Porto Palace Hotel

Our experience with the rooms was awful. We had a range of rooms in our group, and while some were fair, around half seemed unsuitable for accommodation in the European Union. The windows faced a wall only four metres away, and there was a very loud air-conditioning megatube, plus noise and smells from the back kitchen area. The bathroom was tiny, 1.4 by 2 metres. One room was a 14-16 m2 hobbit space with two beds and an extra so-called “Russian bed” made from a garden mattress. For someone around 90 kg, it was a special experience. One of us spent all four nights on a floor mattress in this five-star hotel. We had booked a three-bed room, but when we asked for help, the answer was that our agency knew the room quality, the hotel was a top five-star property, and our agency had fooled us. They offered no solution. The agency was far away, and the arrangement between agencies and hotel didn't feel fair to guests, who seemed like just a number in the computer. The basic room was catastrophic, whatever the other services may have been, and the hotel is in the middle of nowhere with this kind of policy. How long can that last? I should say many hotel workers put in hard, intense work, especially the cleaning department. The hotel seems geared toward mass events rather than holidaymakers, with a large congress hall renovated from what looks like industrial storage. We wondered about the lighting in the room, the tiny bathroom, and the dream sandwich bed at 5* Porto Palace. Edmont Dantes had more light in the fortress IF.

The room was comfortable, the bed was good, and the buffet food was good too. But the hotel sits in an industrial area by the large port, away from the main activity. It seems focused on tour groups, so I was surprised they only included two bottles of water for the entire stay, even though we were there more than one night. On day two, I asked for more and was told I could buy bottles at the bar for 3 euros each, or drink tap water, which our guide had advised against. Staying hydrated matters, and this policy felt especially stingy. There was also a problem with how our group was treated. One person asked for a refill of wine after being served a glass with much less than the others, about two thirds less. The server said she could only have one glass, as that was the arrangement, without asking what she meant or discussing it, then moved on. It felt disrespectful. As the tour leader, I’ll recommend our company find another hotel for future Steps of Saint Paul Trips.

I attended a conference here, though I didn’t stay overnight. I’d seen people say it was a terrible conference venue, but ours went smoothly and there were two quiet rooms. The air conditioner in the expo room was loud enough to make conversation difficult. The rooftop had a nice view, the location is a little far from the city center, and the conference food was good.

The hotel is in the western part of town, with plenty of places for nightlife. There aren’t many people around or many nearby shops, though, so bring what you need before you go, at least cigarettes.