Menina Colina Guesthouse

Last year I had the most wonderful stay at Menina Colina, and was excited to return. Unfortunately I now wish I had reserved elsewhere, as it has been nothing but a disappointment. Prices are so much higher than a year ago, but I thought I got what was a good deal on the garden room. Turns out it is greatly overpriced for what is offered, as it has none of the exquisite design or attention to detail that the interior rooms have. It also seems to be neglected in terms of maintenance. The coffee machine was leaking, and after reporting it, it was made out to be my fault as I was using it incorrectly. I had to physically show a member of staff the leaked water for them to agree to replace it. I was really annoyed that they felt that they needed to demonstrate to me how it works rather than just replacing it immediately. The next disappointment was that the room was initially not serviced at all, and no explanation was given. When you are paying $165 for a mediocre room (not even including breakfast), one would at the very least expect the bins to be emptied. The bathroom also had a terrible smell that permeated the room, and mosquitoes were a problem too. Management did offer me lunch or attendance of their fado show, but none of these arrangements fitted into my busy programme. I thought a small financial compensation would have made more sense. That did not happen, and nothing further was mentioned or discussed on check-out. The final issue was the online check-out which they require. When I tried to complete it, my bill was for my entire stay, although 3 of the 4 nights had already been paid months in advance. So my conclusion is unfortunately that Menina Colina’s standards have dropped significantly, and that it is overpriced for the lack of attention to detail that is evident in several areas.

We stayed in their Garden House for a couple of nights and loved it! Very spacious compared to most hotels, beautiful modern interior, and a comfortable bed. The staff were very professional and accommodating. Best of all, the location is perfect for exploring Porto - most things are within walking distance!