Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 3 Reviews and 161 Opinions
10 Portofino Dr, Pensacola, Florida, 32561, United States
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164 Opinions
modza1
User Rating
I'm normally not a big fan of towers, but we had three couples that wanted to vacation together, be near a wild beach -- and whose (mostly the wives') idea of roughing it is staying in a two-star hotel. Portofino Island is 4-star, if not five. We each had our own bedroom with deluxe bath (extra showerheads), and shared a living room with flat screen, and a very good kitchen. We even grilled outside on the balcony. It's not one of those ledges with a railing you sometimes get. It was very pleasant lounging on the balcony after a day kayaking, listening to the gentle surf in the warm evenings.
The walk from the tower (after the elevator ride) to the beach was longer than I'd like, but the complex really does a good job of managing every one. It wasn't as crowded as I feared, I think partly because quite a few units are owned, and the owners aren't there all the time.
The really outstanding part was the proximity to the Gulf Islands National Seashore. There are only a handful of Natl Seashores and this one is definitely national in quality. We never did make it all the way to the end of the 8 miles of beach, but we got plenty of nature and exercise in the rental kayaks.
As a group, we either cooked in (or outside on the balcony) or went into the funky town of Pensacola Beach, rather than eat in the resort's restaurants, so I can't comment on them.
Unique Quality: Great views
Proximity to Gulf Islands National Seashore
Luxuriously equipped suites big enough for 6 or 8.
Portofino Island Resort & Spa Photo: Living room of our suite overlooking the Gulf
kbs0806
User Rating
We have been coming here since Portofino was built.I've sent friends and employees down for years.Our room wasn't ready until 5pm.I was told thats the new time.A good time to tell us that is when we are planning our trip so we don't have to kill two hours.I paid for a 3 bedroom and got a 2 1/2 (a daybed),I paid for a king size bed and got a double or queen,I asked to have the safe fixed and the guy left saying it worked but it still doesn't,the private beach is a joke.Now there are 3 rows of chairs,parties and loud music so enjoying the beach was out.The pool is so full they made my 11 year old son remove a small float to make room for people (same float he used here last year).This used to be a 5 star resort that my family could relax in.If something doesn't change it will be a 2.It seems to be overbuilt.The service around the pool is very slow and they just do not seem to want to be working here.When we leave tuesday morning we will not be back.Everything at Portofino has changed.Its a shame.We looked so foward to this each summer.
Unique Quality: Views are amazing,rooms are very nice,staff was rude,pool and beach were very crowded,and service was very bad.
lahysell
User Rating
The beaches in Pensacola are beautiful with white sugary sand and clear emerald green water. The Portofino was absolutely fantastic, elegantly decorated and fully furnished with everything you need, even a washer and dryer. There are seven different swimming pools that are heavenly. They keep the water temperature regulated in these pools and don’t use chlorine so no matter what time of day you swim, the water is perfect and your skin feels great when you get out. The Portofino has an unlimited amount of activities to do while you are there; tennis, kayaks, sail boats, a water trampoline, sea cycles, races, games, crafts, etc. and you get daily complimentary beach chairs and an umbrella on beach or bay side, your choice. We prefer the Gulf side of course because of the beautiful water! The day we went kayaking in the Gulf, there were wild dolphins swimming within 5 feet of us! The Portofino also offers a complimentary catamaran shuttle to the Boardwalk, which has some shops and places to eat. Our stay at Pensacola Beach and the Portofino went above and beyond any great expectations that we had before our arrival. Also, if you are visiting during the week, plan a trip to watch the Blue Angels practice at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, you can check out their website for their practice schedule. It is definitely something you won't want to miss! All in all the resort was beautiful and completely accommodating. If you are a newcomer to Pensacola Beach as we were, don’t let the travel through town disappoint you. There is still a lot of debris and construction going on from the hurricanes so even though the town is still pretty tore up by the time you get to the Portofino at the end of the beach, it's a whole different world. Take the trip and stay at the Portofino, it's definitely worth it!
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We stayed in a 2 bedroom unit facing the Gulf. The beach in this area was cleaned up and beautiful. The condo was soundproof except ocasionally upstairs. The pools were gorgeous but not warmly heated. There were some starter supplies(dishwasher soap,laundry,hand soap) which was plenty for us. Many amenities left nothing to be desired if you just wanted to stay in the resort. Peg Leg Pete's restaurant had great grouper.
