HM - OPorto City View

Location, view, amenities

Nothing in particular

Had everything we could possibly need and a lovely place to sit outside and watch the sun go down.

Heavy construction ongoing around the property but fortunately we were mostly out during the days

Location is great

Building works behind the property

Fantastic view over the heart of the city. The balcony has enough space to sit comfortably and enjoy the view. In the early morning, there were construction works directly below the apartment, so quite a lot of dust was coming up, but the evening view was fantastic. The area was relatively quiet for a city center, and nothing or no one disturbed our sleep. The apartment has a nice design and enough space for three people.

Communication was something that made me a bit worried even before our arrival, and unfortunately it got worse around check-in. We were asked multiple times about the same things, such as completing the online check-in and whether we needed the sofa bed. We were told that check-in was from 16:00, but that we could leave our bags from 12:30. I mentioned several times that we planned to do this. However, when we arrived at 15:00, the key was not in the agreed location. We called the provided number and were first told to wait for a call back, then to wait because the person was driving. After a few more minutes, our call was rejected and the phone was switched off. We then contacted the owner through Booking.com and were told they were on their way. When the owner arrived, the apartment had not been cleaned at all. There were towels everywhere, dirty sheets and unclean floors. At 15:40, we were told it would take another hour to prepare the apartment. We asked for confirmation that it would definitely be ready by 17:00, but were only told that we would be informed when we could move in. At 18:00, after receiving no update, I contacted the owner again to ask whether we should start looking for an alternative. Only then were we finally told that the apartment was ready. What was most disappointing was the lack of clear communication and reassurance throughout the situation. We would have appreciated a simple apology, an explanation of what was happening, and a realistic time by which the apartment would be ready. The communication, both by phone and through Booking.com, was very brief and not reassuring, leaving us unsure until 18:00 whether we would actually have a clean and usable apartment.