Portofino Bay stay

[Milesmom1]

We just returned from our first stay at Portofino Bay, we were disappointed with the resort. We wanted to do something different than Disney, as go to Disney every other month, and couldn't help but compare. The resort reminded us of a themed Holiday Inn at Yacht and Beach club prices. The cost of sodas and meals were higher than Disney. Our room was quite far away from the pool and you had to go outside and around two buildings and up two flights of stairs to get to it, after a day at the park FORGET IT! When it began to rain in the afternoon the boat transportation stopped and we were told if we wanted to go anywhere we had to drive ourself and park in the parking garage. The special Duvet blanket was ripped down one side, you would think housekeeping would have noticed. Speaking of housekeeping we did not receive this service on our second day, only turndown in the evening. We signed up for Loews First and had to call 3 times to receive our milk and cookies, at that point it was becoming more of an issue than a service. The green slimey mold on the stairs and pool deck are a saftey hazard as well as unsightly. I think we'll stick to the Disney resorts from now on.

 

[kjcolv]

Wow, that is horrible. We were just there and had a much better stay though I do agree that the food prices are exceptionally high (others have disagreed with me). They tried to stick us off in some faraway room but I had taken notes from the board and asked to be moved to the west wing, close to the pool and water taxi. We got caught in the rain but were directed to buses that ran from US to the hotels, one to HR and PBH, one to RPR. It worked out fine. The housekeepers were very attentive and our room was immaculate every day (despite the horrific mess my sons made!). Our fruit (Loews first selection) was waiting for us the first evening when we returned to the room. I would strongly urge you to compose a thought out letter to the hotel managment. Provide them with details and dates, you can ask for a reasonable credit. They may not offer anything or it may be a future perk but I always find it makes me feel better to voice my concerns in a productive manner. Most of the time I find the management team to be appreciative and anxious to make amends. I would call and find out the GM for PBH and send it to him and CC the Loews President. Send a copy to Loews corporate with a brief cover letter that says "I thought yu should be aware of issues I had at one of your hotels. ANy assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated" That CC almost always guarantees you will at least get a response. I wish things had gone better for you. We found it to be a very nice expereince.

 

[Lewisc]

Sorry you didn't have a good time, I found PBH to be every bit as good as Disney hotels.
Some of your complaints are not fair:

1) The rooms are large and the hotel is not very tall. Of course some of the rooms are a walk to the lobby and pool. No different than BWV, POLY, GF... Did you ask to get a different room.
2) Bus service is offered in addition to the boats. Don't know why you were told to drive. Maybe to save time? I'll sometime drive in Disney rather than wait for buses.
3) Lowes first benefits are not (technically) available with some of the deeply discounted rates. Prehaps there was some confusion if you qualified. DOES DISNEY GIVE YOU MILK AND COOKIES?
4) I found the prices of food similar to Disney.
5) You have a point about about the ripped blanket. Did you ask to have it replaced?

 

[CPM]

A themed Hoilday Inn? Now that's a first!

BTW, YC & BC can have even a longer walk to the main pool

 

[markey]

Oh no, I think this is the first bad report I have heard about PBH. We have been to HRH 01, and RPH 02, so I wanted to go to PBH to stay in all 3. We loved HRH and RPH and are arriving at PBH on 8/5, I hope I did not make the wrong choice. By the way, don't stay at Disney's Contemporary in the Wings if you don't like walking distances to anything, and also the Beach Club at the end of one of the halls, or the Coronada Springs Resort, etc. Get my point?

 

[corvair]

we were there in june... all my room requests were made...our milk and cookies were there waiting our first day and we also got a bottle of wine ...we had turn down every night without asking...we also were told to use the bus when it was raining...sorry you had a bad stay...sometimes that happens.. it had happened to us at disney one time...we thought the PBH was great... and loved the restaurants...the difference in the food prices... there was no food court so you had to eat at one of the restaurants.. which cost more than a food court...i did miss not having somewhere fast and quick to get a soda... i did love the icecream coffee place...they had fast breakfast food fairly cheap....amy

 

[crazyme5kids]

Sounds to me like you should have spoken to the hotel management if you had such problems. I must say though, it sounds more like you just were not ready to try something different. You go to Disney every other month, it is what you are familiar and comfortable with. At this point you probably know exactly which area of a hotel and which hotels are right for you.
I am what my husband calls "A hotel snob" LOL. I thought PBH was a wonderful and very beautiful hotel. So much so I am bringing some friends there in Aug. As far the food prices go, well I'm from NY so I didn't bat an eye (what I pay here).
I find when I have a complaint about something or a safety concern at a hotel it is always best to speak to the hotel staff and management, and give them a chance to rectify the problem.
Sorry you had a bad time, but was there anything you found nice?

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by Milesmom1
The resort reminded us of a themed Holiday Inn at Yacht and Beach club prices.

