Park Hotel Valongo

We stayed for two nights as a family with two children. The rooms were spacious and laid out well, and the hotel kindly gave us two connecting rooms, which worked well for us. Reception staff made a friendly first impression, and the hotel is about 15 minutes by car from Porto. Free parking was useful, especially with elevator access straight from the lot to the rooms. One room did have a slight cigarette smell, which was disappointing in a hotel that is supposed to be non-smoking. The main problem was the handling of our dog. We had clearly stated on Booking.com that we were traveling with a pet, but that information apparently hadn't reached the hotel. The next morning, the manager called our room asking us to come to the front desk. There I was told rather abruptly that dogs weren't allowed and that we needed to leave as soon as possible. We hadn't been told at check-in that dogs weren't permitted. One receptionist or manager had a very stern, oppressive tone that felt a little threatening, as though I was being made to feel guilty or warned about possible consequences. Another receptionist was much more polite and understanding, and asked us to leave quickly but respectfully. The hotel offers decent rooms, convenient services, and good value for money. Better communication with booking platforms and a more empathetic way of dealing with unexpected situations would improve the guest experience.