Hotel Boa - Vista

Anyone who wants to have a beach vacation in Porto is well accommodated in this hotel. It is a 2-minute walk to the beach. Bus to the city almost right outside the door. Small restaurants right all around. Tennis and minigolf courts across the way. Reception very friendly. Were able to get into the room well before check-in time. Room sufficiently large with a French balcony facing the Douro and the sea. Bathroom also had a window, so we were able to air it out well. At first, the room actually smelled a bit musty. Bed comfortable. TV (which reminded me more of a mirror) turned itself off every time after a few minutes - but we are not TV watchers on vacation anyway. Room cleaning was impeccable. On the ground floor there is plenty of space to linger both inside and outside, even a very comfortable lobby that feels like a living room. Breakfast unfortunately lackluster with a cafeteria vibe. The best part was still the pasteis de nata! There is a bar on the roof - but the employee working there was unfortunately very listless and unfriendly. I was growled at quite a bit by him when I wanted to inquire if one could also have drinks charged to the room - no! Cash only! Next to the bar, there is also a covered pool on the roof of the hotel and a few lounge chairs (unfortunately without a sun umbrella). We always found a spot and initially took the bath towels from the room with us, until we were told we could get bath towels at the reception at any time. But then came the kicker - one euro was actually charged per bath towel! After we had dropped off all our bath towels in a basket by the pool and had none left for the room, we actually had to pay for new bath towels after some discussion. When the "purchased" bath towels were disposed of by housekeeping the next day, we were left without bath towels again. Well, that has actually never happened to me before! This concept needs to be rethought immediately. That is why there is a deduction of points!

What a great place to stay. Good service friendly staff Good, well equiped rooms with super beds snd showers. Extensive breakfast. Swimming Pool on the roof. Rooftop bar with small food. Great vieuw over Douro floating into Atlantic. Good prices. We surely can recommend.

I don't often leave negative reviews, and I have already sent Hotel Boa Vista a detailed private complaint because I believe businesses should have the opportunity to respond directly. However, I also think it's important that other travellers are aware of our experience. We stayed at Hotel Boa Vista from 23–25 June, but only because our British Airways flight was cancelled, leaving us unexpectedly stranded in Porto for almost three days during the São João Festival. The first issue was the rooms themselves. We had to move three times. The first two rooms had an extremely unpleasant odour that resembled soiled carpets (I used to work in a care home), while the third had an exceptionally loud air conditioning unit. Although the night manager did their best to help us, unfortunately none of the rooms provided a comfortable stay. The second issue was the festival noise. I completely appreciate that the hotel cannot control the São João celebrations, but we were barely able to sleep because of the level of noise throughout the night. The double glazing did nothing. So I believe guests should be clearly warned before booking if rooms are likely to be affected to this extent. Next year, I would advise that they let customers know upon booking. The biggest disappointment, however, was the customer service we received from the daytime reception staff. By our second day, my partner had become seriously ill. He was vomiting repeatedly, had a high temperature, was shivering and was barely able to get out of bed. After we returned to the UK, he was diagnosed with an E. coli infection. I explained to reception that I was simply waiting for money to be transferred before settling our bill. I made it clear I intended to pay and was not refusing payment at all. I told them they could keep hold of my passport while we sort this out. Despite this, I was threatened with the police, and the police were called while my partner was upstairs seriously unwell! I really can't believe it! What upset me most was the complete lack of empathy. We were stranded abroad through no fault of our own, exhausted, one of us was seriously ill, and instead of patience or understanding we were treated with suspicion and hostility. It left both me and a friend who was staying separately at the hotel in tears. Just to be completely fair, the breakfast was adequate, and the first night manager genuinely tried to help us. Unfortunately, those positives were completely overshadowed by our overall experience, especially by the encounter of the other staff members. Really quite shocking despite the circumstances. So regrettably we had to stay another night, despite feeling incredibly uncomfortable there. We left as soon as we could. We went to the Porto Palácio Hotel and the difference was remarkable. The staff there treated us with kindness, professionalism and compassion despite the difficult circumstances. It demonstrated that excellent customer service was entirely possible. Despite the busy period. I sincerely hope Hotel Boa Vista reflects on this feedback, particularly how guests, especially vulnerable guests are treated during unexpected emergencies. I don't write reviews like this lightly, but I would not choose to stay here again, nor could I recommend it based on our experience.