Came here last minute for my 3yr olds birthday. The first impressions were great! Beautiful location! Our room (tower 2 0709) had electrical outlets pulled out the wall that they used the couch to hold in. Not great for 2 small kids. We had asked for an upgrade and was assured we had the best room possible, we now see that's not the case. I'd suggest getting a corner unit, you get much better views. We had alerted them 3x we had small kids so valued the view best since we would be stuck in the room past 7, I felt let down by them avoiding fulfilling this. We came in the off season and it wasn't busy at all, we were able to get beach chairs easily any time we went. I'm not sure why they charge so much for the rental of these chairs, they're very dirty and obviously never been cleaned. Definitely bring a towel to sit on. I was there when it was end of day and all chairs are just packed up to be brought out again the next day. This happened around 5, seemed way too early for beach bums. They failed to let us know every night we were there would have a wedding reception shut down the beach access, pool access, and our room was perfectly placed on the 7th floor closest to the party. Seems like a huge oversight for the staff to put us here. It was nice to have the room fully stocked with kitchen gadgets, this is why the room gets 32stars. But the 2nd bedroom with the kids got super hot, the AC wasn't great in this room and the fan was faulty. Hardly spun. We never went to the restaurant on resort. Every time we walked past it with our swimsuits on everyone looked highly dressed. Wasn't our vibe. The gift shops were lacking. Not enticing at all. Cheap portofino items to buy. We called the front desk asking if there were any lighters/matches in the area, we got a birthday cake and forgot the lighter. Ended up having to find a smoker and ask for theirs. The 2nd night the entire hot water supply left the unit. After a full day at the beach I went to use the jacuzzi tub and was stone cold. Showers too. The hotel offered to send maintenance but the kids were already asleep by then. Huge inconvenience. Overall if we go to Pensacola again we won't return to this resort. It feels like a hotel trying to be a resort that missed the shot. I can't imagine what it would be like in the full swing of season. Yikes. There's hotels on the Gulf Breeze island that has all the best shopping on it. Felt more like a beach town. …
We travel from Northern climes in search of a warm, family friendly destination in the spring. We had heard about the Portofino and decided to give it a try. We were skeptical, but the truth is that as far as a beach is concerned, The white sand on the Gulf is as good as it gets. The location borders protected national seashore and it is lovely beach setting. The Portofino is a bit outside the Pensacola strip, which is as dreary as a beach strip can get. But if you buy one of the "packages" the Portofino offers (which I highly recommend), you basically dont need to go anywhere. Beach chairs, umbrellas, bikes, boogie boards, paddles boards, kayaks, jet skis, pools, tennis courts. the only problem is food, as we decided to call the area a food dessert. The time shares have full kitchens, but the pickings at the local Publix market were pretty sad. There is a Whole Foods an hour away, which in retrospect we should have just hit right off, would have made a big difference. But in terms of going to the beach, laying on the sand, boogie boarding, relaxing, etc. The Portofino really did the trick.…
The Portofino Adventure Staff was excellent. They where attentive to everyone’s needs. They greeted everyone with a smile and went out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcome. The Beach Staff always found you a great view with two chairs and an Umbrella.
Well, here I am again...going to the Portofino at Christmas for a little rest and relaxation. I will say that since we have been in a pandemic and currently in yet, another surge, I extend grace to all service providers during these unprecedented times. I realized that everyone is stressed to the max! We arrived on Sunday evening after a long drive, just went in to the unit and crashed for the night; we were in tower 2, 1101. When I got up in the morning to view the furniture in the unit, it was not up to par for what I would think that I had paid for--an elite unit--somewhat old, beat down and spots in the lightly colored chairs. The stove has on eye that did not work, and the TV in the family room would not access the local channels. We called the front desk about the TV, they were supposed to send maintenance....I knew they wouldn't come and they met my expectations. My husband was planning to cook on the grill one day, but the grill did not work. I also agree with the other reviewers that the linens on the bed were not of luxury standards. On the positive note, I will say that the unit had beautiful views and rocking chairs on the patio (which I love). There was ample cooking supplies in the kitchen. I read some other reviews about the paper towels and dish towels....when going to Portofino, take your own kitchen towels, paper towels, dishwashing detergent and other necessities. So with all of this going on, I was still able to rest and relax, because I knew that the people at the front did not care and it was not worth getting my blood pressure up about it....My first time at the Portofino was the luxury experience that I expected, but the experience has steadily gone down. Listen Portofino....I really want to continue doing business with you in good faith, but it takes two to tango! If you are going to charge luxury prices and claim to be a luxury resort then give the people what they want or the people will take the money elsewhere. I am writing in this forum because as others have said, trying to talk to you is wasting time and energy. Best to you in the future...sincerely.…
