PALHOTAS GUEST HOUSE - Apartamento Sé de Braga

The place felt welcoming, was clean, and had good equipment. Communication was quick and attentive throughout, which made a real difference to the stay. It’s very well located, and I’d come back.

The only good part of our couple of days here was the location, about a 10-minute walk from the centre. My husband, our six-month-old son, and I were hoping for somewhere comfortable, but the place was filthy and uncomfortable from the start. The toilet was dirty, the floor sticky, and the microwave was greasy, dirty, and broken when I went to heat water for our son’s bottle. They brought us a travel cot, but it was so dirty and uncomfortable that we didn’t use it. We ended up all sleeping across two single beds, which were incredibly uncomfortable. The bedside tables and drawers were dirty inside, the walls were filthy, and there was a disgusting glass baking tray sitting on the bedside tables. There was supposed to be a washing machine according to Booking.com, but the one there was dirty on the outside and full of dirty towels. They have signs everywhere about keeping things hygienic, which is ironic when they don’t seem to follow that themselves. I’ll never come back.

The location made getting into central Braga easy, just a short walk away. We had no trouble finding parking, though spaces nearby are limited. The apartment was clean and had air conditioning, and the bed was very comfortable. We could have used more kitchen utensils for cooking, plus a broom for cleaning. Dogs are welcome.

We found parking quickly and the city center was an easy 10-minute walk away. It was handy to be close to Braga's sights while still being far enough out that parking wasn't a big issue, though I've seen reviews where people had trouble. The apartment's terrace garden has artificial grass and a glass partition to the inside, so lots of daylight comes through. It's a lovely, practical layout, and dogs are allowed. One thing to know in winter: the air-conditioning heating takes a while to warm the large space, so it may feel cold at first. If cold bothers you, ask them to turn it on before you arrive. The bed is two single mattresses pushed together, which may not suit everyone.