Hotel Condes de Azevedo Palace Apartments

We came to this hotel expecting secure parking for our bicycles, but during the night someone forced open the gate and stole mine. The camera clearly shows the thief walking off with it. Staff initially assured me they were insured and were helpful, but after a lot of lengthy messages, they said the insurance company had declined any compensation. I’m very unhappy with how this turned out.

We stayed in the studio, which had a washer, fridge, microwave, stove, and one and a half bathrooms. The shared back gardens were a nice extra, and the complimentary breakfast each day was a great start, with eggs made to order, friendly staff, juices, coffee, cheese, fruit, pastries, and more. The concierge was available 24 hours and very helpful. The hotel is in an older building that once belonged to a noble family and has since changed hands and been refurbished. It’s right by Muralha Fernandina, near several viewpoints and entrances to the side streets.

We had an amazing stay here last year with our family of eight plus Grandma. The buffet food was magnificent, and they were very accommodating of our vegan and vegetarian diets. The staff were kind and friendly with the kids, and whenever we needed anything someone came quickly to our room. The rooms were beautiful and spacious, in a lovely part of Porto. Highly, highly recommend, it may have been one of our best stays ever.

The location is really central, just a few minutes on foot from São Bento station and the metro, with Dom Luís bridge, mercado do Bolhão, and the main sights nearby. There are plenty of little grocery shops around, though we walked about 15 minutes to Mini Preço, which was quite good. We also found lots of nice restaurants close by, including Mescla and Taberna dos mercadores. We were six people split across two fairly large rooms. They seemed a little old, but worked for what we needed. The staff were attentive and helpful at reception, answering questions and finding and booking a Fado place that wasn’t too touristy. Breakfast is available, but two of us have strict dietary restrictions and skipped it. The others who tried it enjoyed it. We had a lovely stay and would recommend the property.