We booked an 8 night trip in August knowing there would be a slight risk of a hurricane but hoped for the best. Our daughter and son in law were going to meet us there for just the weekend. We stayed in tower 3. It was extremely dingy, stained furniture and corroded shower door. The refrigerator ice maker and water through the door did not work and the refrigerator froze our organic fruit and salad so the food could not be used. The views are spectacular but hurricane ida was on the way and we could not risk being stuck in such a dingy dark unit for 3-4 days of expected terrible weather. So we left after 3 nights….no refund. We planned to try Pensacola beach again in November and looked for better options but the views are best at Portofino. This time I booked an elite unit that is supposed to be updated…again in tower 3. Walked through the door and we were immediately hit with an overpowering stench of cigarette smoke. We opened all of the doors in the hopes of clearing it out. We called maintenance and they offered to spray some cleaning agent….hard no because we needed no more chemical smells. Couldn’t sleep because of the smell and also because the blinds in the room did absolutely nothing to block the intense sunlight in the morning. The next afternoon we were offered a different unit but no compensation for our trouble. When we went to talk to someone at the front desk we were told they did not have the ability to make decisions regarding compensation and that there were no managers on the weekend!!!! So we looked at the other unit but it was not set up comfortably and it would have been a lot of work to pack up clothes and food, move and unpack again. Then the woman from the front desk called and said she spoke to the manager (so she was lying before ? )We were offered a 20% discount. They knew the unit had been smoked in (it clearly states no smoking in the policies). Hmmm…. Really not enough for this….While we were here my son in law booked a prenatal massage for my daughter. She said the massage was great but the spa was rundown and second rate. They give you a bottle of champagne after a prenatal massage. They know pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol, right? Perhaps it should come with a note that says to save it for when the baby is born!!!! After coming here over many years, we may be done with this place.…
Portofino began life as a high-end beautiful condo resort. Now, however, the complex is tired looking, filthy and dirty double paned windows mar the views. CLEANLINESS: The units are not clean, we have found clumps of hair, filthy floors as witnessed by the bottom of kids feet, the shower curtains end above the tub and water is all over the floor. It seems as though the bare minimum is done to clean the units for the next guests. BEDDING:: The bedding is a sheet and a flimsy bedspread. They have not learned that it's the weight of the covers that create and allow for a good nights sleep. I recommended that they go down the street and buy bedding from The Hampton Inn or The Hilton, as these are quite nice, but they did not want to hear it. TOWELS; The towels are short, flimsy and cheap. Not towels that a high-end resort would proudly display. We had dinner at the on-site restaurant, returned to our room to find a service utility bag sitting on the counter. Unbeknownst to us, the maintenance man was fixing a smoke detector or something. We had no idea to expect him - were very surprised to find him there at 9:45 pm. If you really want your group all in the same place, then this is passable, but I'd really suggest Margaritaville, The Hampton Inn or any of the hotels by the main beach. They are cleaner, great bedding, beach front, and closer to "life" than Portofino which is 4 miles at the end of the beach near nothing. And if Portofino has a wedding, then some of the pools, bars may be off limits to their guests.…
Room 1008 in tower 1 had a lot of issues. We reported things until we just gave up because it was exhausting and not what a vacation should be about. We had to thoroughly clean it as it was filthy when we arrived. The floors turned our feet black. The beds and furniture were awful. The bedsheets paper thin with holes. There were minimal kitchen supplies. The TVs didn't work correctly. There are no instructions or assistance for 1st time guests. The beach is a hike from this tower. We did enjoy the bar and Jamia the bartender was great. Larry in events was also great. However 2 employees cannot change the overall disappointing experience we had here and we will not return.
Everything at this resort is too spread out and it is not well kept. Getting to the beach is not convenient. If you are traveling with kids who want to go to the beach, don’t stay here. It’s a hassle to get to the beach. Stay somewhere beachfront with direct beach access. Also, the condo was terrible. When you pay over $2000 in the off season, you expect better quality. Curtains were ripped down in one room and thrown in a closet, but the bolts and track were still on the ceiling. It’s a beautiful view, but it would have been nice to have the option to close the curtains for privacy or to keep the bright sun out. I also cut my hand turning on a lamp that was cracked that had broken pieces sticking out the side. Upon arrival a light fixture was hanging from the wall by an electrical cord, but that was fixed about 24 hours after reporting it. The towel rack in the bathroom was on the floor initially and then when maintenance tried to fix it, they didn’t use the correct wall Mount pieces and ended up just hanging it from a screw and obviously had never hung a towel rack before, so it was not usable. None of the televisions worked in the unit. We reported it every single day. It would have been nice to let our kids watch cartoons in the mornings. It is not a relaxing or convenient location.…
We’ve been visiting this resort since 2007 and regret that their standards have changed so much that it is no longer as desirable - especially for the cost. If it were a couple hundred bucks a night, I’d still complain to the resort but would write of off, However, it’s not not even close to that. The units are becoming so overused and in desperate need of updating. There are so many large, noisy and obnoxious families patronizing the place that it just not feel like it once did; chill and low key. And now are planning 2 more towers! Ugh. Hence an excellent rating from years ago, has now become average b/c that’s the way this place feels now.
Having friends that have stayed at Portofino and one that works their occasionally we knew in advance that the staff was arrogant. When I asked simply to photograph their Pensacola Pelican behind the spa, the condescending attitude of the young person behind the glass was only surpassed by his arrogant tone. Sharing my experience with others, I find my experience all too common. Those that have stayed there all agree the property and staff are not what it used to be.
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