Hotel Black Tulip - Porto Gaia

We stayed two nights, and the room was basic and a little dated, but about what you'd expect from a three-star property. Check-in dragged because there was only one staff member at first. After we got checked in, two more appeared, and they all had time to gossip and use their phones. It's easy to get to the car park, and the location works if you're traveling by car.

The twin beds had just been pushed together, and there were no proper double beds. The toilets were very old, and the smart TV was locked, so YouTube and Netflix weren't available. The blankets made me itchy, and I couldn't sleep properly. The receptionist said she would find us a room with a couple's bed, then moved us to another room with the same issue. It felt as if she was just messing with us and covering it up.

There were some useful features: the hotel is near the D line metro into Porto's city center, the room window opened for cooler air, the TV supports casting, and the bathroom sink is large enough for laundry. Breakfast comes with a lovely restaurant view and tasty food, though the hot dishes were cold on several days. The lobby bar had excellent service but no local draft beers. The property felt run down and not like a four-star hotel. Elevators were tiny and slow, the hallways were dark, and motion sensor lights switched off after a few minutes. The stairwell wasn't properly lit and felt like a safety hazard. Our room had grimy walls, water-stained ceilings, a dirty mini fridge, and a used toothpick on the bedside table. It didn't seem to have climate control. Someone regularly took smoke breaks right in front of the lobby doors during our stay. I'm not sure whether he was an employee or a guest, but he blocked people coming and going and blew tobacco smoke over passersby. I hope staff pay closer attention to guests' experience.

A really bad stay. The room facilities were old, the bathroom plumbing leaked, and housekeeping was terrible. The electric kettle left by the previous guest hadn't been cleaned at all.