed at the hard rock and loved it but wanted to try something different this trip

[damo]

We're going on our first trip to US and just booked our room at PBH. I have a few questions (well, probably more than a few..)

How long does it take to get form the hotel to IOA for the early opening for HP? Which is the best way to go - boat, walk?

How are the restaurants? I think I've been to Bice in Palm Beach, if it is the same one, so I know that is great. What about the others? How does character dining work? Which characters are there? Trying to decide if that is worth it or we should just go to a regular restaurant.

I booked a garden view room, is there a special area I should request? Am I allowed to request an area?


I think that is it for now - this is a last minute trip so I only have about 5 days to plan everything!!

Sal's Deli has great pizza. I highly recommend it. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to IOA if you use the shortcut outlined in this thread. You'll have to go back and look.

There's a ton of great info here....I suggest you browse through.

For character dining, you just show up and the characters come and go.

There is a food sticky with all menus on the main Universal board. It is worth a look.

I suggest you request a room in the West or Villa wing. They are closer to the boat and to walk.

[kjd469]

Hi...I have decided to join our friends at US for 3 nights at the end of May. We are all staying at PBH, but they have booked into the club level and I got a great AP rate, so we are just in the gardenview room. Is it possible to make a request for our room to be close to theirs? Are there gardenview rooms near the club level rooms, or which "wing" would be best to request for being closer to our friends. First time staying onsite, so not familiar with this resort. Thanks so much for any help! :)

[LMO429]

Sal's Deli has great pizza. I highly recommend it. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to IOA if you use the shortcut outlined in this thread. You'll have to go back and look.

There's a ton of great info here....I suggest you browse through.

For character dining, you just show up and the characters come and go.

There is a food sticky with all menus on the main Universal board. It is worth a look.

I suggest you request a room in the West or Villa wing. They are closer to the boat and to walk.

Do you happen to know on what page of this thread is the shortcut with pics to get from portofino to IOA..I'm searching but can not find anything

[diskids2]

I really WISH those walking direction from PBH to citywalk through the HRH parking lot could get a sticky! I refer back to them all the time and I have such an issue finding them!

[LMO429]

I really WISH those walking direction from PBH to citywalk through the HRH parking lot could get a sticky! I refer back to them all the time and I have such an issue finding them!

agreed. Later on today i am going to search through this thread and try and find it.

[LMO429]

That is it!!! It is unbelieveably fast that way. Just watch out for cars and buses when you walk through the parking lot and onto the street since there isn't really a path.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg

Here is the map post 582

[macraven]

I really WISH those walking direction from PBH to citywalk through the HRH parking lot could get a sticky! I refer back to them all the time and I have such an issue finding them!

you could bookmark it.
save it to your 'favorites' and that way you won't lose it.

[damo]

Looks like I was very drunk when I did that map!!!! That is how you walk from PBH after you've had more than a few at the Thirsty Fish!!!!!

[LMO429]

Looks like I was very drunk when I did that map!!!! That is how you walk from PBH after you've had more than a few at the Thirsty Fish!!!!!

I can not really tell from the map is there a traffic light when you cross what seems to be a major intersection?

[damo]

I can not really tell from the map is there a traffic light when you cross what seems to be a major intersection?

Yes there is. It isn't a really busy road though.

I have given you the link go to www.googlemaps.com right at the intersection where you'll have to cross. You can actually see the walk that way and you'll get a better understanding of what you are going to see. Click on the arrows and you can explore.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Portofino+Bay+Hotel+at+Universal+Studios,+Univer sal+Boulevard,+Orlando,+FL&aq=0&oq=portofino+bay+hotel,&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.735377,86.572266&vpsrc=0&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=Portofino+Bay+Hotel+at&hnear=Universal+Orlando+Resort,+1000+Universal+Stu dios+Plaza,+Orlando,+Orange,+Florida+32819&fll=28.480122,-81.463006&fspn=0.00128,0.002642&st=105671439381301215365&rq=1&ev=zi&split=1&layer=c&cbll=28.479264,-81.463693&panoid=HbQTfp3_xJrHg8zddskwOg&cbp=12,239.18,,0,14.35&ll=28.479122,-81.463532&spn=0.00128,0.002642&z=19


If you walk down Celebrity Cir. on the map, that is walking right alongside the HRH parking lot.

[Brownie54]

I guess I'm really showing my age here but I just don't use the short cut. The regular path is not that much longer and it is such a beautiful walk. If we are tired or in a hurry we just use the boats or the rickshaw bikes. BTW, the walk at night is quite romantic.:love:

[bas71873]

Are there hairdryers and refridgerators in the rooms?


