Porto, Grande Hotel Do Porto

Having booked 3 night's accomodation in what I assumed would be a large double bedroom at Grande Hotel Do Porto, my wife and I were very disappointed when we were taken to our room which was one of the smallest rooms I have ever had. We were told that the hotel had been overbooked. There was no room for the chair that was in the room and I put it outside in the hallway. There were only 4 hangers in the wardrobe and we were not able to hang up our clothes. It was late in the day when we arrived and having gone out for supper it was too late to do anything.

The following morning, I complained seriously about the size of the room and 30 minutes later we were relocated to a much better room which had all the space and facilities that we initially thought we were getting. The remainder of our stay was fine.

I would seriously recommend that anyone planning to stay at the hotel should find out beforehand the size of the room they will be staying in as this will make a huge difference to the quality of your stay at the hotel.

Once we had been offered the larger room, everything else was fine. The hotel is right in the heart of the city, unlike some of the newer ones which are several kilometers from the centre. This means that you can walk everywhere without the need for public transport/taxis. There are many interesting shops/cafes near the hotel.

The Airport bus drops you off 50 metres from the hotel as it is in a pedestrianised area.

The reception staff were very helpful once we had sorted out the situation with our room.

Some doubts when booking Grande Hotel Do Porto but it turned out to be excellent for us. It is not smart looking from the outside and is situated in a dim side-street. The advertised balconies are of little value as there are no views, but inside it is very good being recently refurbished and interesting. The breakfast room is particularly good and opens onto a pleasant garden. We enjoyed our stay and would not hesitate to return. Ideal for a base especially as it is so central but not really for spending too much time in.

2003 - The unspoilt city from which port wine gets its name is a great starting point for exploring the hilly wilderness of northern Portugal:

- Train rides up the steep and spectacular River Douro.

- New motorways take you into the far north to see colourful small towns, traditional agriculture and grapes hanging from trellised vines.

In Oporto itself, a whole stretch of stylish bars and restaurants has opened on the riverside giving floodlit views of the city at night.

Try the local cafes for traditional food at a much lower price and don't worry about the language - the Portuguese and the British have been trading for centuries with nods and handsigns.

The port wine trade goes back 300 years. You can tour the historic riverside warehouses and sample different styles of port for a few euros.