Portofino Bay Reviews??

[surgefest]

I'd love to read some of your reviews and experiences staying at the portofino bay hotel... We actually stayed there when it first opened years ago but have been staying at the Hard Rock since... I dont remember too too much... So i'd love to hear any tips you have... things you learned after staying there.... I believe we will have a "bay view room"....How far is it from the parks walking or taking the boat? Any other info would be great! Thanks!

 

[maggieb9975]

My adult DD and I were there last October for first time. We LOVED it!
We had stayed at HRH before and loved it too but I personally liked PBH more.

The service was excellent and staff were wonderful . The courtyard was beutiful and you really did feel like you were in Italy. Rooms were very nice with comfortable bedding and soothing pastel colors ..yellows and greens. I have attached some pics.

We absolutely loved the main pool...we missed the HRH underwater music but other than that we really liked the pool. The hottubs were great too...we loved the are so much we gave up a day at the parks and stayed by pool all day drinking and eating (great service!).

We always took the boat which was outside our hallway ..3 minutes away from my room and maybe 5 from park and enjoyed travelling that way....

They had a nice pub and a great coffee shop.

Anything else let me know....

 

[steelcity5044]

Just returned from PBH, having also stayed at HRH prior. I loved PBH!!! You absolutely do not feel like you are staying at an amusement park. We stayed in a Villa wing room 2378 and we were very close to the pools and the harbor. We really enjoyed to beach pool and especially the water slide. It is not loud and glitzy like HRH but more laid back and quiet. It is nice place to go back to after spending time at the parks. We preferred it over the HRH.

 

[Cinderella822]

We've stayed at PBH on three separate vacations now, each for a week. I love it more each time. There are some days when we don't even want to leave the resort! Our daugher is almost 18, so we really enjoy the Villa pool and try to get a cabana day in when we can. So relaxing and the service is great. We enjoy ending each day at the Thirsty Fish and sitting outside people watching and having a drink. Sal's is great for a light meal of pizza or a sandwich. We enjoy a leisurely stroll to the parks in the morning before we get too hot and tired, and it takes about 15 minutes. But the boat service is unbeatable when you're not in the mood to walk and only takes a few minutes. You're going to really enjoy your stay! Wish I was going again.

 

[SNylund]

Its a fantastic, world class resort. If you can request a balcony room, this is do-able sometimes. These are the best rooms, you have a great balony and view. At night you will see the IOA light house in the distance from your balcony, stunning.

Great place, great restaurants, great theming. You feel literally like you are on the french or italian riveria, which it is obviously themed. Very Italian theme throughout with many italian style restaurants.

For me actually the best part is the main pool, it has kind of a castle type thing in the middle with a waterfall, and a slide. LOVE this, also has several hot tubs in this area, one or 2 with waterfalls of their own. Great pool area. Pool also has a beach and gradual incline into the water, great for small kids.

If you don't mind forking over your entire bank account to stay at this place, (very pricy) it is gorgeous and well worth every penny.

 

[commdoc]

We just returned yesterday from an 8 day stay. We were in a villa room overlooking the Beach Pool. It was wonderful. OP - the walk to the US park was 15 lovely minutes. We did it a couple of times when we "just missed" the boat.

 

[unclejack02130]

Well we have stayed at all the big Disney Hotels as well as RPR (concierge) and many of the offsite resorts in and around Orlando and so we have a good idea of what works and what does not. That being said we stayed at Portofino for 5 days concierge level this past August. Some things we liked, (by the way family of 5-3 kids 11-15) the rooms were great-nice and big and well furnished. Also like the main pool nice atmosphere and location and we enjoyed the nightly music on the balcony. what we didnt find so hot was the concierge service-so so food, the lounge itself was not well maintained and the staff there though friendly was not well infomed. I also got the sense that many people using the lounge were not in fact conierge guests as there was no control over who came and went. As for the resturants we ate at Sals a few times and it was very mediocre at high prices. The thing that we didn't like most of all (and this is subjective) is that the place seemed deserted most of the time, now some people may like that but for me I like to have a certain amount of energy especially at a place were you are there to enjoy the parks and the energy it brings. We enjoyed the stay at RPR more for roughly half the price.

 

[SNylund]

Just a few more things I forgot.

This is a great resort to just explore and find places to just relax and hang out. A big center area is kind of done like a European palace courtyard/garden kind of thing, this is by the Villa pool (my least favorite pool, regular large square pool) there is a bocci ball lawn thing in that area too, fountains etc., awesome.

The main area where the lagoon comes in for the boats is really cool, great place to hang out in some of the cafes there to watch the boats come in.

Some of the best features IMO, is to get the view (I think you already have) and check out the IOA lighthouse in the distance, and the other lights, very cool. Just the architecture and atmosphere, the main pool, the waterfall hottubs, and the pizza place. There is also a cool little bar/cafe to play pool at. (if this hasn't changed.)

The PBR is actually my favorite resort in all of Orlando, I don't always stay there because I don't always want to spend the price since I like RP almost as much and its cheaper, but if you have the budget, its the best.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Well we have stayed at all the big Disney Hotels as well as RPR (concierge) and many of the offsite resorts in and around Orlando and so we have a good idea of what works and what does not. That being said we stayed at Portofino for 5 days concierge level this past August. Some things we liked, (by the way family of 5-3 kids 11-15) the rooms were great-nice and big and well furnished. Also like the main pool nice atmosphere and location and we enjoyed the nightly music on the balcony. what we didnt find so hot was the concierge service-so so food, the lounge itself was not well maintained and the staff there though friendly was not well infomed. I also got the sense that many people using the lounge were not in fact conierge guests as there was no control over who came and went. As for the resturants we ate at Sals a few times and it was very mediocre at high prices. The thing that we didn't like most of all (and this is subjective) is that the place seemed deserted most of the time, now some people may like that but for me I like to have a certain amount of energy especially at a place were you are there to enjoy the parks and the energy it brings. We enjoyed the stay at RPR more for roughly half the price.

I know some of your post was subjective but what surprised me the most was your review of the club lounge. We also are frequent visitors to Orlando (6 trips this year) and have stayed in all but one concierge level of the WDW resorts and all three at US. PBH club ranks in the top 3 at WDW and US in our family, order depends on which family member. I am also surprised that you found their service bad.We always had excellent service and if they did not know the answer, they quickly found it. I think they may be going through some personnel changes. I know that Club TM Jessica told us in July that they were interviewing for a new club manager as the old one left. I hope things are back on track as we wil be leavng for our 4th stay this year at PBH tomorrow. As to the emptiness, it is part of the charm that we like about PBH. It is relaxing to come back to the tranquility of the piazza after a hot day at the parks. But I can understand people who like more hustle and bustle. The piazza can get busy at night and the beach pool always seems to be busy. My negatives (not deal breakers) about PBH is that the club lounge is on a different floor than the villa rooms and I wish it were located closer to CW. But like a PP said, it is only a 15 minute walk. Unfortunately for me, the older I get, the longer and harder the walk is!