We Stayed At One of Universal’s FANCIEST Resorts

When it comes to picking your accommodations for a trip to Orlando, you’ll be faced with a lot of choices.

Do you want to stay near Disney World or Universal? How much are you willing to spend — do you want a budget hotel or something a little more luxurious?

If the answers to those two questions are Universal and luxurious, we’re we’ve got a treat for you!

It’s no secret that we’ve already fallen in love with Universal Orlando’s Portofino Bay — we might even pick it over Disney World’s deluxe hotels! We recently stayed there again and enjoyed its restaurants, pools, amenities, and room.

Resort Atmosphere

The hotel’s theme is that it’s set in an Italian seaside village, Portofino Bay.

The theme just makes you feel like relaxing with lots of beautiful and open spaces. It’s dedicated to “la dolce vita,” aka the sweet life, and when you stay here, you feel like you’re enjoying just that.

Speaking of the sweet life, guests of the hotel also get exclusive Universal benefits, including a free Universal Express Unlimited Pass to skip lines at attractions.

It’s also close enough to Universal Orlando Resort that guests can walk to the parks, but there are also complimentary water taxis and shuttle buses.

So this is a beautiful resort that is also well-located.

Stores

You’ll also find several stores here, including L’Ancora, Universal Store, and Le Memories de Portofino.

So there are plenty of shopping opportunities.

Pools And Spa

There are three pools, The Beach Pool, The Hillside Pool, and The Villa Pool.

For a little pampering, you can visit the Mandara Spa.

Dining

When it comes to dining, the hotel offers a little something for everyone. For fine dining, there’s Mama Della’s Ristorante and Bice Ristorante.

For a more casual dining experience, there’s Trattoria del Porto, Splendido Bar & Grill, and Sal’s Market Deli.

Fancy a drink? Head on over to The Thirsty Fish. Or if it’s a morning or afternoon pick-me-up you’re after, there’s also a Starbucks on-site. You can also enjoy some delicious gelato at the Gelateria.

Room Tour

We stayed in Villa 3531, which is a Standard Bay View Queen Room.

The first thing you see when you walk inside is a short hallway that leads to the main part of the room.

Just to the right is a table with a mirror above it.

This table holds a coffee maker and ice bucket.

The ice bucket also has a tray beneath it.

The coffee station features a Keurig coffee maker, K-cups with coffee and tea, disposable cups, cream, sugar, and stirrers.

Right next to this table is a closet. You’ll find hangers in here, along with…

…an extra blanket…

…a robe…

,,,a luggage rack…

…an iron and ironing board…

…and a safe.

To the right is the bathroom — as you can see, it’s quite spacious.

There’s a huge mirror and two sinks, with lots of counter space for your stuff.

The sinks have silver faucets and tap.

In the middle are some hotel amenities (soaps and lotions), along with facial tissue and extra washcloths.

The container has extra cotton balls.

Underneath are extra hand and bath towels, along with a blowdryer and bath mat.

Here’s a closer look at the blowdryer.

There’s extra space underneath the cabinets for additional storage.

You’ll find the toilet just to the left of the sinks.

The furthest wall has a walk-in shower with bath towels just within reach on a bar beside it.

The shower has a tall showerhead, as well as shampoo, conditioner, and a basket to hold soap.

Amenities here include shampoo and conditioner, as well as soap. Extra washcloths were stuffed behind the amenities.

There’s also a separate bathtub if you’re wanting a long soak after a day at the parks.

This room comes with two queen beds. The room’s colors are light and seaside-ish, and include carpeting.

The furthest corner of the room — nearest the window — has a chair with a reading lamp, as well as a footstool.

Opposite that is a table with a lamp and two chairs. There’s a small trash can next to it.

Beside that and opposite the beds is a large flatscreen TV on top of a dresser with plenty of drawers for your clothes.

The drawers are spacious enough for whatever you might want to put in there.

Between the drawers is a cabinet — this is where you’ll find the mini-fridge.

The table between the beds has an alarm clock on one side, USB ports and plugs for your devices in the middle…

…and a phone, notepad, pen, and hand sanitizer on the other side.

Underneath is a cubby hole for storage, as well as a drawer.

Above that is a mirror with two lights.

As you can see, the room is very well-appointed.

Overall Impression

We’ve stayed here before and we’ve always thought this is more of what we would expect of a hotel in the “deluxe” category. The theming is subtle, but the entire property still makes you feel like you’re on vacation in Italy and not in the middle of Orlando, Florida. If you’re looking to splurge on your next Orlando trip, this is a good place to do it!

Have you ever stayed at Portofino Bay? Let us know in the comments!

 

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