Bateira's Apartments

Good value for the money.

It’s right in the city center, a handy base for exploring, and the owner was easy to reach. He told us the apartments were closing for renovations. A steep staircase leads up, so I don’t think it’s suitable for older people. Although things look good at first glance, quite a bit needs attention: the toilet seat, faucet, and towel rack were loose, and the inside door handle kept coming out of your hand when you tried to close the door. One hallway stool leg was broken, the kitchen cupboard doors were crooked, and the frying pan was a disaster. The bed was very small and the mattress worn out. It was noisy both from outside, as the old windows weren’t airtight, and from above. When the upstairs neighbors walked around, it sounded like they were jumping rope.

Our host made sure we had everything for a perfect stay, and the apartment itself was spacious, bright, clean, and well maintained, with new interiors and thoughtful details. It’s right in the heart of Porto, about a 5-10 minute walk from the whole tourist area. The bed was comfortable, the kitchen and bathroom had everything we needed, and the TV even had Netflix. Without a doubt, I’d choose it again if I return.

What a disgrace. We got an email canceling our reservation on the very day we were traveling there, just three hours before arrival. We had to scramble to find a hotel and could easily have ended up sleeping in the car. Nobody even called to explain why it was canceled. Be careful, you might be left without anywhere to stay. We’d booked for Valentine’s Day more than a month in advance. What a disgrace of a place. We received an email on the way there saying they were canceling the reservation that day, and three hours after arrival we had to rush to book a hotel because otherwise we were about to sleep in the car. They didn’t call to explain the reason. Be careful, you could easily be left without accommodation.