Things to Know
- Phone: 1-888-322-5541
- Universal Orlando Hotel Benefits
- Portofino Bay Resort Photo Gallery
- Compare Portofino Bay rates at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.
- Portofino Bay and Other Special Florida Deals
Unlike Disney's vast resort, land is at a premium at the much smaller Universal. Still, the Portofino Bay is tucked into a relatively quiet, far corner of the property and guests approach it via a dramatic, winding roadway.
Instead of the over-the-top glitz on display at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace and the Bellagio, the Portofino Bay features more understated Italian charm. Bright courtyards, hallways disguised as outdoor markets, characteristic trompe l'oeils (architectural flourishes that trick the eye), hand-painted tiles and elegant marble all contribute to the theme.
The unusually large guestrooms feature beds with overstuffed, old-world style mattresses. Kids will need a boost just to hop into bed. Enormous bathrooms include stall showers, separate tubs, and two sinks. A louvered door over the tub gives guests in the bathroom the option of seeking privacy or maintaining contact with their roommates. Attention to service and elegance is evident everywhere. For example, motion detectors recognize when guests are in the room and automatically adjust the temperature.
Plenty of hot tubs
Want more service and elegance? At the hotel's Villa pool, which includes Bocce courts and sculpted fountains, guests can rent private cabanas stocked with food, beverages, fax machines, computer modem hookups--even a masseuse. Two large hot tubs offer ample room to relax.In fact, the per-capita hot tub elbowroom at the 750-room Portofino complex is quite impressive and demonstrates the hotel's level of pampering. Three pool areas include five Jacuzzis. Compare that to the single highly coveted hot tub at Disney's 2100-room Caribbean Beach resort. In addition to its two hot tubs, the Portofino's Beach Pool features a sandy-edged zero-depth pool, a huge water slide, and a children's play area.
Pampering is also in abundance at the hotel's spa. There's nothing like a massage or a dip in an aromatherapy tub to purge the tension after a ride on the Incredible Hulk coaster.
The poolside Splendido Pizzeria has some of the best brick-oven pizza outside of New York City. Other restaurants include the quirky Mama Della's Ristorante. The food is--what else?--family-friendly Italian. Looking like she stepped out of central casting (but actually recruited from Italy, according to the Universal folks), Mama welcomes guests into her funky dining room adorned with family photos and furnished with a hodgepodge of mismatched tables and chairs. The Portofino Bay's signature restaurant is Bice Ristorante, a high-end chain with locations in Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York and San Paulo. Think strolling musicians and soft lights. Think...expensive.
Are you looking for hotel accommodations? Compare rates for Universal's Portofino Bay Hotel at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.
Next page: Some of the incredible Portofino Bay perks and why you should bring plenty of lira.
