PB Studio Cais - Palacete da Baixa

The room faced another building, which made the view pretty depressing, and there was a construction site right outside the hotel that we hadn’t been told about. Noise was a problem too, both from the street and the neighboring flat, because the insulation was poor. The air conditioning didn’t work properly and kept heating the room at night even when set to a low temperature. We asked at check-in about a late checkout and it sounded possible, but we were told it couldn’t be done just an hour before checkout. That seemed strange since the hotel looked quite empty, with 23 rooms available to book that night according to the booking website. The reception lady we saw in the office while taking out our luggage didn’t seem very motivated and was doing other things, like smoking outside and eating ice cream.

We urgently booked Palacete de Baixa through Booking.com and called at 6pm to ask about checking in straight away. They kindly sent an employee over within 5 mins to let us in. The room was beautiful and very comfortable, and the location was great: right in the city centre, a 3 min walk from the marina and 7 mins from the old town. It was really hot inside even with the windows open, and being next to the Main Street meant enough noise to wake me several times each night. They provide ear plugs. We asked for the aircon remote but got no reply.

The pictures make this apartment look good, but the house was smaller in person, and the furniture and finish were very low quality. I found it terrible once I got there. Avoid at all cost.

There are plenty of good food places nearby, and lots of places are easy to reach from this perfect little gem in the center of town. The only downside is the lack of parking nearby.