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.

A former physician's grand residence has been converted into a guesthouse with soaring ceilings and attractive contemporary furniture. Many of the rooms have a balcony and face a long garden. They serve simple vegetarian food and host Fado shows in the evening. I just found this establishment to be a very pleasant place to hang out and felt very taken care of by the staff. I just enjoyed opening up the doors to the balcony to catch the breeze and the city view. One thing to note is that there is no elevator and on the street side it faces a hospital. In July 2025, there was a construction project going on nearby but the hours of operation were fairly limited and I was not in my room that much.

We stayed for two nights in this beautifully renovated house in Porto. Our 'Classic' room was on the top floor with a small balcony overlooking the lovely garden (which is great to have a drink in or just read a book etc). The room was very well designed with a lovely bathroom with walk in shower. The bed and other furniture were comfortable and touches such as flasks of water were welcome. The only slight problem is that there is no lift so the walk up the magnificent wooden staircase might be a problem to some people. Breakfast which is included in the room rate is of good quality with generous portions. Possibly the most stand out aspect of the guest house is the staff. We had a number of interactions with people on reception and they were all extremely friendly and helpful. One man called Filipe did some research on restaurants open on Sundays and sent me about five to consider. He made a reservation at one of them called Tabusa Rasa which was great and when we returned in the evening he checked to see if we had been happy with his suggestion. Everyone we had contact with was great. If you are driving, bear in mind that parking outside is almost impossible so you just need to stop to unload and then go to a nearby underground car park. The guesthouse is within easy walking distance (well not that easy as there are so many hills in Porto) of the main sights and about a 15 minute walk to the north quays on the river. All in all a great place to stay in an interesting and friendly city.

Stayed in a garden view room in superbly conserved 19th century house in late April 2025. Cannot fault it in any way - the bus stop is just outside (including 601 and 602 from the Airport), the staff are very welcoming, the garden at the back was a tranquil haven, and the breakfast was of excellent quality. Although it looks to be a bit far from the city centre, it's actually not that far on foot. It also has several parks in its vicinity including the one with the 'Crystal' palace.

The courtyard in the back of the property is a beautiful oasis where we enjoyed having drinks with friends and playing cards in the sun. A fantastic bonus on top of the beautifully appointed rooms!