Pulling up to Portofino was a very exciting moment! It does look like a little town on a European…read morebay. The grand entrance for drop-off reminded me a bit of medieval times! It'd Italian, I know, but it's also constructed by Americans, right? So to me it was a mix of Italian, but also kitsch. Entering the lobby area, I had a similar feeling. Ornate, grand, but slightly gaudy. It kind of reminded me a Real Housewives circa 2011. Definitely unique to Universal properties, but also a tiny bit dark. There was a bit of a wait at check-in but the staff was on it! So many different needs and questions, and they handled it all. Kelly checked me in and she was awesome. I loved her authenticity, helpfulness, and honestly, she really reset my energy after a long trip in. I didn't get into my room until around 4:15pm. I did request a room in a the West wing, and would probably skip asking for that in the future if the wait will be so much longer. I didn't get to try the restaurants I wanted, I was just so tired. Sal's deli and service was really cute, though! But I wasn't crazy about the sandwich (for another review). The winner in Portofino for me? The pools. I really, really loved the quieter pool away from the big pool with the slide. Now that truly felt like I was not in Orlando. The slide in the other pool is fun! The energy is high, playing top 40 hits and such. Great for kids. But the other pool? Playing old school italian music, with mostly adults, and a true villa feel. I think I would go again with family just for the pool. Though finding your way around can lead you to many stairs and a bit of a "maze" feeling. That part did feel authentically Italian, though! Ha.

What an absolutely gorgeous hotel! My friend and I stayed here for 2 nights and I was blown away…read morewith our experience. We spent the majority of our time at Universal, so unfortunately we didn't do full exploring of the hotel. I decided to just do a pros and cons list below of our stay. Pros Express passes are included in the stay! It was super nice to be able to not wait in the general population lines at Universal & Islands of Adventure. Express lines still had a wait, but it was a fraction of the regular line. The hotel was BEAUTIFUL. Everything was well kept and clean. The hotel room and bathroom are extremely spacious. Easy access to the parks! We took a boat ride in the morning and evening to and from the hotel. Cons Something to keep in mind is the hotel is GIANT. I think it's a good thing, but others may not like it if they are trying to get around quickly. I ordered an uber in the morning and it took almost 10 minutes for me to get from my room to the front. Don't order an uber from your room and wait for them to arrive. You should make your way down to the lobby before their arrival or you will miss your ride. The line for the boat at the end of the night from the park was very long. It took about 3 pick ups before it was our turn. I wish they had more boats running at night between the hotel and park. We left the park at around 7pm so I can only imagine the even bigger wait when the park is closing. Overall, absolutely lovely stay! If I am ever able to return, I would need to check out their pool because I hear it's amazing.

We enjoyed our 2 nights here in the presidential suite. Great big bathrooms. Living area with a…read morefake fireplace dining room we ne er used. Counter top seating is where we ate. TV in every room. The beds are very comfy. It was a nice stay. The pool bar was nice and we all won a prize at bingo!

It was not a great check-in process for me this time. The concierge desk person was great and very…read morefriendly. The bed look comfortable and clean. I haven't walk around the property to check out the pool and sauna. I came to this Resorts a few times this year. I like the free parking and they have plenty.

Property: 8997 Rhodes St It truly bothers me to have to…read morewrite this review, but here goes... I've rented this house 4 times now, and I will say it has really gone down since my last stay. -The carpet needs to come up, it's beyond cleaning. -The walls need a fresh coat of paint or either a good cleaning. -The pool needs to be cleaned. - The patio needs to be pressure washed, as well as the weeds pulled up. -We ran into roaches(German, the smaller roaches) during our stay as well. I picked up bug spray, but still....and yes I know this is Florida, but bear in mind, I live in coastal SC, so I know the difference between a nasty roach and a common cockroach(palmetto bug/waterbug). These roaches, found upstairs and down. - The living room set needs to be replaced. Overall, I think it's time for a good revamp on this property. There once was a time when our stay was super comfortable, but this time we were left feeling uneasy about our stay. The house is very stocked with cooking essentials, pool towels, and bath linens. The travel size bath sets were a nice touch! As well as the casiola tote and cookies!! While we did appreciate the opportunity to occupy this rental again, I know for certain for our trip in August, we won't consider this rental. We are still very pleased with Casiola, just not this particular rental. The communication was open, they were prompt with a service call, and accommodating with early check in. I hope the owner sees this review and decides to make necessary changes to make this rental more enjoyable for guests.

