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Portofino Bay has 700 rooms, 50 suites, and the largest standard guestrooms of the three Loews hotels at Universal, which start at 450 square feet. With subdued creams and browns, and oversized wood furniture, they're also the most luxurious. Oddly, to us they didn't feel much bigger than the rooms at Hard Rock or Royal Pacific, maybe because a lot of that extra footage went to the bathroom. The bathroom in our room (a deluxe with two queen beds) was nearly as large as the room itself, and had a separate shower and bath, marble sinks, as well as a window above the tub that opened to the bedroom (kind of awkward). The beds are superbly comfortable, and have custom duvet covers with white goose down inserts.
Standard guestrooms have either a garden or "bay" view. Both have 300-threadcount linens, bathrobes, 32-inch flat-panel televisions with HD and On Demand, iPod docking stations, Keurig coffee makers (we appreciate the little touches like extra-strong Italian-style coffee here ) and assorted teas. Unless you are staying in a club room, in-room WiFi is $10/night. It's free in the lobby.
Deluxe rooms are slightly larger at 490 square feet and have all of the above-mentioned amenities plus a view of either the beach pool or villa. Club-level rooms are on the seventh floor and offer access to Portofino Club , free continental breakfast, free access to the fitness center, and evening hors d'oeuvres.
If you are traveling with little ones, you might want to consider two-bedroom Kids Suite. With 650 square feet of space, the Dr. Seuss-themed kids' bedroom decor is inspired by his beloved characters, and there's a connecting king room for mom and dad. Regular Portofino Suites have a 450-square-foot parlor, which adjoins to a separate 450-square-foot bedroom. Opt to pay for a second adjoining bedroom and you've got yourself a two-bedroom suite. If you're really living large, the Villa Suites have a 620-square-foot parlor with an adjoining 490-square-foot bedroom, and again, you can add on a second bedroom. Rollaways are $25 per day.
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