The water boat to and from the parks is awesome.

The boat trip to the parks where a great way to start and end each day.

The opera singers were amazing 
The club lounge staff were great
The boat was excellent 
Just think twice this is not a premier resort the customer service is abysmal.

The onsite Starbucks is great and the boat ride to the parks is a plus.

Go to Portofino for the view of the harbor, for the singers on the balcony at night, for the tropical smell of the place, for the decor inside, maybe even for the Starbucks BUT after you have done those things, promptly hop back onto the boat and go stay literally anywhere else especially if its going to save you hundreds of dollars and days of headaches.

We did like the boat transportation to the theme parks and CityWalk.

The boats make it very convenient to get to the theme parks.

Our third trip here such an amazing place theming of the hotel is amazing feels just like italy three amazing pools, the villa pool feels like your staying at a billionaire's Italian villa, such a change from the craziness of the parks, so peaceful and yet only five minutes by boat away, or a 10 minute walk through the tropical Gardens it is truly paradise.

I have told anyone who would listen, this is the best themed luxury service hotel in the states and the fact its a short boat ride from the thrills and adventure of Universal cannot be beat.

There's just so much more to talk about, a quick boat ride to the parks or a stroll along the walkway taking you to the front door of Universal Studios.

So close to Universal walking or by boat.

Location is good and the bus and boat service is friendly and efficient.

The boat is very nice and comes frequently and provided the perfect opportunity to put on sunscreen.

Amazing hotel, very cozy place where the boats leave to the Universal parcs.

The grounds were beautiful, the pool very relaxing and the boat ride to the parks were very frequent.

Take an umbrella as boats don’t run if weather too stormy.

We never waited more than 5 minutes for a boat or bus to the parks.

The boat crews to take us to city walk were kind and fun.

We then went down to the club to have dessert and none of the cards worked.

it's a hefty charge to ask for one per day).

This hotel should be ashamed of themselves for charging $800 a night and then they have an inadequate accommadations.

We came to the room after picking up dinner, and the key cards did not work.

The on-site laundry offers detergent for a charge.

As with most hotels room service charges a $3 service fee & a 22% gratuity charge.

In addition, our ability to charge to our room was randomly disabled and had to contact the front desk to reactivate it.

Parking – you’re charged to self-park (boo!).

There were charges for $600 that I did not make.

but you can’t charge $300+/night and have shower curtains in the rooms and have outdated tile bathroom.

but when called Amex was told hotel was refusing to do so.

The only option was to have one delivered to the room with a $15/day charge added.

Turn to music and its charged for per hour/day or something.

At night I was able to charge my phone on my side of the bed,

I complained and they took off the charge,

The rest were broken or loose and could not be used for charging phones, etc.

It was easy getting our passes for the parks - you just go up to the machine in the lobby with your credit card and ID and voila, all printed along with any meal vouchers if you have those.

Our room was nicely appointed with plenty of room and nice large bathroom and a mini fridge (no microwave, unfortunately.

We were put in a 1st floor room that I didn't have any problems with; it was large and the bathroom was huge,

All the accommodations were great: the beds were super comfortable, the bathroom was huge and modern, the pools were gorgeous and big enough to not feel cramped, and the staff everywhere was super helpful.

The room was clean and a good size including a nice large bathroom.

Lovely property - massive room - west wing bay view
Bed not the most comfortable -  very large bathroom - basic amenities
Enjoyed walking around the hotel grounds - very relaxing stay
Only downside was the poor housekeeping - would go out early for several hours and upon our return find the room has not been serviced.

The bathroom was VERY spacious, almost oddly so.

Across from the closet is a huge bathroom with lots of wasted space.

spacious bathroom with such a nice shower!

The bathroom had a large double vanity, walk in shower and separate toilet area.

The bathroom is huge which is a huge plus for us.

Spacious bathroom with deep tub/ shower combo and double sinks.

We had a very large bathroom with double sinks and great water pressure in the shower.

The room was massive, beds super comfortable and bathroom big and very clean.