We had an amazing stay place was easy to find great if you have small children or even teenage…read morechildren. There were a tremendous amount of things to do nearby or 30 minutes down the road. The only thing that we would complain about is the noisy neighbors that we had and we had issues with the gates, not working other than that five stars. There are also a lot of things kept at the house for if you have small children, such as highchair pack, and play stroller would recommend to bring your own baby gate. We bought one once we got there and realized that the Main bedroom was upstairs to keep our five year-old from going downstairs by herself. Also, the pool has a net gate all the way around that makes it impossible for kids to get in the pool by themselves, which is great. All in all we had an amazing time and would Rent again!

We've already pre-paid for our upcoming promotional Hilton Grand Vacations trip and property tour,…read moreand are already unhappy with how it's been handled. Two months ago in January, we requested a stay at a beach property for our Anniversary. Our rep said that he'd call us back to confirm, yet he never did. He has never even returned any of our calls to his voicemail! We've since called the main number, only to be told that this property is now all booked up. They then sent us a confirmation for a property we didn't want (claiming that it is now the only one available in the entire area). We paid almost $500 for this "vacation" stay, but my wife and I now suspect that a "Bait and Switch" has been pulled on us. I've emailed guest services, I've repeatedly called guest service, yet no one is willing to escalate this to upper management to find out what happened back in January. My email to their "Guest Experience Team" has gone without reply. Since they already have our money, we have no choice but to stay where we don't want and take their mandatory tour. But, the way that we've been treated, I would never want to invest in their timeshare program. They simply can't be trusted!

We were cornered at a Bluegreen timeshare meeting and threatened that if we did not upgrade before…read morethe purchase by Hilton Grand Vacations, we would lose access and value. We had to make this upgrade that day or lose the opportunity. Bluegreen told us knowing we would believe we were going to lose more money and manipulated with this misinformation and high pressure. Hilton Grand Vacations has done nothing to help us and will not answer our calls or letters. The timeshare companies only focus is on making sales. Jose Lopez

We are residents in the Reflections neighborhood and visit the Storey Lake Clubhouse pool often,…read moreespecially when our children are in town. Overall, we really enjoy the amenities, it's a great setup and something we value having so close to home. However, our most recent visit was disappointing. We were required to pay for our pass, and my husband ended up standing at the front desk for about 20 minutes because the staff member kept assisting other guests instead of completing his transaction. That was frustrating and could have been handled much more efficiently. More concerning is the lack of enforcement of safety guidelines. While some lifeguards at the slides are attentive and doing a great job, others appear distracted--on their phones or wearing headphones--and not ensuring the area is clear before the next person goes down. We've also seen ongoing issues, including children throwing rocks into the waters from the landscaping, spilling drinks in the pools, roughhousing, and tossing balls. On one occasion, a guest even had a dog in a float in the lazy river. Staff stated it was an emotional support animal, but regardless, this raises concerns about cleanliness and overall pool safety. We understand that many guests are on vacation and enjoying themselves, but for residents who pay a significant amount to access these amenities, there should be a higher level of consistency and professionalism from staff. With better supervision and enforcement of rules, this could be an even more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Story Lake has multiple communities that are all gated and very secured. They all have resort style…read morepools and amenities and are very well kept. Story Lake is spread over a very large area as it has multiple communities. I could not find the Dog Park anywhere so I doubt they have one luckily shingle Creek regional Park is right next to it.

