Mercure Porto Centro Aliados

The pool wasn’t available during our visit, which was disappointing since we’d hoped to use it. We later learned it’s open only from April to September, so check the seasonal dates when booking. Apart from that, we had a great stay at Mercure Porto Centro Hotel. It was clean and modern, well placed for exploring Porto, and within walking distance of attractions, restaurants and transport. Staff were friendly and helpful, rooms comfortable and well kept, and breakfast had a good fresh selection that was nicely organized. We’d recommend it.

Our modern, spacious room had a lovely little balcony, and even a Dyson hair dryer, a nice touch. The location was handy for exploring Porto, near the train station and within walking distance of the river. It was a wonderful stay, with lovely rooms and excellent staff. Everyone was friendly, including the bar staff, who helped us pick some nice Portugese wine to taste.

The hotel’s location made getting around easy. It was about a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport and convenient for the metro. Time Out Market, cafés and restaurants are a short walk away, and the main parts of Porto are close too. The reception bar flows into the restaurant, which opens onto a terrace overlooking the pool, also in view from many balcony rooms. The staff were excellent throughout, especially the evening restaurant waiter, who was friendly, attentive and easy to chat with when we needed help. The rooms and corridors feel modern and are well decorated. Rooms have thoughtful touches like USB wall chargers, a fridge and a Dyson style hairdryer. There’s also a lower floor gym with light weights, a cable machine and a treadmill, fine for a light workout. Breakfast was €15 per person, with a decent spread and a good choice of pastries and breads. I would have liked poached eggs and avocado, but what was there was enjoyable and well put together. I’ve found the Mercure brand hit and miss, often more miss, but this was easily one of the best Mercure hotels I’ve stayed in and much closer to what the marketing promises. A few small things could be better. The Chromecast didn’t work, and there wasn’t an obvious HDMI option, so the TV was limited to Portuguese channels. A couple of soap dispensers were nearly empty and weren’t topped up during housekeeping. The rooms are cozy, with little wardrobe space, so more than two carry on bags would feel cramped. The air conditioning also ran a bit hot or cold at times. Even so, it was a very good stay and I’d gladly return or recommend it.

The bar was great, with local drinks and food, and Ricardo, who served us most nights, and Francisco were engaging and told us a lot about Porto and Portuguese culture. The room overlooked the garden and came equipped with a coffee machine, fridge, safe, ironing board and iron. WiFi was excellent, and there were lots of english language TV channels. It’s close to Sao Bento railway station, the Duoro, the shopping precinct and plenty of local attractions, including restaurants, cafes and bars. Diogo and Manuel C helped us check in and get oriented with the city’s food scene, which really added to our arrival. We loved our stay and will come back.