First of all, I've been to Venice, Florida, and if anyone should know about themed Holiday Inns, it would be you. PBH is a beautiful 5 Star resort. Learn the difference. Secondly, anyone paying 'Yacht and Beach Club prices' to stay at PBH needs to do their homework. Unlike Disney properties, there are several discounts available for Universal's hotels. Do a little research next time.

Our room was quite far away from the pool and you had to go outside and around two buildings and up two flights of stairs to get to it, after a day at the park FORGET IT!

There are elevators all over this hotel. Tell me what your room number was, I'll tell you how to avoid the stairs. By the way, my little 3 and 5 year old boys had no trouble getting around PBH after a day at the parks.

When it began to rain in the afternoon the boat transportation stopped and we were told if we wanted to go anywhere we had to drive ourself and park in the parking garage.

The water taxis at Universal (and Disney World) don't stop because of rain. For safety reasons, they only stop running when there's lightning in the vicinity. When this happens, there are signs at the docks informing guests that shuttles are available at the front of the hotel. Or, you can walk to the parks. (It only takes 15 minutes). Once again, do a little research.

The special Duvet blanket was ripped down one side, you would think housekeeping would have noticed. Speaking of housekeeping we did not receive this service on our second day, only turndown in the evening.

At PBH, there is a little star on the phone's keypad. Press it. They'll bring you a new blanky. They'll even clean your room again.

The green slimey mold on the stairs and pool deck are a saftey hazard as well as unsightly.

Just got back from PBH Friday. I spent 5 days at the pool. Never saw mold or anything slimey. In fact, I was amazed to see hotel employees working well into the night cleaning the pool. It was spotless every morning. Perhaps, you'd sipped one too many cocktails at the Thirsty Fish Bar when you saw this mysterious slime.

I think we'll stick to the Disney resorts from now on.

Mr. Eisner would appreciate it.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by markey
We loved HRH and RPH and are arriving at PBH on 8/5, I hope I did not make the wrong choice.

Don't worry, you're gonna absolutely love PBH. The accomodations are deluxe and the service is top notch. It truly is a 5 Star resort. Every once in a while, some Disney fanatic will come over to these boards and start bashing Universal. (Did you notice she mentioned the word 'Disney' four times in her post?) I'm sure she would have said the same negative things about HRH or RPR.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Tigger Woods I agree with you. I think there are those people that just won't be able to get past the fact that they are not at Disney and that they are not staying at a Disney hotel. The reverse is true for some people and Universal, they just won't be happy at a Disney property no matter how nice. Some people like what they like and that is that, they have a hard time being objective about it.

 

[Lewisc]

I also agree with Tigger. I just re-read OP, not very fair, accurate or objective. Didn't like room location, cost of drinks and didn't like the fact that the boats don't run during lightning. I can't picture ANY employee telling her to drive, the buses always run for resort to resort transportation.

She could have called housekeeping for a new blanket and for cleaning the second day.

Themed Holiday Inn ROFL:
First class restaurants, first class spa, spacious rooms, interior corridors, themed pool....Don't know what world OP lives in.

 

[Milesmom1]

In response to the rude replies: Yes we did call the "little star" twice to request a new blanket, it never arrived. Yes we did call to request room be cleaned as there was a large brown spot of what APPEARED to be choclate on the floor, it was never done. We did request another room and were told that the hotel was full. I'm glad that a 3 and 5 year old have the energy to go hiking to the pool after a day at the park, as a Grandparent I no longer have that amount of energy. I do not drink alcohol, therefore green slime was real, perhaps in your intoxicated state you missed the mold! The front desk staff are the ones who informed us that we would have to drive when it was raining along with one of the concierge staff, no mention of buses was ever made. My husband have traveled to over thirty countries and are used to staying in resorts other than Disney, again I will repeat we were disappointed in Portifino Bay.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by Milesmom1
In response to the rude replies: I'm glad that a 3 and 5 year old have the energy to go hiking to the pool after a day at the park, as a Grandparent I no longer have that amount of energy.

Sorry if you interperted my posts as being rude (I'm not the one who made the drinking reference). Sorry you didn't have a better trip BUT the walk to the pool in Disney resorts is just as long (depending on room location). PBH is rated as high (in some lists higher) than the GF.

I don't know how long it takes Disney to substitute bus service for the boats from the EPCOT resorts during thunderstorms. I don't know why the desk clerk told you to drive (although it might have been easier for you).

Poor housekeeping for one day is the only complaint that IMHO is valid.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Let's see what you claimed happened during your ONE STAY at the Portofino:

1. You called housekeeping about a ripped blanket. They ignored you.
2. You called housekeeping about what APPEARED to be a chocolate stain on the carpet. They ignored you. (I guess you're implying it may have been feces? Nice touch.)
3. You found the pool to be moldy and slimy.
4. The front desk AND the concierge staff both lied to you about the shuttle buses.
5. You requested another room, and were told the hotel was full. (Another hotel staff conspiracy, perhaps?)

