Douro Prime Downtown

I booked a room through Booking two months ahead. Two days before the stay, the property emailed to say they couldn’t accommodate me, without explaining why. That’s really poor service, and I had to find another hotel the day before my trip. To be clear, you cancelled my booking without any feedback. I’m sure you had my contact details and could have explained that you’d ended the genius partnership and offered an alternative, but you didn’t. I’m keeping my one-star review for the service I received.

The place needs major renovation. There’s mould, damp, humidity, bugs and spiders, and it smells really bad, especially when you’re trying to sleep. Management doesn’t speak Portuguese, which I think is unacceptable even though I speak English fluently, since not everyone does. Customer service needs improving too.

Check-in was dodgy. We and other guests waited outside for hours, and there was no name on the door. The front wall needs repairs too. There was a girl inside doing everything, from check-in to cleaning. She couldn’t speak the country’s language and looked overworked. How can they rent this out? The rooms were dark, damp, and mouldy, with damp beds and insects. They weren’t cleaned properly. Worst experience.

The check-in process was so poor that I couldn’t get in and had to book another hotel at a higher price. They did later offer the full refund I’d requested.