Gardenia Urban Retreat

Location Location. Very easy to walk everywhere. Porto is quite steep in parts but it would not matter where you were you would have some steep hills. Good size studio with everything you could need in place. We could easily have cooked meals but chose to eat out.

The only thing I would mention is that other people coming in late could be noisy although this once again could happen anywhere.

I stayed in the biggest room, the double deluxe. It's exactly as the pictures depict- very spacious, well-equipped kitchen, nice little balcony overlooking the street, very comfortable and clean. Decor is also warm with beautiful old wooden beams in the ceiling and wooden floors. Private stairwell is a nice touch. The bathroom had shower gel.

Unfortunately I couldn't sleep well. I stayed 4 nights, and finally slept only on the final night. It's very noisy due to the old wooden beams that keep creaking in the wind or whenever people are moving around. I stayed alone, so the sounds at night were disturbing as I kept feeling like someone was walking up the stairs to the room (even though that's not possible). Unless you're used to sleeping in noise and sounds or you are a very deep sleeper, be prepared for sounds. It's just the beams in the ceiling and Porto is a windy city. So they're bound to creak all day long. I also didn't appreciate the owners who were quite unresponsive and didn't even let me check out 1 hour late. They run the place like a hotel with no face to face human touch. You never see them. The only one I spoke to was the maid when I was checking out. If you have any special requests, probably don't bother asking them.

We liked the location close to the center of Porto and the proximity of great restaurants and good grocery stores. It was pretty quiet for being in a big city and the neighbors were respectful. The apartment was spacious and modern enough for a short stay and the host was responsive and helpful by email. The lockbox allowed us flexibility with the check-in and check-out process.

From the reviews we knew the bathroom facilities would be unique and small. The toilet is literally located in a closet, which makes it awkward to use. But it was okay for a four-day stay. The shower stall being inside the bedroom took some getting used to as well. The kitchen is very small, but functional. Again, good enough for a short stay. While we liked this accommodation during our short stay in Porto, it would not be adequate for us for over a week.

Convenience location. There is a grocery store a few doors down the street and less than 10-min walking distance to reach the busy tourist areas. Living room is spacious with a sofa, dinning table, and shelves. It has a high ceiling with beautiful decorative moldings.

The layout of the room is a little weird where the toilet is underneath a staircase so it is a very tight space. The shower and sink are on the opposite side of the bed. Even though it is labeled as no indoor smoking, our room was filled with heavy cigarette smoking odor during morning and nights.