LilMsFoodie

I live in SW Florida and when H Wilma started heading my way, I headed out. I have a pup and kitty so I quickly booked myself into the Royal Pacific hotel in Orlando. Loews allows pets with few restrictions at all its resorts.

The hotel was gorgeous. Just walking across the bamboo bridge to the lobby told me that this was going to be a a less stressful evacuation. The lobby was full of dogs! It was quite the visual. Dogs of all sizes. I will not comment on the room I had as I assume that all dog owners are placed in a sort of hotel Siberia (near the specially outfitted dog park area). They had over 300 dogs at one point so it was actually hilarious.

I did not suffer when it came to food. Tchoup Chop is the main hotel restaurant and while I think the food is still way over salted, it was nice to sit at the food bar facing the kitchen and enjoy a nice meal.

Loews even provides dishes, food and amenities for your little pals. Doggie room service is a wee bit pricey, but if you somehow can't bring you own food, they are there to help.

I spent one day at the pool having some scarey green drink and reading Elmore Leonard and even went to a hurricane party at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant at City Walk, which was a short boatride from the hotel.

Mediocre spa at the Portofino resort which was another boatride away, and perhaps the worst pedicure I've had in ages. Still, it wasn't particularly expensive and I felt it primarily served convention guests.

Pups were allowed throughout the lobby and in the outdoor restaurant. My particular pooch is not well suited to staying in place so I didn't foist her on the other diners but it was cute to see them all lounging at their owners feet hoping for something to drop.

I would definitely come here again, hurricane or no. LMF

starrsville

Nice twist on a trip report! Makes me want to head south with pup to the Royal Pacific resort. What a great place (with doggies allowed) to while away a hurricane evacuation. Thanks for sharing.

Scarlett

Oh LilMsFoodie! If only we had known about the Royal Pacific when our hurricanes were hitting last year!
I am happy for you and the pup and kitty that you at least got to ride out Wilma in some style ...even if it was doggy style LOL

schmerl

All three of the Loew's Hotels at the Universal complex allow pets. They are all wonderful hotels too.
We love Tchoup Chop and can't wait to eat there on our next visit.

emd

LMF, I am just glad to see you back here after your time away. I hope you are doing well. I recall you didn't like Tchoup Chop in the past, but I went anyway, and I had a rough experience there and always thought, "I should have listened to LMF." But I did like the decor.
Good to "hear your voice" again.

PrettyLake

Great to see you posting again LMF Since I started lurking around here (and occasionally posting) a little over a year ago I've always felt you, Patrick and TandooriGirl (and OO before she moved) really had the central and lower Gulf coast of Florida covered--as well as providing us with great trip and culinary reports. Hope you've finally recovered from the horribilis annuus that was 2004.

BuffaloGirl

Glad your back, LMF!! Had a Snapper's dog lately?

LilMsFoodie

Thanks everyone, its nice to be remembered. emd, Tchoup chop has a very heavy hand with the salt or maybe MSG? Sitting right in front of the short cooks station, I asked him to go light on the salt and he only took half a handful of the seasoning mix they use on everything. I thought it was better, but not worthy of raves.

Buffalo Girl, Schnappers is back in business but I am working in a new job now so I am seldom on Sanibel for work.

I've not done much travelling in the past year and thank you for remembering Scarlett and Pretty Lake. I'm starting to do a little more now than go to spas.

If any of you email Patrick, his old address bounced back to me so could you ask him to email me. We need to have lunch. LMF

cmcfong

What a delightful trip report, LMF. I always enjoy your posts, but this one was a special treat.

Statia

LMF, so glad that you found a wonderful place to take your beloved pets during the evacuation. I hope that your property went thru Wilma unscathed. Thanks for the report!

OneWanderingJew

Sounds like you and the babies survived the hurricane in style, LMF.

Nice to see you posting

GoTravel

Hi LilMsFoodie! I love the Royal Pacific and glad you and the animals had a good time there!

ufgator

Thanks for the review. I'm glad you and your dogs are ok. After a couple of days of no power in SE Florida, we left and went to Orlando. I tried to get a reservation at one of the Universal hotels but they were all booked. We enventually found Springhill Suites though. It was hard to find a place that took dogs.

We're staying at the Portofino Bay hotel next week b/c we're going to a family member's house for Thanksgiving. Do you have any recommendations for restaurants in the resorts and/or Citywalk? I know you said Tchoup Chop wasn't too good. I'm not familiar with the restaurants there at all or Universal area in general. Thanks for any info.

mclaurie

Great to hear from you LMF. I'm always interested in hearing how others manage traveling with pets. I assume you were allowed to leave them in the room unattended? Otherwise how would you manage with the cat?

Glad you weathered the storm and hoping you didn't have too much damage at home.

indytravel

Hi LMF. It is good to see you posting again. Glad you made it through this huricane with style. Take care.

LilMsFoodie

Loews has a "Loews Loves Pets" program. You must crate or take your animal when having your room cleaned. I had crates for both of mine. They have special door tags to let staff know that the pet is in the room uncaged. It was very well done but with so many dogs and such high energy from the excitement it was not unusual to have one running down the hall. At one point, I called a number on a dog tag: got someone on the phone who called their wife who was looking for the dog. The room across from me.

I will write a review of some of the restaurants I've tried in the past month as I've been to Orlando twice...evacuation and for the Food/Wine thingy at Epcot. LMF

emd

LMF, I had the best meal a few months ago at Wolfgang Puck at Disney MArketplace. It was memorable, the mussels were steaming in a delicate white wine broth, everything was great. Crwoded but energetic and great service.

emd

and I do not normally like the park restaurants, but this was very good.

LilMsFoodie

Sitting at the bar instead of the cafe at Wolfgang Puck is an option when you don't have reservations. My late husband and I actually preferred this option. Good people watching and we always enjoyed the food there. You can get the full menu at the bar, not just sushi.

The restaurants in the parks themselves are never going to be too wonderful. I did like the Brown Derby at MGM, but I only have ordered their signature recipe, the Cobb Salad. It is authentic and very good. Very nice service. The rest of the restaurants in MGM seemed awful to me. High concept places with crappy food.

As time goes by, I think Epcot is not upgrading their restaurants as they should. People are much more sophisticated about food and just because you are required to service child-type food, doesn't mean the whole menu needs to be tasteless.

My best experiences have been at the Chefs de France and the Moroccan place. Italian= Olive Garden and the Canadian Le Cellier is a ho-hum steak house with cheese gruel soup. That should bring up some angry replies as the Canadian place is favorite of many.

Nothing in the magic kingdom. I prefer the restaurants at the hotels, especially Jiko, but that is just me and I am, after all, LilMsFoodie. LMF

emd

I agree 100% about Epcot. Five years ago I had a wonderful experience at Chef de France for my birthday. Have gone back three times since then and it went downhill further each time. Last time we had to send my son's steak back, it was so overdone and hidden beneath a mound of equally overdone pomme frites. I won't go back.

We also went to Jiko on your recommendation and liked it very much.

But one question. Do you not like the Emeril's at City Walk? Not technically in the park, but close and it has been very good the times we have gone.

Also, although the theming interior feels like eating in a cave in Afganistan, I thought the food at Mythos was good also. Not great, but good and worth going back. The cedar planked salmon and bisques are good. Some of the presentation is overdone, esp. considering the cave/volcano decor; it just feels out of place to me to have some towering appetizer served in a cave. Service has been good each time there also.

I am looking forward to your reviews of other Orlando restaurants. I have tried a few recommended ones away from the parks and have not found one I would return to.