Clean, calm and renovated (refreshed) rooms with comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms.

The bathroom was really big, which was nice and offered double sinks and a full length mirror on the door.

When we got in the room realising there was only one bottle of the expensive water my husband walked down to reception to say it was missing, I also texted

Also, there are onsite restaurants and their employees pay attention.

I would say YEAH definitely don't stay at Portofino for the price that is charged.

They did close the living room area off and did not charge us for that portion the first night, and then moved us the next day.

but an insane cost for portion and quality
Hallway at my room was hot and musky
Workers will paint walls near your room and put fans that blast paint fumes into your room
Front desk are not knowledgeable on their own amenities such as when the pool closes

I have been coming to Universal for years and its sad to see how far Portofino has dropped in quality.

I think someone in charge at this particular resort wants this fragrance in overabundant amounts and I want to tell this person that you are making some of your guests sick.

Never paid parking at any Disney hotel. 2.

Over crowded, over priced, not as detailed as it used to be and not as clean as it used to be.

Paid for 2 rooms and one was a pull out couch that adults slept on (this was a very expensive room to sleep on a pull out couch).

Customer Service is to be provided to all guests that pay to stay at any property.

For a Premium Price, you do not receive a premium experience.

however I must say that honestly the prices were not too far off from where I live.

Over priced for what was a “motel” type experience.

The hotel is badly outdated and grossly overpriced.

In fairness we were given one night of compensation…after having a fit…which i think wasnt enough….the thing is for the price you shouldn't run into these issues for the price paid. Unbelievable.

Food sucks for what you have to pay for it and at every turn someone wants a Tip jor just doing there job.

The cost was $30 for ages 10 & up, $16 for ages 9 & under.

Water Taxi to the park was very convenient.

Water taxis are a huge plus for those who do not wish to walk.

The food, pool, staff, water taxi was wonderful.

I liked the convenience of having a Starbucks in the Piazza which is very conveniently located for me to get my coffee on the way to Water Taxi.

The water taxi was also a good experience.

Great transportation(bus and water taxi) to and from Universal Studios.

The water taxi to CityWalk and the parks are an additional perk.

The water taxis are easy to use and we never had to wait long for one to take us to the parks.

Taxi service to City Walk and Universal were convient and made getting around easy.

The water taxi made travel to and from the parks super easy, and we never waited more than 5 minutes.

We loved everything about the trip- the atmosphere, friendliness of the staff, always available for communication via texting with the front desk, beautiful pool, water taxis, restaurants.

The taxi service between the hotel & Citywalk is such a great perk.

We loved the water taxi to universal and  the little restaurants around the resort.

The water taxis to the resorts were so convenient.

but several Italian themed varied menus
Water taxi easy to use for main park access but also shuttle coach available if you dont like the water!

The price included so many extras that we saved money, not having to buy the Express Line Tickets, having the Water Taxi take us to and from the park every day, great food, great pools.

The water taxis made getting to the parks so easy and the on-site services were great.

Short water taxi ride to the parks, or a bus to Volcano Bay.

Convenient water taxi to the parks, plenty of restaurants to chose from without having to leave the property, and the room was lovely with a view of the bay.

We stayed at Universal’s nicest property  Portofino Bay.

I’ve been a big universal fan my whole life and have enjoyed staying here before

This is our 3rd resort we've stayed at on Universal's property.

It's a Two second walk to the ferry to universal and great restaurants on site.

The Universal Express pass that comes with the room is a gem; on some rides, our family were able to walk right on!

Will stay there again on our next Universal visit.

We just stayed here because we wanted to go to Universal and get the express passes.

My grandson loved his first trip to Universal and can't wait to come back.

Everything was perfect - the staff, cleanliness, and ease of access to Universal.

We have made the Portofino Bay hotel our Universal destination for the last 6 years.

Pro tip: buy coffee at Sbux in the morning keep your receipt- free refills all day 
LOVED this experience 

PS also comes with Unlimited Express Pass and early entry for Universal

This is my favorite Resort at Universal and I have never been disappointed with my stays.

