In addition to enjoying luxurious accommodations, Portofino Bay Hotel guests will receive numerous other benefits. These include early admission to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, with VIP, no-waiting-in-line access to special attractions during the first hour that the parks are open to the public.

Guests will also enjoy priority reservations to the popular character dining experiences right at their hotel, as well as first available seating at select Universal Studios Escape restaurants offering table service. For added convenience, hotel guests can use their hotel room key to purchase food and merchandise at entertainment venues throughout Universal Studios Escape.

"The Portofino Bay Hotel will provide benefits that are unmatched with those of any other full destination resort," explained Bryan Guillot, vice president resort sales and marketing for Universal Studios Escape. "The idea of going to the front of the line in the theme parks is a very attractive benefit for our guests. Couple that with all the other benefits, such as priority seating and character breakfasts, and our guests get the very best in a resort vacation."

"Complementing the overall excitement of their experience at Universal Studios Escape, guests staying at Portofino Bay Hotel will enjoy both the special privileges and benefits of being on-site, as well as the luxury accommodations and fun and friendly service for which Loews Hotels is known," adds Michael Sansbury, regional vice president for Loews Hotels.

Universal Studios Escape is a joint venture between Universal Studios Inc., a unit of The Seagram Company Ltd., a global beverage and entertainment/communications company, and the Rank Group Plc. The Rank Group Plc is a London-based leisure and entertainment company and an international provider of services to the film industry.

Its broad-based leisure and entertainment activities include Hard Rock Cafes worldwide. Universal Studios Escape includes the existing Universal Studios Florida, along with Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, opening in summer 1999; Universal Studios CityWalk, a dynamic entertainment complex opening this winter; world-class hotel accommodations, the first of which, the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios Escape, a Loews Hotel, will open in 1999; and expanded film and television production facilities. 

Loews Hotels currently owns and/or operates 14 hotels and resorts in the U.S., Canada, and the Principality of Monaco. In the midst of the largest expansion campaign in its 52-year history, the chain has a total of six hotels in development. These include the 800-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel (November 1998); the 355-room House of Blues Hotel, a Loews Hotel in Chicago (October 1998); the 585-room Loews Philadelphia Hotel (early 2000); and the first three on-site hotels at Universal Studios Escape in Orlando. These include the 750-room Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios Escape, a Loews Hotel (summer 1999); a 650-room Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios Escape (fall 2000); and a third 1,000-room South Seas themed hotel opening in 2001.