Miragaia Hotels with Balcony

The hotel had great service, including hotel information at the front desk! The breakfast area overlooks the city of Porto and has a great view. This is not limited to this hotel in Portugal, but there are no slippers or toothbrushes in the room, so you need to bring your own. If I have the opportunity, I would like to stay in an upgraded room.

Staff is very helpful (front desk and bell person) maybe a bit much at breakfast. Speaking of, breakfast is really good, great choices and high quality. Our room was big with plenty of space in the bathroom. Watch for the floor in the shower it can be slippery. Now the bad. The windows while fairly new are not good at canceling the noise from the alley. When people speak downstairs you hear everything (we were on the first floor). AC is a bit loud for my taste. The worst is WiFi at least in our room. I was unable to work most of the time as it was keeping getting off network. Same for the TV. Finally, due to its location the access by car requires excellent driving skills not to scratch your paint. Also it’s a bit off the main historic center, while it’s only 8 to 10 min walk, the area is far from being enjoyable to walk around. Lastly, the parking is public, uncovered, and at 6-8 min walk. Good luck carrying your luggage on those cobblestones! I would probably not recommend this beautiful hotel based on those negative points.

I should say from the off that I stayed here almost a year ago, so my review predates Covid quite considerably. I booked the apartment well in advance and a few days before my stay received an email with instructions re check in and where to get keys etc. I messaged back accordingly with my estimated arrival time and again once I was en route to the apartment. I have to say it wasn't the easiest place to find, but this isn't the fault of the rental company but my navigation app. Ana met me outside the apartment and she was reallly friendly and helpful, making sure that I knew where everything was and how to contact her if I needed anything - I didn't but it was reassuring to know that the option was there. The apartment was for me fabulous - I had the ground floor studio which was perfect for a couple or indeed a solo traveller like me. I never had issues with loud fridges or loud anything, and I'm a very light sleeper. The apartment just the right temperature - important for a menopausal woman! There was a small table and a few chairs in the main room with an expandable wardrobe which I never used and of course the bed, which was one of the comfiest I have ever slept in. The kitchen and bathroom were at the other end of the studio behind a partition which could be closed at night - I left it slightly open so I could find the bathroom in the dark. The kitchen had everything I needed with plenty of utensils including a small dishwasher and a food sized fridge. The shower was great too with plenty of hot water and nice fluffy towels. Once I got to know the city I realised that this is a perfect location - close to the city centre and the river but also quiet and secluded. You can walk to most places within no more than 15 minutes or so and the train station is not much further away. There are plenty of restaurants and supermarkets close by for those want to eat out - or prefer to self cater. I did a bit of both. All in all for me this was a brilliant place to stay - very well located for an excellent price and really comfortable and well equipped.

Last year I had the most wonderful stay at Menina Colina, and was excited to return. Unfortunately I now wish I had reserved elsewhere, as it has been nothing but a disappointment. Prices are so much higher than a year ago, but I thought I got what was a good deal on the garden room. Turns out it is greatly overpriced for what is offered, as it has none of the exquisite design or attention to detail that the interior rooms have. It also seems to be neglected in terms of maintenance. The coffee machine was leaking, and after reporting it, it was made out to be my fault as I was using it incorrectly. I had to physically show a member of staff the leaked water for them to agree to replace it. I was really annoyed that they felt that they needed to demonstrate to me how it works rather than just replacing it immediately. The next disappointment was that the room was initially not serviced at all, and no explanation was given. When you are paying $165 for a mediocre room (not even including breakfast), one would at the very least expect the bins to be emptied. The bathroom also had a terrible smell that permeated the room, and mosquitoes were a problem too. Management did offer me lunch or attendance of their fado show, but none of these arrangements fitted into my busy programme. I thought a small financial compensation would have made more sense. That did not happen, and nothing further was mentioned or discussed on check-out. The final issue was the online check-out which they require. When I tried to complete it, my bill was for my entire stay, although 3 of the 4 nights had already been paid months in advance. So my conclusion is unfortunately that Menina Colina’s standards have dropped significantly, and that it is overpriced for the lack of attention to detail that is evident in several areas.

The single rooms are very small, but sufficient for a multi-day city trip. The hotel is very clean and completely renovated. Complimentary water is also offered. The staff are very friendly and gave me a lot of tips on arrival and were very helpful. The reception is not open 24 hours. When I rented a bike for several days (also overnight), I could store it inside in the luggage room (got a key for it). Very accommodating and recommended. Location is also ideal.