Going to chose more familiar Universal property, the Royal Pacific type.

Traveled 9/7-9/11 for a HHN and Universal visit with my wife and friends.

Location is fantastic for great for getting to universal theme parks. 2.

Loves the added universal passes, and came in handy.

Four rooms booked in both Disney and Universal.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

price

creditcard

universal

boat

taxi

We found the rooms to be dark and a bit beat up in the Kidani 2 bedroom villa that cost around $1500 per night, with quality and comfort was equivalent to a 3 star hotel.

but the area with the toilet was dark and had zero decor, not a big deal but I was a little surprised, was like the bathroom area was overlooked.

but kind of dark because of the themed decor.

but they weren’t as long or as dark as I imagined they’d be!

Absolutely loved Jambo   hated Kidani   Our room  was  no lie at least a mile from check in, dark gloomy hall ways , was in a back corner  I think like room 7655?

but busy and main lobby area was pleasant but quite dark.

We arrived after dark and we’re assigned a top level 2 bedroom lock off room.

Unfortunately, this time of the year it gets dark early, so we had to catch them in the morning before heading to the parks.

It appeared a bit run down, the shower was terrible, the lighting in the bathroom was way too dark and overall, just did not feel Disney in quality.

Understanding the theme of the resort, I still found décor dark and very tired looking.

The African theme resulted in the rooms being dark and the necessity of taking buses everywhere was time consuming.

-night vision goggles for kids to look for animals after dark
-covered parking deck
-lots of dining options

CONS - 
-distance from Epcot, MK 
-bus-only transportation
-I can see where the layout is a bit more like Coronado (read: you can end up with quite a hike from your room to, say, the bus or lobby).

I think the rooms could stand a little updating as it was very dark and the carpet had a musty smell.

So they take a little to get going in the mornings after they are released and have breakfast and of course you aren't going to see them in dark from your room.

Very nice pool with good kids area for younger ones.

The pool was very nice and my grandkids really enjoyed it.

Plus they brought all the African exchange members back and they fill the resort teaching classes on animals etc to the kids.

Do yourself a favor, book a room at the Waldorf or Jw Marriot, you will enjoy better service, more hospitality, nicer rooms, all for typically less money and you can simply Uber it take their own shuttle to the parks when you are out here with the kids.

Only option for vegetation is a vegetable curry (not much taste and salty) and a kids cheese pizza which was ok.

There was 2 adults and 2 teenagers (16&14) we all loved it! !

Having spent half our stay at Bay Lake Towers on this trip I can sincerely say the Kidani Village pool is a) better than the Jambo pool (my children tried both and agreed) and b) miles ahead of the Bay Lake pool.

You feel so relaxed, They have pool games for kids.

My 13yo son and I spent 1 night at AKL - Kidani Village in very late August.

my husband had to order off the children's menu because everything was highly spiced.

but always enough chairs and the life guards actually saved a child who didn’t come up from the slide.

The next morning we realized how high we really were and noticed that our grand daughter could squeeze herself through  the balcony bars.

It cut down significantly on walking to resort transportation and the resort placed us right across the hall from grandkids.

My kids (8 and 5) are just too big for strollers

The rooms are well-appointed and the savannah views are wonderful for the kids.

My wife and son loved the savanna view and it's worth the upgrade if you can swing it.

Luckily, we were fast walkers and didn't have any children with us because I tried to imagine having my grandkids with us and making them walk that long walk after a long day.

He did extensive research & picked Kadini Village to take our daughter,and her babies.

I took my 3.5 year old daughter to Disney, this was both of our first time.

The water play area was also fun for kids. 2.

Rooms are decorated in animal themes and the villas here are huge rooms, more room than the Beach club or boardwalk and all around huge bathrooms etc.

Bathrooms were spacious, with higher-end fixtures and vanity, and great shower pressure.

The kids each had a foldable bed and a bathroom so parents had a huge bathroom and king bed room for ourselves.

Bathroom is big and multiple people can get ready at once.

The king room had an amazing bathroom with large shower and jetted tub.