EXECUTIVE 3BR VILLA AT UNIVERSAL! My sister and I recently traveled to Orlando for our trip…read morevacation. Upon arrival the BnB we had booked abruptly cancelled, we were in a panic. Luckily we found this listing on VRBO. Irina was exceptional! She was so incredibly helpful and rushed the check in process! Saved our trip! On top of this, the property is lovely! Close to everything you need and beautiful! I am so thankful to her and I can't recommend booking with her enough!

We stayed in a 3 bedroom 2 bath villa. There were 4 adults and 2 children(8yrs&5months). It was…read morevery spacious we had everything we needed. The checkin information was easy to follow and we had no problems. Our contact checked in with us multiple times to make sure everything was ok. We used the pool and game room and everything was great. Some of the furniture had some wear but other than that everything was great. We would definitely stay here again.

his home was in a good location, close to many things. It was very clean, which is a plus…read more There are a few things that we would suggest. There are no bath mats or rugs in the bathroom downstairs. (There were only two of us, so we had no use for the upstairs on this trip). The bathroom floor is tile and VERY slippery when stepping out of the shower. We had to lay towels on the floor. There is also no mat inside the shower, which is also slippery when wet. There were only three spoons and four forks in the kitchen. If there had been more people with us, we would have had to take turns eating. I would suggest adding more silverware since the home can accommodate eight people. It is great to have a laundry area; however, being on the second floor isn't very feasible. Since there were only two of us, and we used the downstairs bedroom and bath, we had to carry everything upstairs to wash. There are no laundry baskets in the home that would make carrying laundry upstairs easier. This is the home that was assigned to us for two people, this rental agency picks the home for you. Therefore, it was not very practical having an upstairs laundry facility. I have bad knees, and had to have my husband take care of the laundry since I am not to use steps. Although the home was extremely clean, the walls did look bad. There were many places where nails were sticking in the walls (where it appeared there used to be pictures), and many places had fresh paint to cover nail holes that didn't match the original paint at all. I know this is a cosmetic issue, and did not interfere with the actual stay in the home - but it does make the appearance of the home a bit 'ugly.' This is the first time we used this particular rental agency. I am not saying we would never use it again, but I would probably go back to using what we normally use first before using this - reason being you can actually see the home you are getting and know what it has to offer before you actually pay for it. That is one downfall of this rental agency - you don't know what you are getting until AFTER it's paid for.

**Avoid This Company at All Costs - Terrible Experience from Start to Finish**…read more I wish I had listened to the many negative reviews about Orlandovacation.com. Against my better judgment, I decided to give them a chance--and I deeply regret it. The only helpful person throughout this ordeal was DeeDee, who was kind and responsive, but unfortunately, she didn't have access to the systems that actually mattered (like rental homes or ticketing). I booked a rental home for my family well in advance, expecting a smooth check-in after our cruise. Instead, I didn't receive *any* information about the property until just two hours before check-in, despite multiple attempts to get in touch for confirmation. I was left completely in the dark, not knowing if my family--including my husband and in-laws--would even have a place to sleep that night. It was embarrassing and stressful. Trey finally told me that due to an error on their end, the home I initially booked was no longer available. He promised to "find" us a replacement--*hours later*, we were placed in a home that was nothing like what we reserved. It was outdated, clearly much cheaper, and absolutely not comparable in quality. To make matters worse, no one has followed up with me about a refund, a discount, or even an apology. As a short-term rental host myself, I would *never* treat guests the way this company does. You don't leave families guessing where they'll be sleeping just hours before check-in. I was so stressed about the situation that I couldn't even enjoy time with my family at Disney Springs. The anxiety this caused completely overshadowed what should've been a relaxing part of our vacation. To top it off, I had to call and email multiple times just to get our Disney tickets delivered. DeeDee did her best to help with that, but it shouldn't have been such a struggle. Trey showed no urgency and barely communicated. He hadn't even arrived at the office by 11 a.m., while my family was left scrambling. I'm currently pursuing a refund and, unsurprisingly, haven't received any response from Trey or anyone else. Bottom line: this was a nightmare. I will *never* use Orlandovacation.com again, and I urge anyone considering them to look elsewhere--Airbnb or any other reputable service would've been a far better choice. This company is disorganized, unprofessional, and completely unreliable. Don't make the same mistake I did.

