Mercador Guest House

The staff were nice, but they couldn’t make up for a really bad stay. There was no proper heating, just small portable electric heaters in the rooms. We booked a superior room but couldn’t use the veranda. The power went off several times, leaving us without lights, and cooking smells came into the room in the morning while we were asleep. With more care for guests this could be a lovely place, but this was really disappointing. How can there be no heating? It should be closed in winter.

We left after one night, even though we’d booked for longer. There was a bad leak, mold and the host’s response left us feeling that nobody cared about the lost vacation day. The apartment cost 62.50 per night plus tourist tax, and the cleaning fee for the whole stay was 45 eur. They canceled the remaining days but refused to remove the cleaning fee, so we paid it after just one night. I can understand 45 eur for cleaning after five days, but not this. With the fee, it came to more than 100 eur, more than a 4 star hotel. Looking at the shower photos, I wondered what that fee pays for, because it was so dirty. This is a warning to anyone thinking of staying here: even a flooded floor didn’t bring much compassion, and we had to leave for another apartment. The flat seemed pretty nice at first, with good space, modern furnishings, a nice bed and a good TV with Netflix. But when we went to look more closely, the humidity was clearly getting the better of it. I shared photos of corners where you could see where the heavy mold smell came from. I wouldn’t recommend sleeping with that much mold on the walls, and I don’t think it can be healthy. The living room floor flooded overnight, soaking the room and the carpet. Thankfully our luggage was up on chairs and the living room table, so it wasn’t damaged, though it easily could have been. We told reception in the morning. Their response was lukewarm, as if this happened every day. They said they’d send a technician to check the leak, but not until the afternoon, and didn’t offer a cleaner to make the flat livable while we waited. We continued the conversation over whatsapp, where they apologized for the inconvenience and offered us the apartment next door after 15:00. I thought that was nice of them and that they were at least trying to help, but I asked the neighbors about their experience first. They showed us a collection of similar photos. The first thing we noticed on arrival was the strong smell of mold and damp. We’d had an early flight, were tired and just wanted to rest, so we didn’t cancel right then, though perhaps we should have.

The only thing that might make me hesitate next time is the cost, about $150/night (CAD), a bit more than other places I stayed in Porto and Portugal. If the price works for you, I’d happily recommend it. This New York Times-recommended boutique hotel checked nearly all my boxes. It has just eight rooms, so it feels quiet, intimate and private. Though the design is vintage, everything was well maintained, and the décor felt sophisticated. My room was comfortable and more like a beautifully decorated home than a hotel. No TV, though you don’t need one, and there’s wifi. I had a small balcony on the top floor looking out over houses and backyards, a relaxing place to get some Portuguese air. The hotel is less than two years old. The hosts were friendly and helpful, with good pointers to Porto’s key spots, including which areas were touristy and overpriced and which felt more authentic. We arrived in the morning, eight hours before check-in, and they let us have breakfast and leave our luggage there. The breakfast was delicious, with cereal, granola, yogurt, fruit, quiche, cold cuts, tarts, coffee, tea and juice. The small dining room and outdoor garden felt homey and comfortable. The location was great, about a ten minute walk to the city center and a minute from cafés, a laundromat and a small Minipreço, a Portuguese supermarket chain. A one-way trip to or from Porto airport cost 35€ by taxi or 19€ by uber with 1.5x surge pricing, around 13€ without the surge.

The old building is beautiful, with very clean rooms decorated in period style. The staff were professional and courteous, breakfast was marvelous, and I wish I could have stayed longer.