PORTOFINO BAY HOTEL Information

[Familyof14]

You will have to work out even harder tomorrow if you eat those cookies!

Thanks for sharing the spa info. I was the one that said something about using the spa for showering. Where is the spa located? That could make a BIG difference in whether we could use it.

 

[Motherfletcher]

It is in the middle of the villa wing on the first floor (pool level) on a hallway cut through between the villa and beach pools.
I took my daughter this morning and it was very nice. She used all of the skin cleansers, toners, toothbrush/paste, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, deodorant, lotion, etc. that they offered. We had a nice soak and chat alone in the whirlpool for half an hour.
The elevator for the spa wasn't far at all from our club room.
I better go get my son up. The club lounge morning offerings have some really nice fruit this morning. The strawberries are bigger than ping pong balls (not pithy) and the fresh red raspberries really take me home. They have every kind of dry cereal and 8 or 9 different rolls and bagels.
Off to USO and FOTL!

 

[coachYO & my 3 girls]

Familyof14, I meant that they put people in rooms at the Portifino, the Deluxe rooms which are the same as the club level rooms, with the larger bathrooms with the seperate shower and tub. I loved our location much better than if I was up on the 5th or 6th floor which are "club level rooms" I could get around to everyhthing I wanted quickly by stair or elevator, we were closer to the villa pool and beach pool area also and could be out in the harbor area in seconds or the the club just as well. It was great! I remember those strawberries well, and the melons were great too! Everyone enjoy! YO

 

[Familyof14]

Thank you for the info from both of you. The spa sounds nice. I hope they do not move us because we really need the regular bathroom since we have 5 adults. Can't take a shower and have someone brushing their teeth without losing privacy.

 

[cjsmith]

Originally posted by coachYO & my 3 girls
We just left friday morning. Our experience was fantastic. Sorry yours was so bad. I upgraded to club after we got there. $60 a night. I never saw the club too busy that you couldn't find a place to sit or that food ran out. We had 4 nights and and used it each day for breakfast and the evening cocktail hour and the the nightly cookies and milk ( which I thought was the cheapest of all their offerings) They had wines and bud, budlight and peroni beers along with the assorted cheeses and meats and crackers. We also used it for the sodas and coffee and bottled water through out the day. The staff worked very had to accomodate everyone. I know they were over booked and had to place others in other rooms, we stayed in 2240 with a great patio over looking the bacci ball court and the villa pool. The room is exactly the same as club level rooms. (that's what I was told) For the price we got our $ worth as we would eat breakfast around 9 and then my youngest would want to got back and take a nap, meds wipe her out, then grab waters and sodas on the way out around 11 ish and with the room key get to ride all the rides we wanted and then have an early diner and then enjoy the cocktail hour then hit the pool. I asked one of the ladies in the club about the welcoming gift and she looked us up and said we didn't qualify for it as we used the ENT rate, but then said it would be taken care of, when we got back to our room after swimming, a bottle of white and nuts were there and the beds turned down the rest of our stay with chocolates included. The place never seemed busy until thursday night when we looked out from the cocktail hour and saw the lines for the water taxi, that did not look good, but then we didn't have to use them. Again, sorry your stay wasn't as enjoyable as ours.

YO

We checked in on Friday, maybe it's the weekend that makes the difference. I do know that they were sold out over the weekend. Sunday morning they said it was a zoo checking everyone out. The manager had said that if only we were there during the week, our stay would have been different.

 

[thedisneymom]

Hi! I'm arriving around noon tomorrow-will you still be at PBH? See ya in the club lounge! Me -DM47,DH47,DS 21, DD15 Did you get the room number you wanted with the balcony-2663? Is it nice?

 

[Familyof14]

We arrive late Friday night (hope all rooms are not gone, but I will call to let them know we will arrive late) and we check out early Sunday morning. UGH! Don't they have an Express checkout so that we do not have to go through the desk? We will be on a mission to the cruise port.

 

[GeminiMom]

Originally posted by Familyof14
We arrive late Friday night (hope all rooms are not gone, but I will call to let them know we will arrive late) and we check out early Sunday morning. UGH! Don't they have an Express checkout so that we do not have to go through the desk? We will be on a mission to the cruise port.

Familyof14,
We checked out via the TV in the room when we were there a few weeks ago. Pulled up the information in the guest services menu on the remote, verified that all the charges were correct & checked out. Never had to bother with the front desk! Enjoy your stay at PB & your cruise!

 

[Familyof14]

 

[Motherfletcher]

They offer three options for check out. It is painless.

 

[disneyholic family]

two questions (i apologize if they've been asked before):

how late are the pools open?

where are the club level rooms located?

oh...and where is the club level lounge located?

thanks!

 

[coachYO & my 3 girls]

Thats 3 questions.
The beach pool until 9 or 10 and the Villa pool until 11 I believe.

Club level rooms are on the 5th & 6th floor of the Villa wing

The club lounge is on the 3rd floor, same floor you come in on to register, just down the hall from the front desk, just past the American Lounge.

You'll love the place. YO

 

[disneyholic family]

thanks...
well this should be interesting...our very first time staying at universal...we visited the parks once 3 years ago, but didn't stay onsite... i should add that we had hated them......nevertheless, we decided to give it another chance...this time staying onsite to see what it's like...i'm looking forwards to it...especially the portofino...

is it very far from the villa wing to the club level lounge?..
does the lounge tend to get crowded?...
it's kind of exciting trying something completely new...

 

[Motherfletcher]

I think that the club lounge could be busy for the time of your stay. I would recommend arriving early.
The villa wing can be very far from the club lounge. I have stayed in the farthest room #2397 and thought I would never get there. It was a hardship for my MIL.

Pools-
Beach pool- 8-10
Villa pool- 6-11
Hillside pool 8-6
I watched as they ran the people out of the beach pool right at 10 o'clock. But I saw a guy swimming before 8 in the morning.

thedisneymom- I think we just missed you.

 

[disneyholic family]

it's going to be really hard to drag DD and DS out of the room if the concierge lounge is that far away.....this does not bode well for our opinion of universal....talk about inconvenient...

does the hard rock hotel have concierge?....i wonder if the situation is better there....

 

[RyGuy]

disneyholic family,

HRH does have a club lounge like PBH. It is much more convenient as it is located on the 7th floor with all the club rooms.

 

[*Flower*]

The Hard Rock isn't nearly as spread out as Portofino, but I've done concierge at HR, and I prefer Portofino (haven't done concierge there) because of the attitude.

Have fun!!

 

[disneyholic family]

hmm....wish i'd known that before..
well i'll call today and see if i can change the reservation...
somehow i doubt it as i'm sure they're booked solid considering it's a holiday weekend, but you never know...
if i can't change it, i'm sure we'll enjoy the portofino bay also...

 

[idlewoman1]

We just got back from a 2 week stay in Orlando and stayed at the Portifino for 4 days. We were in the East Wing, overlooking a garden which was just a short walk to one of the smaller pools. We loved the hotel and the boat taxi service was nice when it was running, (during lightning storms it doesn't run so you have to rely on the poor bus shuttle). Our only complaints were that the Gellato place has hours from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and then 4 till 11. If you arrive back from a day at the park and want something to snack on tough luck!!! ANd there are NO vending machines onsite, only a pay refrigerator in your room stocked with over proced food items and pop. The other restraunts for getting something quick close up too early as well, but other than that it was very nice. The main beach pool is very nice and the staff for serving drinks and food is very attentive. We got a AAA discount rate of $214 a night. Still pricey and you have a $6 per day self park charge if you have a rental car, which we thought should be included in the price. No laundry facilities for those staying longer than a few days, but you can walk the path to the Har Rock Hotel and use one of their 4 small washers, if available.

 

[Patch'sD]

Gellato or whatever the name is closes at 10:00 PM. SALs Deli which sells sandwichs, Pizza and some snacks closes at 11:00 PM, I think.