Down2town B&B

“First stay in Portugal”

This was our first accommodation in Portugal. We landed in Porto very early in the morning and were whisked off to Down2Town by a very knowledgeable and helpful driver who chatted with us the entire trip. Upon arrival, due to our room not being available till 2pm, we were able to drop our luggage … more

This was our first accommodation in Portugal. We landed in Porto very early in the morning and were whisked off to Down2Town by a very knowledgeable and helpful driver who chatted with us the entire trip. Upon arrival, due to our room not being available till 2pm, we were able to drop our luggage and went off to explore the town. The proximity of this BnB to what they call Centre Town (or what I would refer to as 'downtown') is absolutely amazing. You can travel quite far on foot unless you have mobility issues. The streets are extremely steep and stairs are not always available (nor are bathrooms). Once we returned to our building we were escorted to our room on the second floor. The bedroom was located on this level. To access the toilet, kitchen and living area, we needed to descend a set of suicide stairs to the main floor below. Forget about drinking too much wine in the evening if you need to get up in the night to use the facilities! The room was very clean and the main floor offered a kitchenette with eating space and the bathroom. The entire bathroom experience was not pleasant. The towel rods are only glued to the wall and are coming away. the shower is very odd with glass walls attached halfway on two sides and a curtain around the outside corner. Nearly impossible to have water spraying where you don't want it to. Bit of a wet mess. We did our best to keep the place tidy. The breakfast experience was very nice. We met a nice young French couple our first morning when we were able to enjoy our breakfast in the lovely courtyard. Unfortunately, it rained the following two mornings, so we were forced to eat indoors. The dining room is a bit cramped but the food on offer is very nice. There are juices, croissants, bread for toasting, a cappuccino machine, kettle for tea and an assortment of teas, jams, watermelon, cake (not sure what kind), scrambled eggs (but she needs a chafing dish to keep them warm), hardboiled eggs, 3 different kinds of meat, cheeses (especially large pieces of brie which surprised me till I began to see it all over Portugal - it's just such an expensive cheese where I live) among other things I'm sure I've left out. The bed was extremely comfortable. Air conditioning would have been nice, but the fan in the room certainly helped. We like to keep windows open, however it is a busy road and the traffic can be quite noisy. We would highly recommend staying at this BnB however even though the other rooms may have odd bathroom arrangements, they would be quieter and have nice views.

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“Large room”

Great location in Porto, bit grumpy host though. The room was very big but oh so damp, the smell was overwhelming , when you went downstairs to the bathroom, it was even worse, didn’t want to shower there and sheets smelt bad. Breakfast was 8.30, we got there at 8.28 and everything in darkness, a… more

Great location in Porto, bit grumpy host though. The room was very big but oh so damp, the smell was overwhelming , when you went downstairs to the bathroom, it was even worse, didn’t want to shower there and sheets smelt bad. Breakfast was 8.30, we got there at 8.28 and everything in darkness, a girl rushed in and 8.30 and tried to get everything ready, by then the room was full of guests, we left and went back later but mostly everything had gone and she was to busy checking out guests to replenish. Wouldn’t stay again.

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“The name says it all”

The name of this B&B says it all, but the first-time Porto visitor may not realize it at first. After ringing the doorbell, we were led to the lowest level of the hillside building, where we paid and were showed how to use the coded door lock. That was the last time we saw any staff during our thre… more

The name of this B&B says it all, but the first-time Porto visitor may not realize it at first. After ringing the doorbell, we were led to the lowest level of the hillside building, where we paid and were showed how to use the coded door lock. That was the last time we saw any staff during our three-day stay. Our room was large, with a balcony affording a nice rooftop view with a peek at the river. The bathroom was odd: upon opening to door to the room, occupants are met with the glass wall of a shower, providing a see-through view of the entire bathroom and toilet. An Ikea-style wardrobe (plenty of storage here!) separated the bathroom from the living space to a height of 6-7 feet, leaving an open space to the ceiling. That meant the sounds and aromas of anyone using the toilet were freely shared, if that’s the sort of thing you might notice. The bed linens were snowy white and beautifully pressed, but the rest of the place needed a little TLC — and someplace to hang towels in the bathroom other than the tiny hanger falling off the wall. Breakfast was self-serve OK, with the chance to sit outside in the walled courtyard. Back to the name: it is indeed DOWN to town, a steady descent of a mile to the river. Which is fine until the end of a busy day, when that same descent becomes a steady climb.

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