Assessment: Loews Portofino Bay Lodge at Common Orlando

There aren’t many theme park lodges that may actually make you neglect you might be at a theme park, however Loews Portofino Bay Lodge at Common Orlando appears to be like and feels as very like an Italian seaside village because the title implies. As you stroll alongside the cobblestone grounds, you may encounter a full of life piazza crammed with retailers and eateries and a harbor crammed with gently bobbing boats.

Associated: use factors to economize at Common Orlando

Regardless of being inside strolling distance of Common, the resort is secluded sufficient that you just will not see (or hear) any curler coasters from the property. Even in the event you love theme parks, you may want a respite from the motion on the finish of the day. That’s precisely what you may discover at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge.

What’s Loews Portofino Bay resort

Loews Portofino Bay Lodge is among the most upscale lodges positioned at Common Orlando Resort. You may discover spacious rooms and a full slate of facilities, together with a number of pool areas, table-service eating places and immersive theming. It is also one of many closest lodges to Common’s theme parks, solely a 10- to 15-minute stroll from the park’s entrance.

There are three major methods to e book a room at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge: straight by the resort’s web site, by Capital One Journey or by the American Categorical High-quality Lodges + Resorts program.

The costs are sometimes the identical no matter the way you e book, however The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical cardholders can benefit from extra advantages by reserving by Amex FHR. For those who e book by Capital One Journey, you possibly can earn 10 factors per greenback on money bookings or redeem Capital One Miles.

Though this resort will not be a part of any main resort rewards program, you possibly can nonetheless maximize your keep by utilizing a card that earns factors for journey purchases, just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card, which earns two factors per greenback on journey purchases. (For that motive, it is amongst our favourite bank cards for reserving resort stays.)

Day by day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication

Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

Money costs for the standard room common between $500 and $600 per evening. You might pay as little as $400 if Common is providing a resort low cost — or as a lot as $900 per evening in the event you go to throughout a busy time of yr.

If you’re an eligible Amex cardholder and e book by the Amex FHR program, you possibly can pay with money, Amex Membership Rewards factors or a mixture of the 2. You may earn 5 factors per greenback spent on any portion of your reserving paid in money. Amex Journey resort reservations are pay as you go, however most properties have versatile cancellation insurance policies. Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, for instance, sometimes permits cancellations till 5 days earlier than your arrival date.

All visitors of Loews Portofino Bay Lodge obtain beneficiant theme park advantages. The primary is Early Park Admission to one in all Common’s parks as much as an hour earlier than the official opening time. You may test this web page to see which of Common’s two parks (and which points of interest at that park) will likely be open for early admission on a given day.

Early Park Admission is open to all visitors staying at one in all Common’s on-site lodges, together with complimentary theme park transportation and resort-wide charging privileges utilizing your resort key.

Associated: Is Common’s Categorical Go price it? TPG examined how a lot time it actually saves you in line

Company on the resort additionally obtain complimentary Common Categorical Limitless for everybody staying within the room. Common Categorical lets you skip the common line at most points of interest. It might probably save hours ready in line and begins at $119.99 per individual per day, which is usually a big financial savings.

For those who plan on shopping for Categorical anyway, you possibly can break even or come out forward by staying at Portofino Bay or one other of Common’s Premier lodges (Loews Royal Pacific Resort or Arduous Rock Lodge at Common Orlando) over a less-expensive resort.

Amex High-quality Lodges + Resorts advantages at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge

Company who e book by the Amex FHR program obtain extra advantages on prime of these talked about above.

You may obtain a room improve when accessible (we had been upgraded from a garden-view room to a bay-view room), complimentary Wi-Fi, midday check-in and 4 p.m. checkout. You additionally obtain a every day breakfast buffet for 2 at Mama Della’s Ristorante and a $100 meals and beverage credit score that can be utilized at most eating places across the resort. We used our credit score to cowl our youngsters’s breakfast buffets throughout our keep.

We additionally acquired a beautiful welcome amenity in our room: a fruit and cheese platter, two bottles of water and candies.

Company get pleasure from quick access to Common’s theme parks

Common Orlando and Loews Portofino Bay Lodge are each solely about quarter-hour from Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO). One of many prime causes for selecting this resort is its proximity to Common’s theme parks. For those who journey to the resort by automotive, you could pay a $31 charge for self-parking or a $40 valet parking charge per evening.