I can't find that this has ever been answered in a search. I'm wondering about the fridge in the room?? Also, is there a laundry room yet? I see that as of the end of 2011 there was not, but maybe something has changed? Helps me pack lighter if I can do laundry mid-week. We are going to switch from HRH to PBH to try something new. Thanks.

[damo]

I can't find that this has ever been answered in a search. I'm wondering about the fridge in the room?? Also, is there a laundry room yet? I see that as of the end of 2011 there was not, but maybe something has changed? Helps me pack lighter if I can do laundry mid-week. We are going to switch from HRH to PBH to try something new. Thanks.

No fridges at any of the hotels, no laundry at this hotel.

You can rent a fridge and you can use laundry at HRH. If you need a fridge for medicinal or baby purposes, they will comp you the fridge. Otherwise it is $25/night.

There is a small fridge that houses their honour bar but it is not really very cold and if you use it and move anything you may be charged for using items it there.

[bumbershoot]

Looks like I was very drunk when I did that map!!!! That is how you walk from PBH after you've had more than a few at the Thirsty Fish!!!!!

:rotfl:


It would be interesting to have the "official" path from PBH marked on that map as well, perhaps in a different color, to really see the difference. If I had photoshop I'd volunteer, but I don't. :goodvibes :cool2::flower3:

[bas71873]

No fridges at any of the hotels, no laundry at this hotel.

You can rent a fridge and you can use laundry at HRH. If you need a fridge for medicinal or baby purposes, they will comp you the fridge. Otherwise it is $25/night.

There is a small fridge that houses their honour bar but it is not really very cold and if you use it and move anything you may be charged for using items it there.


Thanks. Was just thinking of a fridge for a few drinks and maybe some milk for cereal (we will have a car, so I was going to hit the grocery for a few things to save some $$). I might try a styrofoam cooler and keep it filled with ice. Will have to think about that one.

And it's sad that laundry really weighs into my choice of hotels, but laundry on vacation really is different than laundry at home :lmao:

[macraven]

you could use the laundry service they provide.
if you need it back within a few hours, they will oblige.

all 3 of the hotels do provide that paid service.

[bas71873]

I have to be the most indecisive person EVER. And I'm a creature of habit, so that's not helping. I really want to just pull the trigger and cancel my HRH reservation and stay at PBH this August. Is it worth upgrading (at PBH) to the deluxe beach pool view. It's not that big a difference from the garden and/or deluxe villa and we spend a lot of time at the pool, especially in the evenings when the parks close early. Thoughts?

Also, has anyone ever ordered from Garden Grocer and had delivery to the the US hotels? Am considering having a few breakfast things and some munchies, like pretzels, delivered, along with a styrofoam cooler delivered on our arrival day. I like my almond milk protein shakes in the AM.

[macraven]

I have to be the most indecisive person EVER. And I'm a creature of habit, so that's not helping. I really want to just pull the trigger and cancel my HRH reservation and stay at PBH this August. Is it worth upgrading (at PBH) to the deluxe beach pool view. It's not that big a difference from the garden and/or deluxe villa and we spend a lot of time at the pool, especially in the evenings when the parks close early. Thoughts?

Also, has anyone ever ordered from Garden Grocer and had delivery to the the US hotels? Am considering having a few breakfast things and some munchies, like pretzels, delivered, along with a styrofoam cooler delivered on our arrival day. I like my almond milk protein shakes in the AM.



if you have stayed at hrh before and enjoyed it, i'm sure you will feel the same if you switch to pbh.

might as well try another hotel......
pbh does have larger rooms than the other 2 hotels.
if you like a lot of space and basic italian foods, then pbh would be the one to try.

i have stayed at all 3 hotels.
my heart belongs to rph for the ambiance and food places on site and near by. but since my home away from home isn't in the running for you, i say switch hotels.


i used to book hrh exclusively until i decided to branch out with rph.
going into it i was a tad nervous but was wowed over by the lobby and ambiance of the hotel.


you never know what you are missing until you try it.
go ahead and switch..........

some of the regular posters on the darkside absolutely love pbh.
they can't say enough great things about the hotel.

there have been very few posts about Garden Grocer deliveries on the threads. not saying it isn't done, just not many have discussed it.

hope you do get some replies for that portion of your question.