(This review is for 5024 shoreway loop #103.) I see several vista cay yelp pages so im a bit…read moreconfused. I will just add my review here to this page. We recently stayed in orlando and needed more room than a hotel room. It was spring break for my last 2 youngins. We stayed on vista cay resort property. We rented out a very nice, spacious 3 bedroom. Looking at the reviews made me skeptical. I had to see it for myself. Each apartment unit is different. The property is gated with passcode access. The grounds were well maintained and that was a good start. Once we entered the apartment it was just right for us with plenty of room. The entire apartment was nicely decorated with flatscreen tvs with cable channels in every room plus living area. Kitchen also had all the appliances, dishes for cooking if you would like. There was also a pool table to shoot pool for entertainment in the front room. My boys enjoyed that. Throughout the night it was very peaceful. No noise or any night disturbances from the neighbors. There is a very nice lake to walk around with plenty of parking near each apartment. I will definitely rent through milllenium properties in any state i visit that they have rentals in.

Great property and great customer service. We stayed for the most recent golf trade show…read more Spectacular service and home.

We came to Orlando with some friends and stayed here in a two bedroom. Nice space with a water view…read moreand a screened in patio which is a great place to enjoy morning coffee and afternoon chit chat. It's conveniently located to all the Disney attractions too. It also has a nice pool area and area to walk around the lake too with really nice views. Overall, very pleased. The property is nicely landscaped too. Feels tropical and cheerful. We made arrangements to come back again in a few months.

This week we stayed here for the second time in 2 years. Each visit was wonderful! We were toward…read morethe back of the resort, which made it extra quiet. The accommodations are very comfortable and homey. It felt like a nice and simple decorated apartment. The layout is perfect, with two bedrooms at opposite sides of the condo. We enjoyed the jacuzzi and the shower was excellent temp control and pressure. The screened in patio made it bug free to keep open letting the amazing cool temps come through. We look forward to visiting again!

Would not recommend. The covered pool at the house has a…read moremesh covering- water will still come in when it rains. You have to pay for the hot tub to be heated- that's garbage. The layout of the house made no sense- space where no one needs it and then tiny rooms with bunks but no space for people to walk around it or put a suitcase without tripping over it. A small bathroom to share for 2 bunk rooms. A tv in every room but no board games or pool toys. An exercise bench and weights in the middle of the hallway with no space to use it. The workout room in the main office is very small- it makes it hard to use some of the equipment when people are trying to walk around you. The toiletries they give you are worse than a hotel. The pool is very small for a resort this size- it got very crowded, the pool hours are also very inconvenient- they should be open later. They shut down the basketball and pickelball area due to bad weather hrs before even a drop of rain hit saying it was due to bad weather in the area. I understand getting people out of the pool early but there's literally nothing else to do. The pros: the checkout system was very easy you didn't have to pull all the sheets and towels like some Airbnbs. The pool staff and lifeguards were very friendly. The kids splashpad area was large and had staff monitoring the kids on the slides.

Pros: Great size home for big groups with activities…read moreavailable in the house. Cons: The pool had algae when we arrived, delay in response when we initially notified the host. We called daily to have it looked at. With each maintenance visit, the smell of chlorine increased but the pool continued to look worse until it was completely opaque. While I understand "things happen" other reviews complained about pool issues and even their maintenance team said it was an ongoing issue the host was aware of. The "resort pool" is open to anyone who pays a daily fee so it's full and no outside food or drink is allowed so we spent a lot of money since we didn't have access to our private house pool. No compensation was offered by Villatel and 7% was offered once we went through Airbnb, not worth it at all. This stay was two weeks ago (mid July 2025), I missed my Airbnb review window by a few hours although I wish I would've checked Yelp before booking. The ads are beautiful but I would never stay again and wouldn't recommend to any friend.