House of Artists

We had a great stay, although I understand the property has now changed ownership. Beware no lift and steep stairs to the rooms. The area looks a bit run down, but felt very safe. Would certainly book again.

We traveled as a couple (both 50 yrs old) in October 2019. This is a beautifully put together boutique hotel: it’s nicely decorated and everything is top of the line, tip top new and working perfectly well. Bed is comfortable, a complete breakfast is included and location is perfect, close to main attractions. It’s about 3-4 blocks away from the nearest subway station but it’s hidden on a side street and not so easy to find. There is no inhouse parking available. You will receive an email with a code to get into the hotel and your room, so be sure to check your mail before you arrive, otherwise you’ll sleep on the street. The biggest negative is that rooms are tiny tiny tiny. Real tiny. If you are a bit claustrophobic or have lots of luggage, this is not the place for you.

We stayed 3 nights in June at House of Artists. It is centrally located in Porto, within walking distance of most things you will want to see and do. As mentioned by others, it is minimalistic in design, but is comfortable and delivers on what it promises! The lack of an elevator was not an issue for us. The key here is doing your homework and knowing what to expect. The included breakfast had a limited selection but was great and we loved the freshly made pancakes. The staff were extremely helpful providing guidance and recommendations. It was a great stay and we would book here again! PS - in case you need to do laundry, there is a laundromat next door!

Stayed here for a week and would duly love to have given this 5 stars however there are some things visitors should be made aware of. What follows is not meant to be seen as criticisms per se but merely observations. This is a good B&B; the staff are lovely, they are welcoming, friendly, polite and helpful. The B&B is centrally located (5 minutes from the central station) and within walking distance of the main sites. It is clean and bright and the breakfasts are good, nothing fancy but all more than adequate. Check in is fine; you are given an access code before you arrive which lets you in the front door and your own room. However, check in time was not until 4 pm; as it turned out we weren't due to arrive at the airport until c.3 pm and due to delays we did not arrive until after 5pm. Nevertheless, 4pm does appear excessively late, particularly considering check out is 11 am. 'Official' check in occurred at breakfast the following morning where the staff are on hand to give advice and the owner has created a small booklet giving advice on what to visit, good restaurants etc., all extremely useful. The bedrooms are up steep steps with no lift; not a lot the owners can do about that but be aware this is a B&B so there is no one on site except between 7-11am, so there will not be anyone to assist with bags and suitcases. We had room 5, Jose Pedro Croft, which has the disadvantage of being on the third floor (i.e. the top) but the advantage of having an extra living space with a marvellous view over Porto and a small kitchenette. Now this is where form wins out over function; in one respect good use has been made of the space available but storage for clothing is limited - just two hooks and two coat hangers. There is a large box like structure in the bedroom to store things, in effect, on the floor but it has a lethal shutter which smashed my foot on the first day - cue robust Anglo-Saxon terminology. There is only one bedside table, cannot see why as there is plenty of space for one each side of the bed. But the biggest issue is the bathroom; this in itself is fine, spacious, clean and bright, with good quality towels and potions, and nice fluffy bath robes. However, the glass which separates the bathroom area is clear. This looks good and makes the two sections of the room very light and airy but anything you do in the bathroom is on display to the bedroom. I suppose this has the advantage that you can have a clear conversation with someone in the bedroom while sitting on the toilet. My wife and I have been married 18 years but there are still some things we like to do privately. If you have no issue with this, fine or if you are travelling alone, OK. We were able to work out a system that one of us could be in the upstairs living area while the other was busy in the bathroom. But, do note, we actually saw the other rooms and they did not have the advantage of the living area. I cannot understand why the owners have not put in frosted glass at the very least. I do not want this review to sound too negative; this is a good option and certainly room 5 is worth paying the extra for but the issues around the lack of a lift, limited storage space, and an 'open' bathroom may put some people off.

No question, the House of Artists is a unique boutique hotel in the heart of old Porto. Although compact and space-restricted, the room is clean, the bed is comfortable and the location is perfect. Breakfast was so-so. Its walls display works by notable Portuguese artists. Now, here are the realities of this hotel- you drag your luggage up a steep cobbled-stone narrow alley, haul your luggage up the steps as there is no elevator, no closet for clothes and no hangers. It can be physically challenging not only in getting into the hotel but getting into your room with your luggage. But what completely tipped the experience completely on the negative side was hotel manager's incompetence. We made a reservation for two nights via e-mail. I did not hear from him until I got to Portugal and on the day after our first night in the hotel, we were informed that we had to vacate the room because our reservation was only for one night. It was obvious the hotel manager did not read my follow-up e-mail. I kept copies of the these e-mails. This incompetence is unacceptable and not worth staying in this hotel.