Porto Studios

We left with heavy hearts. The place is really quiet, and getting to the center by shared Uber was easy and cheaper than the bus. The neighborhood has loads of lovely local restaurants with delicious food and huge portions. We were glad we found this little treasure. Definitely give it a try, and a special thanks to the local restaurant Samuel.

Our room was great, spacious and clean. The main difficulty was sharing the house with the other guests. Long-term residents often played loud music, held parties, and had noisy discussions until as late as 3 AM, as if nobody else lived there. They also tended to take over the living room, so we never used it. The kitchen is tiny for a house of this size. There are four induction burners and they work well, but with more than 20 people sharing them, cooking during busy times could be a nightmare. People often left the stove and dishes dirty. The sink was at least half full of dirty dishes throughout the 30 days we stayed, except once when Sandra got fed up with sending warnings in the group chat and washed them herself. We sometimes had to wash dishes too just to get utensils, and even then some hadn't been cleaned properly. Some things went missing while drying, including another guest's T-shirts. A few of our things disappeared too, like salt, soap bars, and a towel, though nothing expensive. José, the owner, and Sandra, the housekeeper, were both very polite and did their best to make guests comfortable. Sandra returned our deposit three days before we left, with everything in order. The other comment saying a deposit wasn't returned is fake, though it may not have been returned for a reason. It's possible to have a good stay if you treat the house as just your room, and maybe the fridge. If you don't want to deal with the issues, ask Jose for a room in the Giesta residence instead, and you should have a 4*/5* experience.

The stay was much more peaceful this time, thanks to several improvements by management since our last visit. They built a new kitchen and added several induction cooktops, making it easier for guests to cook at the same time. There's now a self-service laundry on site with washers and dryers. The price is excellent compared with nearby laundromats, and you can manage everything through an app and check on it remotely. Some house rules have changed too. Kitchen items like pots are no longer shared. Storage cabinets are provided, and each person is responsible for buying and cleaning their own things. These changes made a real difference. Congratulations to management for taking criticism constructively and continuing to improve the guest experience.

I've stayed at the residence twice and was welcomed warmly both times. Sandra, the housekeeper, is especially helpful and always ready to lend a hand or keep the place organized. It's a great spot for students, with pleasant people and everything kept in good order. If you're coming to Porto to study, I highly recommend Porto Studios.