Associated: These are the ten greatest rides at Common Orlando

From the resort, you possibly can attain Common Studios, Common’s Islands of Journey and Common CityWalk by bus, water taxi or a backyard walkway. A shuttle bus may even take you to Common’s Volcano Bay water park.

I favor the strolling path or water taxi when staying right here. The await the water taxi is normally round 5 minutes, and also you undergo safety earlier than boarding the water taxi. This protects you from ready in line on the major safety screening space, which you may bear in the event you arrive by automotive or bus.

Relying in your tempo, you possibly can stroll to the parks in 10 to fifteen minutes. It is a ravishing stroll, and I discovered it a calming option to begin a busy day. There’s additionally a separate safety screening on the finish of the strolling path, which saves you from becoming a member of the crowds in the primary safety screening space.

rooms are spacious with a European aptitude

1 of 2

TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

From the {custom} furnishings to the patterned drapes and carpets, the visitor rooms had an upscale European really feel; they saved up the phantasm that I used to be far, distant from Central Florida. The 750 visitor rooms (together with 45 suites) are designed with colourful carpeting and material, marble counters, light-colored furnishings and blue accents just like the padded headboards on beds.

1 of 2

TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

Our room had a espresso and tea station and an ice bucket within the entryway. The closet held two spa-style robes, a protected, an iron and an ironing board. The beds had been agency however snug, with plush comforters that you just will not discover in a few of Common’s lower-tier lodges. The nightstand between the beds had two energy shops, and the clock radio offered USB shops for ample charging choices.

The large bay-facing window offered loads of pure gentle, however there have been additionally bedside lamps, a desk lamp and a ground lamp close to the seating space.

1 of 2

TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

The massive toilet had a separate tub and bathe and a double vainness. The lavatory was stocked with Julien Farel merchandise, together with a bar of cleaning soap, a bathe cap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion. The bathe was small however practical, although the big dimension of the bathtub made up for that (particularly if you’re touring with children who like to take a shower). Just like the bedding, the towels had been of upper high quality than these at a few of Common’s lower-tier properties.

Even with two queen beds within the room, there was loads of room for a rollaway mattress, which is important for us as a household of 5 once we keep in a typical room.

The resort additionally has club-level rooms which might be barely bigger and provide entry to an unique lounge and suites; these embrace Despicable Me Youngsters Suites with custom-made missile beds and a separate sleeping space for fogeys.

Company can dine in an Italian-inspired piazza

Loews Portofino Bay Lodge has a mixture of quick-service and table-service eating places, in addition to a Starbucks, a gelateria and room service.

We had breakfast at Mama Della’s Ristorante, which was included in our Amex FHR advantages. The common value for the breakfast buffet is $30 for adults and $16 for youths ages 3 by 9 (children below 3 are free). The buffet unfold was spectacular, with recent pastries, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs and different typical buffet objects, together with an omelet station. You can too order off the common breakfast menu.

1 of 3

TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

Previously, I’ve eaten at Mama Della’s for dinner, and musicians circulated by the restaurant in the course of the night. (They even took requests.)

Associated: Finest eating places at Common Orlando Resort

We additionally regularly visited the resort’s Starbucks espresso store, which had a virtually equivalent food and drinks menu to different Starbucks places. Sal’s Market Deli contained in the foyer is an efficient spot for on-the-go snacks and drinks or a sizzling, recent pizza to convey again to your resort room.

We ate most of our meals contained in the parks on this journey; nevertheless, I’ve visited The Thirsty Fish for dinner and drinks up to now and liked the expertise of eating outdoors within the piazza. With the reside music and different visitors having fun with the night, it felt harking back to comparable nights I’ve had that had been truly in Italy.

The resort additionally has a 24-hour health middle, a well-marked outside jogging path, an arcade and a full-service spa. The fitness center had a wide variety of cardio gear, free weights and weight coaching machines, although the variety of machines might make it really feel a bit crowded if various individuals are understanding. The Mandara Spa presents hair, nail and pores and skin remedies, massages and sauna services. You may view a full value record right here.

Causes Loews Portofino Bay Lodge won’t be for you

One factor that will deter some visitors from checking into Loews Portofino Bay Lodge is the sheer dimension of this property; all the pieces is sort of unfold out. Varied areas (just like the fitness center and eating places) will not be housed in a single constructing, and chances are you’ll end up strolling a good way to get out of your room to the foyer or different public areas.

From the elevator, it’s a must to stroll down two units of stairs (or take one other elevator) to the world the place the visitor rooms, pool, eating and most different resort facilities are. This one will not be the best choice in the event you favor smaller lodges.