Portofino Bay club level

[leahjade]

Anyone know what the evening food offerings are like? Just wondering if this is worth the extra money.

 

[Sharon G]

Anyone know what the evening food offerings are like? Just wondering if this is worth the extra money.

Here is the menu from when I was there in late August. Someone else posted some photos of the food a while back. I think it's in the PBH sticky.

 

[leahjade]

Thanks! Do you think it's enough to make up a meal or just a snack? I read a review on Travelocity that said they brought out one little tray of food that wasn't nearly enough for anyone to get a taste! I definitely don't want to pay an extra $125 a night for that! How was the breakfast when you were there?

 

[Sharon G]

Is it enough for a meal? Well, that really depends. If you are feeding teenage boys, probably not.
There is enough variety at breakfast for everyone to find something to fill them up.


I don't think there is enough to eat for a dinner thou. But, than again, I don't like pasta. There is plenty of food put out, and it is replenished when empty. Most of it is nibble stuff. Like cheese and crackers, a couple kinds of pasta salad. I forgot what else there is, we usually ate dinner at City Walk.

I'll try and find the photos someone took of the dinner spread.

At $125, I'm not sure if I would do it. It was only $60 last August.

 

[leahjade]

someone told me that you can upgrade at check in for $60 - that will be a better deal than $125 extra a night for finger foods! Though I like having breakfast provided.

 

[dsmom]

Breakfast was more than enough for all of us. The snacks throughout the day were great. The dinner offerings were enough for my son and my mom. They had fried ravioli a few times that we all loved! Drinks are out all day which is nice. The staff is incredible! One night my son was sick and could not make it down for dessert so one of the girls fixed a tray for him with milk and brought it to the room for him.

I would wait till check-in. We have had it comped a few times and have never paid more than 50 a night to add it.

 

[goofy!]

We were at PBH club over Thanksgiving. I posted a bunch of pictures of the breakfast on the Portofino Sticky. Breakfast was great and we always left full.

We only made the appetizers once and it was something that was called a fried cheese sandwich, which was really a fried cheese ravioli with a sauce, chicken skewers with a dipping sauce, antipasto in martini glasses, cheese and cracker platter and fresh fruit.

It was very good, but I wouldn't call it a meal. They did run out of the ravioli after awhile and just put out more chicken skewers. I have no idea if later they brought out more ravioli, but I doubt it as appetizers was almost over.

Didn't make any of the others. We usually had dinner in City Walk.

When we were there, they were running a special to upgrade to Club for $60.00. I think this was just for the Thanksgiving week.

 

[CPanther95]

I'm right there with dsmom. We've been comped and last year I added it for $50 a night because it was worth it to us.

... and that's considering the fact that we never made it for the appetizers because the timing never worked out, and there are so many good restaurants on property, that we never had everyone say, "Let's eat the free buffet at Portofino tonight" (regrettably).

The convenience was the biggest factor. I used to hit the Gelateria every morning before the parks for coffee and every night before heading up to the room for coffee, ice cream, etc. (side note: Does anybody actually keep their Gelateria cup all day for the free refills?)

With Club access, we all get breakfast covered every day. I'm fine with coffee and a bagel w/ cream cheese. Wife and kids were fine with the yogurt, croissants, trail mix, cereal, toast, juices, milk, etc. They also had to-go cups and lids for coffee and bottled water you can take to the parks in the morning.

Mid-day we'd sometimes catch some of the little snacks, but primarily we'd take advantage of the sodas, water, and coffee.

Next to breakfast, the other biggest advantage for us was the night time milk and cookies. We'd load up and take it back to the room each night.

The other thing we used was the internet access. Need to get previous semester's grades while we're there, and having the computer in the lounge saves us from having to bring down the laptop and pay $10 a day. Although last time we tried that, we never could get the software to connect us into the hotel's LAN anyway.

Bottom line - like everything else - it depends on what value you place on the different items. How many people you have - how far from the lounge is your room, etc., etc. My guess would be that for most situations, $125 a day for access is probably too steep to justify. You should be able to do much better - unless that $125 premium includes the cost to upgrade to a deluxe room also (in that case, I'd say it is worth it)

 

[dsmom]

I do my free refills at the Gelateria!! I LOVE this place! They have great breakfast croissants also and I love that it opens at 6 a.m. I love their coffee and the gelato is great. My son loves the peanut butter cup gelato they had on the last visit.

I forgot all about the computers in the club lounge. My husband would check e-mail every day. Much more convient than bringing the laptop.

 

[coastermom]

WE booked the HRH Club for our up comming trip . I am was not too worried about spending the cash as it is a special trip but I was wondering are all the menues about the same or no?? . We usually drive from NYC to Orlando but because it is just the girls and it is a short trip we are going to fly . I booked club just for the fact that we woul have breakfast and snacks . I know i sounds crazy but it is well worth it for what I saved by not having a sweet 16 party .

 

[dsmom]

I have not stayed at HRH yet but the RPR and PB are different in their club foods. RPR was more islands oriented with lots of fruit things- pineapple- an incredible raspberry cheesecake. PB was lots of Italian foods. I loved them both.

 

[CPanther95]

Then that would suggest that the HRH Club menu would likely include peanut butter and banana sandwiches fried in a stick of butter, jello shots and mushrooms.

... and probably the most popular brownies in the whole resort at nighttime.

 

[coastermom]

Then that would suggest that the HRH Club menu would likely include peanut butter and banana sandwiches fried in a stick of butter, jello shots and mushrooms.

... and probably the most popular brownies in the whole resort at nighttime.


UM .. This may really be an intresting trip after all . I will have to remember NO BROWNIES for the kiddies .