We had a ten night stay at Guest House Douro. These are our observations:
* It is located on a lovely cobblestoned street. The street is filled with cafes, wine bars, tapas bars and restaurants.
* There are only 8 rooms. Four face the river and four face the street. We were in room 402 with a gorgeous river view. We could see the port lodges of Gaia, the Dom Luis bridge and the many cafes on the cais.
* Our room was immaculately clean. The windows are double glazed insuring a sound nights sleep. The bed and linens are of high quality. Two bathrobes are available.The bathroom is tiny but has a shower with good pressure. Toiletries and towels are ample. The room is rather small but heck, we only used it for sleeping.
* Housekeeping keeps the whole place sparkling clean.
* There is a lift/elevator to all floors.
* A special shout out to Luisa & Catarina on the front desk. They were personable, funny and extremely helpful with our restaurant bookings and tourist inquiries. A bit of advice: it is wise to make dining reservations. Porto can be very busy. They booked every night for us.
* The location of the guest house is extremely convenient. On only four occasions over ten nights did we need to take an UBER. Within one km. there is a copious amount of restaurants. Within 150 m of special note...We had a ten night stay at Guest House Douro. These are our observations:
* It is located on a lovely cobblestoned street. The street is filled with cafes, wine bars, tapas bars and restaurants.
* There are only 8 rooms. Four face the river and four face the street. We were in room 402 with a gorgeous river view. We could see the port lodges of Gaia, the Dom Luis bridge and the many cafes on the cais.
* Our room was immaculately clean. The windows are double glazed insuring a sound nights sleep. The bed and linens are of high quality. Two bathrobes are available.The bathroom is tiny but has a shower with good pressure. Toiletries and towels are ample. The room is rather small but heck, we only used it for sleeping.
* Housekeeping keeps the whole place sparkling clean.
* There is a lift/elevator to all floors.
* A special shout out to Luisa & Catarina on the front desk. They were personable, funny and extremely helpful with our restaurant bookings and tourist inquiries. A bit of advice: it is wise to make dining reservations. Porto can be very busy. They booked every night for us.
* The location of the guest house is extremely convenient. On only four occasions over ten nights did we need to take an UBER. Within one km. there is a copious amount of restaurants. Within 150 m of special note are Jimao Tapas e Vinho, Terreiro and Adega de Sao Nicolau.
* And making all this magic happen are the gracious owners Hugo & Luisa. They are in their early thirties and purchased the property six months ago. They personify Portuguese hospitality. They know the city, the customs, the etiquette and do everything in their power to make your stay enjoyable.
* The breakfast they offer is spectacular. They provide an virtual "inuksuk" of fruit. Twelve different types of fruit (dragon fruit, passion fruit, mango, kiwi, etc) carved into a tower masterfully. This is accompanied by a bread basket, pastries, cured meats, cheese, yogurt, hot beverages and juice. We seldom required lunch. In the intimate breakfast room it is nice to compare travel notes with other guests.
* Being such a tiny property there are a couple quirks that you should be aware of:
* You must book the time at which you wish to have breakfast. The breakfast room can only accommodate six or seven people.
* Generally speaking the outside door is locked at 1:00 AM. It is not a problem if you plan to be out late, you just have to let Hugo know ahead of time. He is contemplating alleviating this issue by having a night manager at the front desk.
* Since the guest house is on a narrow lane taxis and UBER cannot easily access it. It is very simple however to walk a few metres up the hill to get your ride.
As you can see by the other reviews this is more than a five star property. What they may lack in size they more than make up for it in charm, hospitality and comfort. Sure you can stay at flashier properties with bigger rooms and more bells and whistles. What you would be missing is the essential Porto experience that this property can provide you. Travel is about connecting with people and the folks at Guest House Douro will make you feel like you're being treated like family.More
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