Portofino Bay Hotel

Orlando, Florida: Crossing over the canal you can catch a glimpse of the Mediterranean style buildings across the lagoon. As you reach the piazza filled with Italian sports cars and Vespa scooters, the sound of Italian ballads fill the air. No you are not on the Italian coast but rather the luxurious Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando.

Opened in 1999, the Portofino Bay Hotel was the first of the Universal Orlando hotels. The hotel features over 750 guest rooms featuring Italian style furnishing, marble finishing and much more. It is the most luxurious of the three resort hotels with amenities the whole family will enjoy.

The hotel features three pools to help cool off from the heat. The Beach Pool is the main pool featuring a waterslide, poolside activities and two Jacuzzis. There are three beach cabanas available for rental as well as a weekly dive-in movie. The Villa Pool is more laid back and designed for relaxation. It features sixteen cabanas and lounge chairs perfect for relaxation. Finally the Hillside Pool is a quiet pool featuring nothing but peace and quiet for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of a theme park vacation.

In addition to the pools and activities, Portofino also has a full service spa and children’s club. The Mandara Spa provided world-class spa treatments to provide you with the perfect relaxation experience. Campo Portofino is the children’s camp that provides fun activities for the kids while their parents enjoy a night out.

There are also eight restaurants and lounges on the property that will cater to even the pickiest eaters. The restaurants are like a tour of Italy through your taste buds. The hotel features the following:

• Mama Della’s Ristorante: authentic Italian
• Bice Ristorante: northern Italy cuisine
• Trattoria del Porto: regional cuisine
• Sal’s Market Deli: brick oven pizza, sandwiches and more
• Gelateria: Italian bakery and coffees.
• Bar American: lobby lounge.
• Splendido Pizzeria: poolside bar and eatery.
• Thirsty Fish: dockside bar.

Guests at Portofino Bay Hotel receive the same perks as the other resort hotels. There is complimentary transportation to and from the park via the water taxi. Your hotel room key provides you front of the line access to all the rides and attractions that the parks have to offer as well as priority seating at some restaurants and shows.

There is so much to do at the hotel, its hard to imagine there are theme parks just a boat ride away to enjoy as well.

For photos of the resort, visit my Portofino Bay Hotel photo gallery.

Updated September 24, 2010