Portofino or Hard Rock? Which would you choose?

[wish*upon*a*star]

We are thinking of staying 2 nights at a Universal hotel during our stay in Orlando in just two weeks. I am able to get the Ent. rate for both Portofino and Hard Rock for my dates. Obviously, Portofino is a little more money than the HR ($170 vs. $135). With the price difference in mind, which would you choose? (we have 3 children ages 11, 9 and 6). Both resorts look great. Is PBR really worth the extra money? How do their pools compare?
Is HR more 'kid-friendly"?

thanks for your help!

 

[TreeOfLife]

My sons are ten and thirteen, we chose Hard Rock for our Dec trip. With the FOTL privileges, it would be foolish not to stay onsite! And you get more bang for the buck too, because you can see it all in fewer days

 

[Robinrs]

Both are awesome hotels, with the Portofino leaning on the elegant and the Hard Rock leaning on the cooool. The rate for the Portofino is excellent and the HRH is good, so I'd take the extra money and put it on the Portofino.

Both hotels are "kid friendly", after all it's a theme park hotel! The first impression you get of the PBH is one of houty toutiness but once you get there you realize it's as "kid friendly" as any themed hotel.

Both have unbelievable beach pools and cabana rentals and top notch restaurants. You cannot lose with a choice like that.

Let us know what you choose.

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

Thanks Tree & Robin,

I *wish* we had taken the time to browse them last time
we were in Orlando. But it sounds like we really can't go wrong either way.

Right now my ressies are with Portofino, but I was feeling a bit
indulgent about the extra money. But life is too short not to splurge once and awhile, right? The Portofino might be the closest my dh and I ever get to Italy!

 

[No11's Mom]

I've never stayed at PB, but the HRH is awesome. We stayed there last March with a 13yo and a 6yo and they both loved it. It is the resort that is closest to the parks, literally we were about 7 minutes from our room to the US gates. That made it so easy to come back in the afternoon and lounge around the pool. And the pool has a great slide. We are going to stay at Royal Pacific this December, but I'm fighting off the urge to change our reservations to HRH. In fact my son asked me about 15 minutes ago if we could switch. We'll see...

 

[SherryfromOK]

We did Hard Rock this last May, and I would for sure do it!!! It is really for kids, the pool is great, and it is a short walk to Universal Studios and not bad walk to IOA. You do not have to wait for boats, etc...
It is such a nice hotel, and music stuff everywhere. Be sure at eat at City Walk. The food is great, and more reasonably priced than inside the parks. Have a blast.

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Mom and Sherry-

You're making my decision tough! No fair! I guess it's
safe to assume that we can't go wrong at either resort.
I can't wait to go and sink my toes in that beach pool sand.

9 days 'til FLA.

 

[pixie dust gal!]

My vote is for HRH because of the ages of the munchkins. I have stayed at PBH 2x and HRH 3x and we are going back to HRH again this summer. We just love the ability to walk to the park within 5 minutes and the close walk to city walk. The kids love the atmosphere and how the staff interact and go out of their way to be outgoing and friendly to all the guests. PBH lends itself to quiet elegance and HRH being, well Hard Rock! If you ask my boys, they say HRH every trip! DH and I loved the comfy beds and quiet poolside visits at PBH. The kids loved the poolside games/activities they have at the HRH and meeting tons of new kids. I would imagine they have the same activities at PBH, but even when the hotel was sold out during one of our visits, there were only a handful of kids there at the pool every day.

I know this is just an opinion and you are already confused, but I would vote HRH - just because of the kids.

PDG

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

Wow, Pixie. I'm impressed. 2 x at PBR and 3x at HRH?

Okay, now I'm leaning toward HRH. My husband is a big time
music buff, so he might appreciate the atmosphere of the HRH.

Question: On the Universal website it says the HRH has a water slide, but I've yet to see any photos of it online. What is their waterslide like? (that's a big criteria for my kids!) And does the HRH pool get crowded?