I spent 3 nights at the Portifino Resort in Pensacola May 4 to May 7, 2006. While there is still a little construction ongoing, this is an excellent resort to visit. I have been to many resorts in the last 15 years & this one can hold its own. You have great beaches, a great bay side beach (calm for the little ones), great pools (indoor & out), great jacuzzis plus incredible food. I am still amazed at how delicious the food was at the Terra Cotta restaraunt. You also recieve with your rental, free beach towels (you can take them home), free beach chairs & umbrella bay side & beach side and depending on your package, free bikes, free kayaks and free sail boats!!!! It sound too good to be true but its not. We took the Saturday afternoon (free for us) cruise of the bay and it was great. If you are tired of all the boring condo rentals along the Florida and Alabama panhandle, check this place out. Oh and I forgot to mention movies galore in the room, video rental on the premises and the rooms are decorated with extremely good taste. In room blow dryers, spa sample soaps & shampoos plus a tv & dvd/vcr in every room. Check our their webs site or book thru a travel service as there are good deals out there for the Portifino. We had a bay/sound side view and the sunsets were as beautiful as any I have ever seen. And I dont want to forget to mention that the service was great, friendly and helpful and this is definetly a kid/special needs friendly resort too. Feel free to email me for more details.
Pros: Great location, large rooms, the beach and bay combo, work out area
Better value than the Hilton and Mariott.
Large balcony, nice sunsets from tower # 4, the newest tower.
Cons: Reserved a one king and one queen and recieved one King and 2 single beds
Did not recieve a confirmation E-Mail form my reservation
Attempted to call the resort for 2 days and kept getting a recording
The grill and the stove, for you cooks, are electric not gas
Stayed at the resort on two occasions, both times the furniture was from Bombay(mall furniture) very tacky, most people in America would think it was nice.. The developer cut many corners by using cheap ceramic tile instead of marble and the carpet was tacky for a $900,000 room. Because of the problems with service I would not purchase a unit. The service staff was very friendly once you are there.
No garbage pick up and no garbage bags and very small garbage cans, no salt and pepper, sugar etc.
Biggest disapointment, check in is at 5:00 PM and check out is at 10:00, this is crazy for a $350 per night room. For a luxury development they should have the landscaping upgraded with larger palms, and remove the damaged plants, this would take a week at most.
For first time visitors, Pensacola beaches look great, rent a boat if you can the area is beautiful. Pensacola has always fell behind the panhandle in development and landscaped streets and parking areas. It looks like things are finally getting up to speed. The locals claim it is because of bad politicians and poor planning over the years.
We stayed in Tower 2 with a Sound view. The view was great as you could see the bay, sound, and gulf from our balcony. The electric grill on the balcony was a great convience.
The unit was decorated tastefully with tile throughout, granite tops, and stainless appliances.
The staff on site were extremly friendly. The beaches are clean and uncrowded.
The resort is at the end of the island which provides a nice sense of seclusion.
The water taxi was a great way to travel to the boardwalk and resturant locations.
We look forward to returning.
My family and I arrived at Pensacola Beach on June 26, 2006 and stayed for 4 nights at the Portofino. There are not enough reviews about this place or Pensacola Beach to do them justice, so i am on a mission to let everyone know just how wonderful they both are. Pensacola Beach has beautiful, sugary white sand and emerald green water that is just gorgeous and the Portofino was absolutely fantastic! We had a 2 bedroom condo with 2 1/2 bathrooms overlooking the Gulf in Tower 2. The condo was beautiful, and elegantly decorated. It was fully furnished with everything you need. Tv's, dvd players and vcr's were in each bedroom and the living room and also in the living room was an option that you could select for a movie channel on your remote where you could get unlimited free movie rentals. The only reason i could think of that you would ever have to leave the resort is to pick up some groceries for your stay, unless of course you plan on eating out and you can do that right there also. Being a family of five and on a tight budget, we cooked most every meal and it
saved us tons of money. The Portofino has an abundance of activities to keep you and your kids busy, kayaking, sail boats, a water trampoline, sea cycles, races, games, crafts, etc. and you even get 2 complimentary beach chairs and an umbrella on beach or bay side, your choice. The day we went kayaking, their were dolphins swimming around and we got within 5 feet of them. It was so exciting. My childrens ages range from 17 to 9 and they absolutely loved Pensacola Beach and the Portofino. This place is so elaborate,
that they even have an employee that specifically sits at the cross walk to stop traffic when any Portofino guest crosses the road. lol..... You even get complimentary Portofino beach towels to take home. There also is an awesome tennis court that we enjoyed very, very much on our trip. It was a nightly family outing to play tennis in the evenings after a fun, filled day at the beach. Make sure if you go to take advantage of the complimentary
catamaran shuttle to the boardwalk for a dinner out or shopping. The Portofino went above and beyond any great expectations that we had before our arrival. The staff is helpful and pleasant and will make sure every need is taken care of. Also, if you are visiting during the week, plan a trip to watch the Blue Angels practice at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, you can check out their website for their practice schedule. It is
something you won't want to miss. All in all it was the best vacation my family has ever had. Don't be surprised though when you travel through town and see a lot of construction going on. The town is pretty tore up still from the hurricanes, but by the time you get to the Portofino at the end of the beach, it's a whole different world. Take
the trip, it's worth it.
