The Editory House Ribeira Porto Hotel

It's a well-kept hotel in a great spot for exploring Porto on foot, with plenty of restaurants and sights nearby. The rooms were cleaned and replenished each day, and had a comfortable bed, basic soap, water, tea, coffee, and a kettle. The trouble was our first-floor room faced the road, directly above the taxi rank. Traffic, people talking, and smells from below came through the windows, which weren't soundproof. The drains outside banged loudly whenever cars drove over them, including throughout the night. For us it was very disruptive. A good hotel in a great location, but if you're sensitive to noise, a road-facing room could mean a poor night's sleep.

From here it was easy to get to the river, shops, and some amazing restaurants. We splurged on the penthouse and felt it was worth every penny. Though the city is busy and we heard horns and sirens, the street noise didn't bother us. The staff went out of their way with suggestions, help using the Metro, and arranging a taxi for our very early flight. We didn't eat breakfast, but the selection looked varied and tempting. I'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

The Editory hotel in Ribeira is a short stroll from the riverfront, and most Porto sights are walkable from there. Staff at the front desk took time to help us work out where to go. The lift is tiny, but it came in handy. Our room was pleasant, the beds comfortable, and the bathroom decent.

Breakfast was great, but the rest of my two-night stay didn't meet expectations. The beds were hard, and the rooms didn't have the AC that had been advertised. My main problem was at check-in: the woman at reception chose USD without asking whether I wanted to pay in euros. She then charged an extra 5% for the conversion. When we asked to switch to euros, she argued and lied about the charge, then refused to refund it. We ended up paying in USD with that 5% fee, which really soured the stay and left me feeling defrauded.