Also - do you walk to IOA from HRH? I know the Portofino has boat service to the parks. Not that we're opposed to walking - I was just curious how far it is to IOA. (I've heard it's VERY close to Universal STudios)

Thanks for sharing your insight!

 

[pixie dust gal!]

Dear Wish**,

Yes, they do have a fabulous slide. Isn't it funny what the criterium is for kids? My ds asks "do they have chicken fingers and how big is the slide"? The slide is right near the poolside cafe. If you are facing the pool and the HRH is directly behind you, the slide is on the walkway to your right. It is tucked away and not truly visible(when the pool is crowded) until you start walking towards it. It is a pretty long slide with twists and turns.

With regards to the pool being crowded, the answer is yes AND no. We go every year (sometimes 2x a year) during July 4th week - a very busy time. We rent a cabana, so we do not look for chairs, but I always see them available - people are always coming and going. The first spots to go are those that provide shade. But, you never feel crowded - either on land or in the water - plenty of room for the kids to play water basketball, etc. I do believe that this is a very busy week at HRH and I have never felt it to be 'crowded'. People are constantly coming and going. As I am sure you have read, they also have the Dive-In Movies on Friday nights. They bring out a big screen and and play a video for kids. They get to play in the pool and watch a movie - my ds loves it. We usualy order food to the cabana and eat outside that night. Last summer, it was so windy that Friday night (in July!!!) that they had to bring the movie in-doors. They cleared the walk-down part of the lobby - moved all the furniture and pulled out blankets and pillows for the kids. They brought in popcorn too. I thought, "this will never work - too many kids and they will get too fidgety". I was AMAZED - you didn't hear a peep out of anyone and it looked like a GIANT sleepover with kids all over the place with their teddies and blankies watching the movie. How cute was that?

With regards to the walk to US and IOA - there is a back walk-way right passed the slide. If you continue walking the path, past the cafe area on the right and the slide on your left you will come to a gated area - from there it is only a 3 min. walk or 5 min. stroll to US and about another 5 min. to IOA. Just don't forget your room key because you will need it to access the locked gate on your return. It is sooooo convenient.

Can you tell I just love this place? I love PBH too - for DH and I - but for the kids, I prefer HRH.

I know this info will only make your decision more difficult - sorry for that ! But, I hope it answered some of your questions.

You will have a wonderful time *Wish*, no matter which resort you choose! Have a wonderful, magical trip.

PDG

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

Okay Pixie - you convinced me.

I switched my ressies from PBR to HRH. I was able to get
a garden room view at HRH for only $125 per night (vs. the $170 I was going to pay at PBR for a bay view room -all they had left)That $45 we save per night will pay for dinner (or lunch or souvenirs haha) There are so many ways to spend it!

Thanks again for all of the juicy details.
I can't wait!

*wish*

 

[scanmom]

We were there thanksgiving day and the day after this last November and it was SUPER! We stayed at Ft. Wilderness the 1st part of the week, and we were wishing we had spent ALL week at HRH! You will LOVE the FOTL access! It was a lifesaver for us! It was packed and they had waits posted for Spiderman of 90+ min.......we got on in 10 min!!! Also, don't forget that the FOTL access includes the resaurants! We went to Hard Rock Cafe after the parks closed the day after t-day. There was a line for a wait to be seated that looked a mile long! The hostess was telling people that they would have 1-1.5 hrs to wait. We got in a seperate line for hotel guests and we were seated in about 15 min!!!! you will have a blast!!! Wish it was me!!!!

 

[jdm]

Last year we spent one night after our cruise (before checking in to our condo) at the Portifino. We arrived at 8:30 in the morning and they let us check in. We are Lowes members and I asked for an upgrade and they gave us a deluxe pool view room. We received wonderful service. We were in absolute awe when we entered this room. Large room, down comforters on the beds, beautiful view of the pool with the sand beach and slide (villa pool? I'm not sure). The bathroom had a sound system and was so large I could have turned cartwheels in it- and almost did-- we were so pleasantly surprised! All for $129 fan club rate! We were disappointed not to have more time here and after our day in the parks it was basically time to go to bed, get up and check out!