Maybe your travel agent booked you a room at the Days Inn by mistake, because you certainly aren't describing Portofino Bay. I've stayed there three times and the service was spectacular. I was there less than 2 weeks ago, and the pool was immaculate. This hotel would not ignore a complaint about a ripped blanket, nor would the staff mislead you about transportation. For someone who claims to have stayed at hotels in 30 COUNTRIES, you certainly haven't learned how to deal with getting alleged problems fixed. Perhaps, a call to a supervisor or the hotel manager? I don't buy any of your story.

 

[>>^..^<<]

I stayed at AKL last summer and had a room very centrally located.. but occasionally we would walk down to the ends of the "trails" and oh my lord... what a walk!

Anyone with a room at the end of Kudu heading for the pool would have to pack a snack to have during their rest stop ~ it is a long, long way.

Having said that ~ I believe that even in the best hotels there can be slip ups... ~ the blanket was never replaced, she saw some kind of slime on a pool step, she found prices more expensive for meals ~ the OP is entitled to express her feelings of disappointment without being harrassed by those who do not agree.

Your PBR experience was great, her PBR experience was not ~ get over it.

Milesmom1 ~ I'm sorry your stay at Portofino was disappointing, maybe if you decide to do Universal again you can try the Royal Pacific or Hard Rock.

I find Universal to offer first rate attractions and resorts with excellent prices and ammenities ~ comparable to Disney ~ which I love too.

>>^..^<<

 

[kjcolv]

I beleive one of the main intents of these boards is to help others planning a trip. Obviously the OP had a bad expereince but I think it is safe to say that seems to be a very rare expreince at PBH. I'm sure there are people who have had bad expereinces at every hotel in the world!! Doesn't mean it didn't happen nor does it mean it couldn't have been prevented. The lessons here seem to be

1) Use these boards to have an idea about the room locations so you can request or refuse the room they assign you to when you check in (they tried to put us way off away from the pool and I asked for and was given the west wing). Have them show you the location on a map so you can decide

2) Know what you want to be close to, the beach pool, the villa, pool, the elevator, the water taxi, the lobby

3) Understand the tradeoffs of each of the hotels, HR is within walking distance, PBH probably isn't for most people

4) Find out what happens when it rains (at the pool, cabanas, spa, whatever concerns you)

5) If you have a problem, contact the front desk, if they don't resolve it ask for the manager, if that doesn't work be sure to take names and contact the corpoarte office. When you are having problems, I find as soon as you start writing someones name down in front of them, they start getting more concerned about how they treat you.

6) Be proactive, be firm, but be polite and don't let whatever happens stop you from enjoying your vacation. A little advance planning and a little effort should assure you a great stay at any of the hotels.

 

[CPM]

Hmmm the *I don't drink* part sounds so familiar, just like a comment on the AOL board.
What I don't like is people who never post come here & post only negative reviews. I don't doubt there were some negative aspects of her trip but some seem a bit far fetched. Okay,she had a bad experience. We get it.

 

[Milesmom1]

Tigger Woods You need anger managemnet therapy! Making accusations about some one elses experience is on the psychotic end of your short stick. This forum is to allow for all experiences not just to your liking. I should not have to spend my vacation time on the phone, at some point even the most seasoned traveller decides to just give up. What purpose would it serve me to lie about my experience?

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by Milesmom1
What purpose would it serve me to lie about my experience?

Only you can answer that question.

It's a fact that the walk from the rooms at PBH to the pool is no longer than the walk at Disney hotels Prehaps you have better luck in Disney getting a location you're happy with.

It's a fact that the Universal hotels also have buses running. What purpose would it serve the desk clerk or conceirge staff to lie about it?

PBH is a deluxe hotel by any definition. It has a spa, first class restuarants, themed pool and well appointed rooms. It is rated the same (or higher) than GF IT IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT to compare it to a Holiday Inn.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your trip and I really don't know what purpose it serves for you to lie about your experience

 

[kathy387]

milesmom1, first of all let me apologize for yet another personal attack on these boards by some people who can't stand to read a negative report about anything. I believe you when you say your time spent at the Portofino could have been more pleasant. We were in love with the Poly until our last trip there (carpeting was soaking wet, manager at Cptn Cooks stopping short of calling my husband a liar about an order that they messed up and never apologizing, I could go on and on but I too would probably feel the wrath of a few on these boards for cutting down the Poly}. Anyway, ignore the personal attacks, they weren't there so they don't have a clue about what type of experience you had. I mean, Tigger Woods....it is Florida, land of humidity, is it too far fetched to think that there could have been moldy slime somewhere at the resort? You could have just said you disagreed without all of the sarcasm. These boards have been taking a downturn towards anyone who posts anything negative, especially towards new posters (no I'm not that new contrary to what my count says, I just loose my count and have to start over everytime some maintenance is done}. I for one enjoy hearing the good with the bad...it keeps my expectations from getting too out of control and lessens the disappointment when something doesn't measure up. And yes, even tho I'm from Wisconsin (go ahead and take a shot at that too} I do know the difference between a barn and a 5 star hotel. If Portofino has problems when we're there in 5 weeks, I plan on posting regardless of a good time or a bad time and if you'd like to attack my post too, then go right ahead.