Livro Hotel

For getting around, Livro is within a reasonable walk of several sights, restaurants, and public transport, though that distance depends on your fitness. I'm in my early 70s and in good shape for my age, and it felt manageable to me. My younger brother, in his late 60s, probably would've found it too much. Carry-on luggage also makes reaching the hotel easier. The access road is fairly steep. Traffic is limited on the street because bollards block drivers who can't lower them. Our airport transfer, booked through booking.com, couldn't bring us to the entrance. The hotel can arrange transfers itself, and perhaps its drivers can lower the bollards and reach the door. Inside, the place was clean and in good order, and the staff were excellent. Rooms were a bit small but comfortable. Mine had a shower, no bathtub. Breakfast is buffet style, with usual local dishes, and the dining room was neat and clean. One drawback for sleep: soundproofing isn't great, and street conversations disturbed me. I've had the same issue at a small hotel in Dubrovnik. Foam earplugs, my usual fix, solved it for me.

The room was a serious problem. It was small and leaked badly, with even more leaks appearing on our second day. We put towels and a trashcan around the floor and desk to catch the water. There was barely anywhere dry to walk except around the bottom and one side of the bed. We had to shift the bed to avoid the drips, which left little room to use the closet; my husband had no space for a bedside table and used the floor. Half the desk got wet, and there was no way to sit at it. The staff and manager knew about the leaks each day. Night staff did their best to bring extra towels and buckets, but we weren't moved, even though other guests were placed at different hotels. We just put up with it. We were told, including by people outside the hotel, that renovating these very old buildings is difficult because getting permission is hard. Without the leaks, I'm sure it could've been a lovely stay. The location was pretty decent, with several tram stations a 5-8 minute walk away. The hills and traffic make pickups and drop-offs difficult, though. Staff were always friendly and quick to respond to requests.

Kadir and Ramon were amazing. Kadir even went out of his way to book restaurants for us and suggest Hammams, and they both made sure we were comfortable. The hotel feels cosy and like home. Our room was great and always clean, and breakfast was fresh and yummy.

A very cool, modern hotel, with beautiful, comfortable rooms. The location is a big plus since you can walk all around the old city. Breakfast was really good too.