This year we decided to spend 2 nights at the Hard Rock AFTER our one week condo stay. We did not do the parks but wanted to enjoy the resort. Although, I understand that the PB and the Hard Rock are different themes, we were expecting the same level of service.
When I called ahead and made the reservation, I asked for an early checkin. I was told that it couldn't be garaunteed, however she was sure it would be no problem. We packed up our condo and arrived about 1:30. The girl at the front desk basically laughed at me when I asked if we could check in. When I mentioned we were Lowes members and asked if there were any upgrades available... she did laugh and said that "Actually, we're downgrading". I guess this meant they were busy, but we were tired and didn't appreciate the snideness. After waiting a couple of hours and still nothing available, I asked if I could pay for an upgrade to anything that was available. I was told no. I was finding it a little hard to believe that there was not one clean room at 3:45. We were not allowed to check in until 4:30 when I informed them that checkin was at 4 and now they were on my time and my dime.
I had asked for a room as close to the elavators as possible as my DH has an ankle injury and can't walk long distances. We were given room #2154 which is a hike and a half and the absolute farthest room from the elevators at the very end of the hall. There was a fire escape door outside our room that we were told could be used to get to the pool (rather than walk miles)-- but it was broken. Wouldn't open, not only completely inconvenient but a very serious fire violation. We (among other frustrated people) reported this several times and it wasn't fixed until the next afternoon. This resulted in people constantly pounding on it from the outside trying to get back in from the pool.
The room was much smaller than I was expecting. The beds were hard as a rock (my kids had fun making jokes about that one- get it hard as rocks!:~) The comforters were huge and stiff and slid off the bed every time we turned over. We were very disappointed.


The food prices were outrageous, my kids ate at the Ponderosa for their breakfast buffet for LESS than what a cup of coffee cost at the HR. I gotta tell ya, I expect to pay in a hotel of this kind, but considering they are catering to children and families, I think it's almost criminal what they are charging for yogurts, juices etc. after what you pay for a room. I saw many parents (without cars and having no other options) exchanging nervous glances when checking out the prices to get their kids breakfast.
I was lucky to get a great entertainment rate but had I paid rack, I would not have felt it was worth it.

Having vented all of this, the pool area and slide was the coolest (although my kids hated that it was so shallow), the location was great in regards to Citywalk and the ambiance of the hotel was neat in the whole rock and roll thing. In fairness, I'm sure coming here after our condo stay rather than before also added to our "cramped " feeling of the room.

Sorry so long, thanks for listening! :~)

Jenn

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Jenn.
I was sorry to read that you encountered some
*frustrating* moments at HRH. I was really hoping
to get an early check-in too because the day we arrive we just
plan on enjoying the resort and pool. You can only hang
around the pool so long before wanting to go up to your
room to clean-up/change, etc. It's really not fair that hotels
can charge you for a full day when you can't get a room
until 4:30!

We've stayed on-site our last 2 visits to Disney so we're prepared to expect some "price gauging". Our first 5 nights
in Orlando next week will be at the Holiday Inn Family Suites
where 'kids eat free' and we'll have a kitchenette. Hopefully
we'll save a few bucks there beforehand. But thanks for the
warning. I'll make sure we bring in some extra snacks so we're
not completely at their mercy.

*wish*

 

[No11's Mom]

*wish* - Our experience at HRH was much better than Jenn's. We checked out of All Star Movies, where the rooms were super tiny, the mattresses super hard and the sheets about as soft as sandpaper, and moved over to HRH. Our party consisted on my family and my sister's. We had ressies for two rooms. We hadn't made any requests regarding getting rooms near each other. But they put us in rooms two doors down from each other. One of the rooms was ready when we got there, about 11:30, so we had all of the luggage taken to that room. We went down and had lunch by the pool and by the time we got back, my sister's room was ready and the refridgerator we requested had been delivered. This was during the first week of the Spring Break season last year and several people had told us that the hotel was sold out.

We were very happy with the room. There are only 3 of us and I always unpack and put suitcases away, so we had plenty of room. We LOVED the beds. They were the most comfortable beds we have ever slept in at hotel/resort, by far.

We had dinner one night at the Sunset Grill and we were very dissappointed. It was overpriced for what you got. My sister's and husband's burgers were so rare they had to be sent back. (They were ordered medium well.) The menu was a little too foo-foo for my DH and DS, who are VERY picky. We should have asked to see a menu before we decided to eat there. There was a magician performing magic at the tables that night and he was very entertaining. And the manager on duty did give out table free desserts, after the problem with the burgers, though none of us liked them. So unless they have changed their menu, I would avoid the Sunset Grill.

The Beach Club is another story...we had several meals out by the pool and were happy with all of them. They give you a huge quantity. Most everything we ordered could have been shared by two. It was just much more our type of food/atmosphere than the Sunset Grill.

The only other negative, besides the Sunset Grill, that happened to us was that I had purchased a margarita in a souvinier glass from the Beach Club. It was just a plastic glass. When we left to go to the parks the next morning. I left is setting in the room with leftover margarita still in it. When we came back, it was gone. I think the maid either thought that it was trash, since it was plastic, or thought I had brought it up from the lounge or restuarant and took it back. I called star services, and they brought me another glass.

Those were our only glitches, and they were minor. Overall, our experience with HRH was overwhelmingly positive. I wish the same for you.

 

[jdm]

I think experiences can vary widely depending on how busy the resort is and the individual people you deal with. As I said, I think a huge factor for us was that we moved from the condo to the hotel room rather than vice versa. Also, if you've ever slept on a Marriott bed.... nothing beats it! One stupid thing I did was not have us bathing suits handy. I figured we would get the check in and if we had to wait a little bit we'd just have lunch. My husband checked all the bags with the bell hop so we didn't go to the beach club. They kept telling us to check back so we basically hung around the lobby. Tic Tock-- it went so slow.....Next time if we add on to our week we'll do it at the beginning instead of the end. All that packing and shlepping for 2 days and then doing it again for the airport was a big, big drag.

I hope you have a great trip, I'm sure you will!

Jenn

 

[D&D's Mom]

I, too, have ressies for PBH, but am considering switching to HRH due to my kids, ages 16 & 11. I think we would be happy with either so it probably won't matter. At any rate, my question is regarding check-in. I will be arriving early AM, around 8:00. I am not concerned if the room is not ready for us to occupy, but I do want to be able to "check in" to obtain my key to use the FOTL access at the parks that day. Has anyone had a problem with getting the key early? Thanks for all the info.

 

[wish*upon*a*star]

I don't have any first-hand experience since we will be staying at HRH for the first time next week. However, the reservationist told me that if we arrived early we could come to the front desk and they would issue us a FOTL access pass for the day.

You can call the 1-800-BEA-STAR number to verify this.

19 hours until departure!

*wish*

 

[Metallicat]

If you are an annual passholder, you can get the HRH for $99 (per night) and RPR for $99, also PBH for $129 but you must book and travel by 4/10/03. These rates were in the Passholder letter that I got in the mail today. mention code APHRMU and you must show your annual pass at check in.
I have stayed at HRH several times and love it. no problems except for the time we got a pool view room and we could hear noise (boom booming) until 2 am. also, check your bill. I was charged for a bunch of valet parkings and I never used valet parking. they corrected it though.

 

[jdm]

They will give you your keys but don't actually assign you a room until you can check in. The keys are good for the parking lots, FOTL etc. When your room is ready, they activate the keys for that. At least this is how they did it with us.

Jenn