[LMO429]

I have to be the most indecisive person EVER. And I'm a creature of habit, so that's not helping. I really want to just pull the trigger and cancel my HRH reservation and stay at PBH this August. Is it worth upgrading (at PBH) to the deluxe beach pool view. It's not that big a difference from the garden and/or deluxe villa and we spend a lot of time at the pool, especially in the evenings when the parks close early. Thoughts?

Also, has anyone ever ordered from Garden Grocer and had delivery to the the US hotels? Am considering having a few breakfast things and some munchies, like pretzels, delivered, along with a styrofoam cooler delivered on our arrival day. I like my almond milk protein shakes in the AM.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel last October and Loved it! But we wanted to try something new so we are going to take a chance at stay at PBH. My biggest concern between the two really is the walk. but i am just looking at the added distance as exercise so I can have more butter beers.

[LisaCM614]

My DH sprained his ankle this weekend and we are supposed to be checking in to PBH one week from today! ACK. We are staying in a deluxe room - any requests we should make to ensure we cut his hobbling time down? I know it is just a request but not sure what is a good thing to request.
Thanks

[damo]

My DH sprained his ankle this weekend and we are supposed to be checking in to PBH one week from today! ACK. We are staying in a deluxe room - any requests we should make to ensure we cut his hobbling time down? I know it is just a request but not sure what is a good thing to request.
Thanks

Ask for a West Wing room near an elevator. That will give you the shortest walk to the boat.

[diskids2]

I have to be the most indecisive person EVER. And I'm a creature of habit, so that's not helping. I really want to just pull the trigger and cancel my HRH reservation and stay at PBH this August. Is it worth upgrading (at PBH) to the deluxe beach pool view. It's not that big a difference from the garden and/or deluxe villa and we spend a lot of time at the pool, especially in the evenings when the parks close early. Thoughts?

Also, has anyone ever ordered from Garden Grocer and had delivery to the the US hotels? Am considering having a few breakfast things and some munchies, like pretzels, delivered, along with a styrofoam cooler delivered on our arrival day. I like my almond milk protein shakes in the AM.

I can't help with PBH rooms, I'm staying there for the first time this July. But I have ordered from Garden Grocer and had it delivered to the RPR. I had no problems at all. I did order the styro cooler and kept milk and water in there on top of a towel in case of leakage under the sink. It worked very well. There was room also for the snack type items we ordered.

[LisaCM614]

We had a lovely 2 days at PBH. What a pretty hotel! We did not walk to the parks as my DH is still not exactly himself but the boat was always there when we needed it and it was a pleasant ride. We ended up in the Villas and once the staff told us the short cut is was so easy to get down to the harbor. We had a nice view of the Beach Pool. The kids loved that pool as much as SAB at BC. We at breakfast at Trattoria which was a very nice buffet. Our arrival day we had lunch outside at Sal's - also a very nice deli lunch. Should we go back to Universal I would stay at PBH and could whole heartedly recommend it to anyone. Just a wonderful experience. Now to go do some laundry. Work tomorrow. Boo hoo.

[LMO429]

what is the difference between the villas at portofino and the other rooms. We will be staying there for the first time so I am curious

[k&a&c'smom]

Finally made it through the whole thread! Whew!:worship: Thanks to all the US experts for such great info, very informative.

We have a 6 night stay booked in a couple weeks; 3 nights HRH and 3 nights PBH. We've stayed at Hard Rock, but PBH will be new for us, we haven't even taken the time to visit the resort on previous stays, sorry to say.

I have a garden view room booked at both; when I called today to add the third night at PBH, the bay view was available (it wasn't when I booked two nights a couple days ago). Tempting, but I decided the extra day was more important than an upgraded view.

I have a YouFirst membership; not sure of my status, as we stayed at RPR in 2010, but I think the stays are now counted per year? If so, I'll never get anywhere, lol. RPR upgraded us to a king suite for $50/night, so maybe we'll get lucky again, who knows.:goodvibes

Can't wait for our trip, so excited.:banana: I have West wing, upper floor requested on the reservation. Hope we are near the pools and boat dock, as I have a pinned ankle and saving even a few steps here and there helps.

[LisaCM614]

what is the difference between the villas at portofino and the other rooms. We will be staying there for the first time so I am curious

Hi LMO - we stayed in the villas and I think that is just what they call that area of the hotel. We had a deluxe room booked and it was a deluxe room - nothing different. I loved the location because we had very easy pool access - both the wonderful and fun beach pool and the very lovely villa (quiet) pool.


Perhaps an expert will see this and be able to tell you if there is a real difference.

