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Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando

4.0$$$Express Unlimited includedItalian Riviera themingNo resort feeWater taxi to CityWalk

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Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, photo 1

Photos: Photo: Nielsoncaetanosalmeron, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Our take

By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer

Portofino Bay is the most committed piece of theming Universal owns, a full-scale recreation of an Italian Riviera village down to painted-on shutters and a cobbled harbor piazza where the boats idle. Of the three hotels that come with Express Unlimited, it sits farthest from the two original parks, and that trade-off runs through the reviews. The garden walkway to CityWalk is about four-fifths of a mile, a pleasant stroll at 8am and a long one at midnight with a tired kid. Water taxis run from an hour before early entry until 2:30am, so you are rarely stranded, but the queue at park close is real. The reason people pay the premium anyway is Universal Express Unlimited, included for everyone in the room, which at busy times is worth more per person per day than plenty of Orlando hotels charge per night. Where it wobbles: this is a 1990s resort and it shows, mostly in bathroom fixtures and a layout of stairs and mini-piazzas that takes a day to learn. On-site food is priced like a resort with no competition nearby. Three pools spread the crowd well, with the Beach Pool taking families and the Villa Pool staying quiet. It earns the money if you will use Express hard at the two older parks, and less if your days skew to Epic Universe, where the pass has to be bought separately, or to the pool deck.

Quick facts

Express Pass
Universal Express Unlimited included, valid at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Epic Universe Express is sold separately and comes with no hotel stay
Park access
Water taxi to the CityWalk dock, or a 0.8-mile garden walkway past Hard Rock Hotel; shuttle bus to Epic Universe and Volcano Bay
Parking
Self-park $36 plus tax per night; overnight valet $45 plus tax
Resort fee
None
Pool
Three pools: Beach Pool with a waterslide and sand, plus the quieter Villa and Hillside pools
Rooms
750 rooms, including 45 suites
Volcano Bay closure
Volcano Bay closes 26 October 2026 for the season, with the operator expecting it to reopen on or before 1 April 2027

Where you are

Map showing the location of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando📍 5601 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819

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Set on its own harbor at the north end of Universal's resort loop, off Universal Boulevard. Nothing is in walking range except the parks themselves, so you stay inside the resort bubble.

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Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando FAQ

Is Universal Express Pass included at Portofino Bay?

Yes. Universal Express Unlimited is included for the number of guests staying in the room, for the length of the stay. It covers participating rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, and it is not valid at Epic Universe or Volcano Bay. Exactly three Universal hotels include it: Portofino Bay, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. Epic Universe has its own Express product, which you can buy separately, and it comes with no hotel stay.

Does Portofino Bay charge a resort fee?

No. The published fee list for a Portofino Bay stay covers parking, extra adults, rollaways and pets, with no nightly resort fee, which is unusual for Orlando. Parking is billed separately.

How much is parking at Portofino Bay?

Self-parking runs $36 plus tax per vehicle per night and overnight valet is $45 plus tax, per the hotel's published rates. Confirm the current figure when you book, since these are adjusted periodically.

How do you get to the parks from Portofino Bay?

Two ways to the two original parks: a complimentary water taxi from the hotel's Harbor Piazza to the CityWalk dock, or a landscaped garden walkway of roughly four-fifths of a mile that runs past Hard Rock Hotel and never crosses a road. Boats run from an hour before early entry until 2:30am. Epic Universe and Volcano Bay are reached by shuttle bus instead, and the water taxi does not serve them. Volcano Bay closes on 26 October 2026 for the season, and the operator expects it to reopen on or before 1 April 2027.

How far is Portofino Bay from Universal Studios Florida?

The walkway to CityWalk measures about four-fifths of a mile, commonly reported as a 10 to 15 minute walk, longer with young kids in tow. It is the longest park walk of the three hotels that include Express Unlimited, with the water taxi as the usual alternative.

Is Portofino Bay worth it?

It depends on how hard you will use Express Unlimited. At busy times the pass costs more per person per day than many Orlando hotel rooms cost per night, so a family riding all day at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure recovers much of the premium. If your plans lean toward Epic Universe, where the included pass does not apply and Express has to be bought on its own, or toward pool days, the case is weaker and a cheaper on-site hotel does the same job.

Things to do nearby

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