By the Above Title I mean the following.
First of all the Portofino is a top of the line resort,
ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION!!
I have vacationed all along the Florida Panhandle, (Destin, Fort Walton, Pensacola Beach, I haven't stayed in Panama City yet though), the Portofino by far is the best resort in the area. It is also one of the more expensive resorts as well. The reason the Portofino is so expensive is because it comes with a lot of extras. SPA, Surfing Camps, Parasailing, Kayaking, Eco-tours, and ON and ON. If you are into that stuff and are GOING TO USE IT, then, absolutely, the Portofino is the right resort for you, however if you are not intending to use any of that stuff then the Portofino may be a waste of money. There are plenty of really nice resorts all along the Emerald Coast to choose from and even more under construction. Myself, ALL I need and ALL I want is a 2BR Condo, On the beach, with a View of the Beach, and a Hotel Pool. That's all I I'm looking for. In other words,
"YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!" and "PAY FOR WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!!!"
If you aren't looking for that extra stuff then why pay for it.
We were in tower 4 with a sound view. The condo was very nice though the kitchen equipment were lacking. Beautiful gourmet kitchen but few pots and pans etc, and no blender. Can't imagine any condo for vacations not having a blender. There was 168.00 amenity fee in addition to the 1150.00 we paid for the week for a 2 bedroom. Though the amenity fee we thought was very price for use of the pool only and other amenities such as aerobic classes, use of the trampoline, kayaks, bikes also included an additional stiff fee, i.e. 20 bucks for use of the kayaks is ridiculous. We found we only lodged here and did not use the amenities. It was not crowded, the beach was beatiful, though you would think the island itself had had a recent hurricane rather than 2 years ago. Many building half leaning over, half tore down, or deserted. Also current widening of the main road to 4 lanes which spoils it all I think. It seems more commercial high rises and condos will replace the once quaint beach houses and it will become another city rather than a place to enjoy the beach. We found the staff unfriendly and uniformed, and basically lazy. Check in information was scarce as far as amenities being explained. We stayed at the Pearl last year and were much more impressed and it was less inexpensive. Ovreall enjoyed the relaxation, but will not visit the Portofino again. Better services other places. The lobby of our tower had a single couch in it. The high speed internet was not high speed, very slow and irregular signal and you had to move the TV armoire to plug it in. Portofino had a nice comment, but left this family with it feeling lacking and very wannabe.
It's difficult for us to read the last poor review of this wonderful resort. Our extended family has been visiting the Pensacola Beach area for many years. The area has been through quite a lot in the last few years with storms and all. Unless you've seen it before, you don't realize how long it does take to recover.
With the exception of the beach road leading to the resort, how can you not feel like you've found paradise once you drive through the front entrance? Between the mighty palms and the fountain, it just makes you smile.
We had a beautiful 2 bedroom unit looking out on the bay from Tower 1. While we were waiting to check-in, we did observe a few confused guests attempting to check-in. They apparently had found a bogus deal on the internet and didn't have all the correct information, like extra fees that have been alluded to in other reviews on this sight. We had all the information we needed after our check-in, the reception staff is very well informed.
We had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the unit, it was beatifully decorated, it had many personal touches that we felt the owners tried hard to convey. We enjoyed cooking our family dinners especially taking advantage of the balcony grill. There was plenty to do around the resort, we even ran into a pirate! We took the water taxi down to the shopping area and enjoy the beach atmosphere.
The staff was more than helpful and courteous. We were walking back from the beach one afternoon and saw a staff member, obviously heading home for the day, who took the time to ask us how our day was. When we inquired about a fun place to celebrate our last night, she took the time to reccommend a great irish pub in town.
We can't say enough about this resort and we'll definitely be back again.
Views are amazing,rooms are very nice,staff was rude,pool and beach were very crowded,and service was very bad.
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Q: Condition of the beach? "It's been almost a year since the nasty Ivan. How are things moving down there? I would love to come and spend my money..."
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Address: 10 Portofino Dr, Pensacola, Florida, 32561, United States