[damo]

Hi LMO - we stayed in the villas and I think that is just what they call that area of the hotel. We had a deluxe room booked and it was a deluxe room - nothing different. I loved the location because we had very easy pool access - both the wonderful and fun beach pool and the very lovely villa (quiet) pool.


Perhaps an expert will see this and be able to tell you if there is a real difference.

Villa wing is just one wing of the hotel. West Wing, East Wing, Villa Wing. I don't think there are any other wings than that.

[k&a&c'smom]

Help, PBH experts!! I feel like I read somewhere they do drink service at the Villa pool, as well as the themed pool, but maybe I dreamed it...??? Can't find it now.

TIA!:flower3:

[damo]

Help, PBH experts!! I feel like I read somewhere they do drink service at the Villa pool, as well as the themed pool, but maybe I dreamed it...??? Can't find it now.

TIA!:flower3:

Yes they do it by the big pool, not sure about the others. It is expensive though!!!!

[k&a&c'smom]

Yes they do it by the big pool, not sure about the others. It is expensive though!!!!

Thanks for the speedy answer!!:goodvibes Are you saying the drinks are expensive, or they add a surcharge for delivery (besides tip)? I think we pay about $8-$12 for pool drinks at WDW resorts, plus tip.

[damo]

Thanks for the speedy answer!!:goodvibes Are you saying the drinks are expensive, or they add a surcharge for delivery (besides tip)? I think we pay about $8-$12 for pool drinks at WDW resorts, plus tip.

The drinks are expensive and they put a hefty service charge on them. Sounds like they are comparable to WDW though.

[k&a&c'smom]

Thanks! I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks, we may need to search the sofa cushions for pool drink funds.;)

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I will add that the drinks at the beach pool are yummers. They also have poolside service for food as well. Nice selections and also very good. I will say however that most of the time, we just walk over to the bar ourselves as it is poolside. We usually order from the servers when we are having our pool day and eating by the pool as well. Next stay, we are going to rent a cabana for a few days. Have fun! And....don't forget to try the croissants from Sal's for bfst. They are very flaky and DD13 and I love the ones with the chunks of dark chocolate. So good with a cup of coffee.:love:

[k&a&c'smom]

I will add that the drinks at the beach pool are yummers. They also have poolside service for food as well. Nice selections and also very good. I will say however that most of the time, we just walk over to the bar ourselves as it is poolside. We usually order from the servers when we are having our pool day and eating by the pool as well. Next stay, we are going to rent a cabana for a few days. Have fun! And....don't forget to try the croissants from Sal's for bfst. They are very flaky and DD13 and I love the ones with the chunks of dark chocolate. So good with a cup of coffee.:love:

Thanks, good to see you!:wave2: Do you have a favorite(s) drink there? When we are at the GF, we get our drinks ourselves (no choice, lol), but when we stay at BC, we often sit very far away from the bar! Much easier to have someone else fetch them, SAB is so spread out - with the heat of the sand and cement, it can feel like crossing the Rubicon.:laughing: I will say, catching a server there can be tricky, they are so busy.

Thanks about Sal's croissants, too, they sound delish! We love croissants in general, but chocolate ones are our addiction.:love:

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Thanks, good to see you!:wave2: Do you have a favorite(s) drink there? When we are at the GF, we get our drinks ourselves (no choice, lol), but when we stay at BC, we often sit very far away from the bar! Much easier to have someone else fetch them, SAB is so spread out - with the heat of the sand and cement, it can feel like crossing the Rubicon.:laughing: I will say, catching a server there can be tricky, they are so busy.

Thanks about Sal's croissants, too, they sound delish! We love croissants in general, but chocolate ones are our addiction.:love:

Good to see you too.......venturing to the dark side(insert evil laugh) Your secret is safe with me.:rotfl: Gosh--I remember having vodka lemonades and some other fruity drink but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. I remember seeing it and pointing to say--I'll take one of those. Several other people were drinking them and it looked fantastic--tasted good too. Yeah--SAB is too spread out for my taste and not relaxing at all. I never even had a drink at that pool because DH and I had to be stuck like glue to the kiddos cuz they are not good swimmers.

Another tip--we always have room service our first night at PBH. Kids and DH love their spaghetti and meatballs and I like their ravioli too. Room service there is awesome. They have these heated carts that keep the food piping hot and it then turns into a table. Dh and I share that table and DDs use the room table. So fun! Sal's pizza is another must do for lunch or dinner. The morning croissants are so yummy. It is the chunks of dark chocolate that just send me into nirvana :cloud9: