PORTOFINO BAY HOTEL Information

[Boardwalk III]

Thanks everyone - I'm printing out the walking instructions to bring with me - great to know about the shortcut especially if we're walking in the middle of the day and it's high 80's!

 

[damo]

You can cut the walk in half. go out the PBH driveway, cross the street, walk down the HRH driveway , stay to the right through the parking lot, and Universal is right there. between 5-8 minutes.

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.

 

[FireandIce]

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.

Nice work on the route map. There is a crosswalk with traffic lights between the hotels for safe passage.

 

[MRS AR]

Dammo where did you find the wonderful arial view?

 

[damo]

Dammo where did you find the wonderful arial view?

Here is the link. You can find pretty much anywhere with it.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3909189

 

[MJmom94]

New to this great board. Thanks for all the info I have found so far!

I was just wondering -- since PBH has a club lounge instead of a club level of rooms, do they offer club access to anyone willing to pay for it? Or is there only a limited number of rooms that can get it? We'll be there in July and I am wondering how crowded it can get in the lounge.

 

[calgarygary]

You can expect the lounge to be busy during July. I'm not sure what the cut off is for the number of rooms that have club access but you can usually, but not always, add club status to your room.

 

[MJmom94]

Thanks!

 

[TerryCRZ]

Hi everybody! I'm so glad to be back although this time I am staying at Universal rather than Disney. YAY!

Ok, so I booked 1 night at a "FL resident rate of" $199.00 a night at PBH for a garden or bay view room for May. I have read a lot lately and see that the east rooms are farther away from the dock. I also read that that is where the pet friendly rooms are. We are non-smokers and I am highly alergic to dogs. I read that all the smoking and pet rooms are in the east and thats where they will probably put us based on the price we paid.

1. My concern is if I make a request for a room closer to the dock will they consider it? this is based on question#2.

2. Also I just signed up for the Lowes Blue account and read that we might get a free upgrade at check in. Seeing the room I am currently getting, what kind of room would be the next step up?

3. We are also 5 in our party. If we do not get a deluxe room, can they really force us to get a rollaway bed or can we just bring a small inflatable?

We also have AAA and am looking for the best value possible. Does anyone know if they will allow Florida resident price to be combined with Loews card and AAA? I know this is pushing it, but a girl can dream right? PLease don't be too harsh responding as we are on a serious budget but would like a bit of "mummy dust" on our first taste of Universal resorts. LOL. Thanks guys and I look forward to your input. I am really excited to stay PBH!

Terry

 

[goofy!]

Hi everybody! I'm so glad to be back although this time I am staying at Universal rather than Disney. YAY!

Ok, so I booked 1 night at a "FL resident rate of" $199.00 a night at PBH for a garden or bay view room for May. I have read a lot lately and see that the east rooms are farther away from the dock. I also read that that is where the pet friendly rooms are. We are non-smokers and I am highly alergic to dogs. I read that all the smoking and pet rooms are in the east and thats where they will probably put us based on the price we paid.

I don't think the rate you paid determines what side of the hotel you are put on. We have paid ridiculously low APH rates and still have been placed in the West Wing.

Make sure you put on your reservation that you are highly allergic to dogs and they will not put you in a pet friendly room.

1. My concern is if I make a request for a room closer to the dock will they consider it? this is based on question#2.

You can always ask. I have found that the PBH will honor requests if they have the rooms. My experience is that they have been very helpful, especially when the room request is a medical request such as an allergy.

Have the request put on your reservation and then a couple of days before you leave, call the front desk directly and make a polite request.

2. Also I just signed up for the Lowes Blue account and read that we might get a free upgrade at check in. Seeing the room I am currently getting, what kind of room would be the next step up?

The blue upgrade is for the next level. So, if you are booked in a garden view, if available, you would be bumped to a bay view room. See AlexandNessa's thread about Loews First Perks and it explains in detail what each color gets for details.

3. We are also 5 in our party. If we do not get a deluxe room, can they really force us to get a rollaway bed or can we just bring a small inflatable?

We are a family of 5 and when the kids were younger, often brought an aerobed. We are platinum, so the sofa bed in the parlor now suffices. But w when we were blue and gold, we always brought an aerobed rather than getting the rollaway. Loews never tried to force us to get the rollaway.

We also have AAA and am looking for the best value possible. Does anyone know if they will allow Florida resident price to be combined with Loews card and AAA? I know this is pushing it, but a girl can dream right? PLease don't be too harsh responding as we are on a serious budget but would like a bit of "mummy dust" on our first taste of Universal resorts. LOL. Thanks guys and I look forward to your input. I am really excited to stay PBH!

I am pretty sure that you can't combine rates. I don't know how you would combine them anyway as each is a specific rate and not necessarily a percentage off the rack rate. So, there is no AAA percentage to take off the Florida Resident rate. It is an either/or situation. But I can tell you that it pays off to check rates often, even as often as daily. Rates fluctuate and have been known to go down close to one's departure date. If you find a lower rate, call right away and have the rate applied. As a note - also make a print out of the lower rate and ask for e-mail confirmation that the new rate has been applied. Bring printouts to check-in. If there is a problem, and it can happen, I have found that as long as you have the printout of your confirmation, they will fix it right away.

Have a great time!

 

[macraven]

i second what goofy said.




i have not been able to use double discounts at loews.
i do believe that is standard policy.

but, do call the hotel direct for their answer. i go yearly and policies and procedures can always change.

if you ask for a roll away, there is a nightly charge of $25 for it.
don't get it.
make a pallet on the floor for the 5th person.
ask housekeeping for extra blankets and pillows. they will bring to you what you need without charges.


hope all goes great for you!

 

[TerryCRZ]

Thank you both so much! I was having so many doubts about the ressie that I hardly slept last night. I get like this when the big day is approaching. I become obsessive over the smallest things but I guess that's why our vacations always turn out so well. I have you guys and this wonderful forum to thank. Disboards always comes to my rescue. I love this community. Thanks again!

P.S. I am so relieved to hear that I will not be forced to purchase the rollaway! Those things are so dang uncomfortable. I will use our full sized aerobed. I hope it fits....hehe

 

[goofy!]

Thank you both so much! I was having so many doubts about the ressie that I hardly slept last night. I get like this when the big day is approaching. I become obsessive over the smallest things but I guess that's why our vacations always turn out so well. I have you guys and this wonderful forum to thank. Disboards always comes to my rescue. I love this community. Thanks again!

P.S. I am so relieved to hear that I will not be forced to purchase the rollaway! Those things are so dang uncomfortable. I will use our full sized aerobed. I hope it fits....hehe

If it doesn't fit in the room, it will certainly fit in the huge bathroom!

 

[Motherfletcher]

Goofy has given you all the correct info. She rocks!

 

[macraven]

If it doesn't fit in the room, it will certainly fit in the huge bathroom!

wait till you see the size of the bathroom..........


if you doubt what goofy said above, you will be her once you check it out........

 

[goofy!]

Goofy has given you all the correct info. She rocks!

Ah shucks, thanks

But it is only because I answered before all of you experts. I learned from MotherFletcher and the others rockin' experts here on the boards!

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

Goofy has given you all the correct info. She rocks!

Both Goofy and Motherfletcher Rock!

 

[minniejack]

Hey all I just found a reply from Loews about a previous reservation that I had made through AAA. Sort of irritating when you consider that they are still getting paid--it shouldn't matter how the reservations were made, in my humble opinion. Oh well, still a great hotel.

Thank you for your inquiry. Upon researching your upcoming stay at our Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando we, find this reservation was booked as a Universal Parks and Resorts Package. Unfortunately, this type of booking is considered non-qualifying under the LoewsFirst Terms and Conditions Group, negotiated, third party, government, Universal PassHolder and Universal Florida residents’ rates do not qualify for LoewsFirst benefits.

To guarantee your next stay is qualifying, please book directly through Loews Hotels either by visiting loewshotels.com, by emailing this inbox with your reservations request, or by calling 1.800.LOEWS.11, our reservations line reserved exclusively for LoewsFirst members.

 

[goofy!]

Hey all I just found a reply from Loews about a previous reservation that I had made through AAA. Sort of irritating when you consider that they are still getting paid--it shouldn't matter how the reservations were made, in my humble opinion. Oh well, still a great hotel.

Thank you for your inquiry. Upon researching your upcoming stay at our Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando we, find this reservation was booked as a Universal Parks and Resorts Package. Unfortunately, this type of booking is considered non-qualifying under the LoewsFirst Terms and Conditions Group, negotiated, third party, government, Universal PassHolder and Universal Florida residents’ rates do not qualify for LoewsFirst benefits.

To guarantee your next stay is qualifying, please book directly through Loews Hotels either by visiting loewshotels.com, by emailing this inbox with your reservations request, or by calling 1.800.LOEWS.11, our reservations line reserved exclusively for LoewsFirst members.

It actually makes sense that you wouldn't get your perks if you book through a third party travel agent because Loews has to pay the travel agent its fees. So, really, they are not getting the same money as they would get if you booked directly through them. So, the allotted funds that they would have put towards your perks actually will now go to the travel agency

It looks like, from their e-mail, that AAA booked a package through Universal Vacations for you, which is a third party travel agency.

If you won't incur penalties, you may want to look at canceling that reservation and booking everything separately by yourself, which is usually cheaper.

You can still get the AAA discount rate on the room and have it qualify. You just need to book it as a room only and not a package, and do it through Loews.

 

[bopper]

It actually makes sense that you wouldn't get your perks if you book through a third party travel agent because Loews has to pay the travel agent its fees. So, really, they are not getting the same money as they would get if you booked directly through them. So, the allotted funds that they would have put towards your perks actually will now go to the travel agency

.

I can see their point, but I booked a "package" on the Universal Website and still got the same denial! We had to cancel and rebook on some other place on the Universal website. Silly.