CBR Boutique Hotel - Coimbra

I booked a staycation because Hästens listed this hotel as having its very expensive mattresses. The reception area was beautiful, though tiny and confusing, and only after checking in did I learn the mattresses were gone. I was disappointed and too thrown off to ask questions at the time. The room looked grand, but the upkeep and execution didn’t match. The Armani toilet beeps when flushed, which thankfully wasn’t an issue for me alone but would be annoying if sharing. The lighting controls are meaningless symbols, and the only furniture was a chair with an attached desk that was broken and hanging loose. There was a large red carpet stain. The stone books in the shower look lovely, but hairs were stuck between them, and I can only imagine how dirty the crevices in the toilet stall are. The only shared space is on the fifth floor and rooftop, both pretty. Service felt bizarre, and the food was fine but nothing special. There’s no bar. The central location was noisy all day and night, with accordion buskers playing through most daylight hours and students gathering in the praça late into the evening. My 2.5 rating rounds down.

A unique hotel for book lovers, and I loved the room. What really impressed me, though, was the staff going out of their way to help. A bus strike disrupted taxis when I was trying to get to the train station. Uber drivers kept canceling after confirming, and Bolt was no use either, which wasted time. After 45 minutes, a concierge attendant volunteered to drive me. Huge thanks to CBR for hiring such caring, thoughtful people.

We arrived with my 13-year-old son and were immediately asked his age. Then the front desk assistant told us we couldn’t stay because of the hotel’s policy. Nobody tried to help, showed empathy, or offered an alternative. When I asked for a refund, I was blamed and told nothing could be done. The manager was even less focused on helping customers and repeated the same response. When I said I would share what happened, he replied, “We don’t mind.” We were left without anywhere to sleep that night. I’ve rarely experienced such an unwelcoming and unsympathetic approach in hospitality, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone seeking respectful, caring service.

We booked two nights for two adults and a child, but nobody told us children weren’t allowed. After spending an hour trying to locate the tiny hotel, we arrived already underwhelmed. The place was in a run-down part of town, hard to find, and had no parking. At the desk, the woman was rude and practically screamed at us to get our “kid” off the property. She reminded me of the kid catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She refused to refund tonight’s stay. Disgusting. Do yourself a favor and stay somewhere else.