Trip reports for AKL, SSR, Vero and Portonfina at Universal

[Tigger031266]

We are in the second week of our trip which included. AKL (1 day), SSR (5 days), Vero (1 day), Hilton in Cocoa Beach (1 day) and Portifina at Universal Studios (5 days). Magical Express was confusing but we got our luggage pretty quickly.

AKL – a really cool place and I love the animals but for the prices not my favorite resort.
I would say 4 stars for over all magic ****

SSR – With all the negative feedback on this board, I was really afraid to stay at SSR. We stayed in Congress Park. Overall, it was great and I am a tough grader. Rooms a nice, pools are nice grounds are stunning. Service was exceptional and closeness to DTD was really nice. I think every new hotel needs a little tweaking and SSR will need some tweaking for sure but I think it is in the planning. The transportation was excellent.

SSR Strengths
• DTD
• Pools
• Rooms and buildings are great
• Service
• Community hall is great
• Workoout room is real nice (not that I used it)
SSR Shortcomings
• Artist Palette is real weak – where are the cheeseburgers???
• Those hallways seem dark during the day and just down look very good. At night there is lights

Tweaking
• The place needs a bridge to DTD. There is some really easy places to add bridge. I can tell this will happen soon
• Restaurants. After the bridge is built people from DTD can walk to our resuarant as well. We need a character breakfast a big one. We need a nice sit down restaurant.
• Still need better signs. I ran into 4 people lost
• A boat dock near Congress Park
• A pool with a deep section
• Maybe a game room/bar around the main building

All in all 4.5 Stars. Very nice, I was very happy.

Vero – Loved the rooms and views. The beach was not as nice as other beaches (Cocoa, Clearwater..). I was not impressed with the staff. Restaurant and character breakfast was not good. Food was very weak by Disney Standards.
Overall 3 stars

Portofina at Universal

Pretty resort with very very rude staff. Room was nice but smelly. Service was weak and restaurants were expensive. $14 per day for valet service. Just not as nice as Disney resorts. Rate was $180 per night.

2 stars

 

[magicmouse2]

Thanks - your review was very useful to me. I am planning a stay and SSR and possibly PBH

 

[tjkraz]

• Maybe a game room/bar around the main building

There is a game room / bar in the main building. It's called the Turf Club:

(Photos from www.allearsnet.com)

Thanks for the report!

 

[lllovell]

Tjkraz - are children ok in there before evening hours? Like maybe for a light snack while hubby and I enjoyed a cold beverage? (if I ever am able to drink again lol)

Thanks for the report Tigger. I am always thinking of trying other places in the Orlando area, but it is just so hard to give up the old tried and true when I get the feeling I would be comparing everything to WDW anyway (even as much as I love SeaWorld, I dont really want to stay over there near it).

 

[tjkraz]

Tjkraz - are children ok in there before evening hours? Like maybe for a light snack while hubby and I enjoyed a cold beverage? (if I ever am able to drink again lol)

I've never seen anything to indicate otherwise.

The hallway to reach the Turf Club is right off of Artist's Palette. I imagine you could even order something to eat at AP and take it back to TC if you wanted.

 

[Rash]

Portofina at Universal

Pretty resort with very very rude staff. Room was nice but smelly. Service was weak and restaurants were expensive. $14 per day for valet service. Just not as nice as Disney resorts. Rate was $180 per night.

2 stars

Wow - I'm surprised by this. We felt that way about Hard Rock Hotel, so we tried Portofino and thought it was top notch. Of course, that was in February, so mabe they don't handle the stress of busy season very well.

 

[mark&sue]

We too found the staff at Hard Rock Hotel extremely rude and had to call the manager (who was not a lot better)

Our trip came right after a wonderful trip experience at SSR and helped make us make the decision to add on another 120 points. Fed ex came today and picked up our signed documents

Looking forward to many years at SSR.

One other thing I also booked an exchange through the world passport collection today giving just one date and got just what I wanted in the UK first time of trying. The incentive was for an extra 100 points so we only had to take 44 points from this year giving us 800 points for next year as I have now run out of vacation leave at work having just come back from WDW two weeks ago and off to Disneyland Paris on points in October.

DVC IS GREAT


Susan

 

[SnowWitch]

Wow I hope VB's staff hasn't changed that drastically since last summer. I have had in my experience some of the best CM interaction at a resort at VB. We have been mambers at the BWV's for 5 years and have gotten 1 welcome home in 8 trips. I quit counting the welcome homes at VB a few summers ago. Maybe everyone was having an off day.

We haven't done the character meal there since 2001 and would have to agree its nothing to get to excited about. If I were going to the themeparks and VB I would definitely skip the breakfat at VB and do one on property. I am curious where you ate- did you try Shutters for dinner or maybe Sonya's? We found both of these to be okay depending upon what you ordered. We tend to eat alot of our meals outside of the resort.

Hope you enjoyed your trip!!!

 

[scootert]

We were at Portofino Bay in May and had just the opposite experience. Staff was very friendly and helpful, food was excellent - a bit pricy, but we expected that. We found the stay very relaxing and the grounds are beautiful. We self parked -- no way were we paying $14 a day to park. While we loved the hotel, we did not enjoy Universal Studios at all. To each his own.

 

[conciergekelly]

Thanks for the report!

 

[murcor]

Tjkraz - are children ok in there before evening hours? Like maybe for a light snack while hubby and I enjoyed a cold beverage? (if I ever am able to drink again lol)

We bought the children an ice cream bar from Artist's Palette, proceded to the Turf Club ordered our drinks and then went out the back door to the patio and watched people golf. I dont think many people use the back deck as we were the only ones there each time we did this.

We used the Turf Club patio as we didnt want to sit inside. Since this was allowable, I would think it would be ok inside as well...but I dont know for sure.

<img src="http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/ss80.jpg"> photo courtesy of allearsnet.com

 

[Tigger031266]

Let me emphasize the level of rudness at the Portophino. I was there with a larg convention and everyone (at least 15) thought that the service was below average to poor. When I checked in, employees at the desk were being rude to a lady that was visibly upset about the poor service. Many of the things that I notoced were small like Restaurants closing between 3 and 4 and no place to get milk for bottles. Others were far worse: charges showing up on bills that were never made and employees being very rude to myself and our party. The cost for food was really bad as well.

I don't think Disney has much to fear from Universal. Universal, doe snot get it. They don't know how to make vacations magical.

 

[jbwolffiv]

Thanks for the great report!