Our master bathroom was huge, and everything worked well.

Bathroom was large, with a separate close off (with door) for the toilet.

The rooms are great, full kitchen, big king sized bed, huge shower & bath tub, big closet and a second full bathroom which was very convenient.

Had a two bedroom suite savanna view, very spacious and 3 bathrooms are a plus with 2 teenage daughters.

The master bedroom was well equipped and the master bath was huge with a whirlpool and separate shower.

The master bath was huge - with big, modern shower and a jet tub (so convenient after a day trekking through the parks).

Place was clean and our bed room had a king size bed and a big bathroom.

We stayed in a 1 Bedroom 2 bath suite, The bedroom had a king size bed and a large Bath with whirlpool tub and a shower.

but a one bedroom with two full baths is a huge win at Disney.

2nd Bathroom - In the one bedroom layout the second bath is a big plus.

We loved the room, all the storage space and the large bathroom.

The unit was two bedrooms and three full baths which was a very big plus in getting ready for busy days at the parks.

The room was well equipped with a small kitchenette, large bathroom and bedroom with comfortable bed and sofa.

We stayed at Kidani Village as we wanted to stay on Disney property and we had family group of 7.

but you have to rely on the Disney app to keep track of the schedule, the staff aren’t able help with that.

Staying onsite is such a convenient, wonderful upgrade to a Disney trip.

The prices Disney charges for these hotels between 700-1000 a night for 1 bedroom suites or more during peak seasons, and what they deliver in return is laughable for anyone who has ever traveled to a true 5 star resort anywhere else in the world.

The staff here were exceptional, especially Mary at the front desk who provided us with so much Disney magic.

It was our first stay as a new Disney vacation member.

It was my husbands first time at disney and I hadn’t been back in many years.

We have visited multiple different Disney Resorts and this is by far my favorite.

Room was absolutely spotless, spacious, and had all the amenities of home with a Disney touch.

The hotel also needs a food court/quick serve dining location like the other Disney resorts-the trek to the main lodge got old after awhile.

although Disney is dropping RCI at the end of 2023.

Our room was very pricey and I would recommend trying to obtain Disney Vacation club points if you really want to experience the Savannah views and Animal kingdom experience.

This was our third trip to Disney and our first as a Disney Vacation Club member.

I felt we got what someone staying at a Disney budget hotel would have gotten.

Let me lead off with saying that my rating is compared to other Disney properties.

Again, not being critical because we love Disney,

Everyone at Disney was overwhelmingly friendly and helpful.

All in all good job Disney, we had a fantastic stay.

They have a very large pool and its shaded.

We were not at all impressed with the Lodge pool.

No wait for the slide at that time, and it was great to have life jackets and a zero-entry pool for my 2-year old.

The decor is beautiful, Club rooms are on point as always and the pool areas are super fun!

Lovely pool,open till 11pm,lovely atmosphere.

There is the magnificent lobby, the great restaurants, the arcade, the pool area, great fitness area and a wonderful room.

Overall impression is that the hotel was pretty good - pool area was nice

Weather was chilly and pool was under renovation.

The CM at that point told me the pool was close to my room

The gym had everything we could ask for and the pool was a lot of fun with a big slide for the older kids and small slide for the toddlers.

There is another refillable station outside of pool area,

The pool was good and the staff at the pool bar was exceptional.

It was ok…but below the standard I would expect at a Disney property and for the price.

First words from him, “This is terrible, why did we pay for this?”.

We paid for Savana
View and placed us in a back yard and ignored other requests.

but when you have paid thousands for a time share membership and this happens it is inexcusable.

I read previous reviews about long hallways and we're a young able bodied family, no strollers, wheelchairs or anything so didn't pay much attention to that.

We ended up opting for a no-view room due to the much higher savanna-view price point.

but a bit expensive especially as kids pay full$30 at age 10.

We got zero apology on, which was disappointing considering how much it costs to stay.

When I got there first night, late after long drive, didn’t realize that and my car paid the price.

Like all of Disney's main resorts, expect to pay a premium to stay here.

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