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East Coast Travel
The Top Family-friendly Resorts for Family Fun
By Elisa Ast All
Disney offers a free online planning tool to help create your Magical Gatherings vacation. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com.
The luxurious Portofino Bay Hotel At Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, Fla., is a full-service, 750-room hotel replicating the Mediterranean fishing village of Portofino, Italy. This Loews Hotel is like stepping through a window of time. The genius behind this elegant hotel is its ability to transport you to another place: All at once, you are in Portofino, Italy, at a lovely waterside hotel. The tranquility is everywhere. From the moment you walk in the doors to the stroll along the boat-filled bay to the incredibly appointed guest room filled with every amenity you could ever need, you are at peace.
Italian opera music wafts through the air, scrumptious foods surround you, lovely shops abound. You could spend your entire vacation on site and have all you need, and then some.
The rooms have comfortable beds with cozy comforters and high-tech audio/visual equipment. The huge bathrooms are to die for: A bathtub lies under a shuttered window that you can open to view the room. Across the way is a walk-in shower, next to a double sink with rich shampoos and lotions to soothe your body. Views of the grounds, with their greenery, games and pools, are lovely.
The zero-depth pool, with real sand beach, is a huge hit with kids. The fun of getting sandy and then running into the pool to rinse off is an advantage for child and parent alike. A bonus: If you stay at a Universal hotel, you'll get a pass to use in the theme parks that enables you to go to attractions' short lines for hotel guests only!
Contact the Portofino Bay at 877-837-2273 or www.universalstudios.com.