Marinha Vacations from $890

Fabulous location and wonderful stay.

The good: the staff was very helpful and clear on check in instructions, replied to my WhatsApp messages promptly and were very professional, even when they would not let me cancel the remainder of my stay due to undisclosed issues which I will discuss below. They were professional and polite always. The apartment was centrally located and easy to access sights and restaurants in Porto. The bad: The bathroom fan worked minimally, so along with the lack of AC or any air flow in the apartment, it was stagnant and humid throughout our stay. This must have been a persistent issue because the bathroom door had started to rot due to the moisture. I will attach photos if allowed. The ugly: there was no AC in this particular unit, which was clear in the listing. However, the only windows in the apartment were in the bedroom, which directly faced the AC exhaust output from the neighboring apartment. It was within arm reach in a very small tunnel space. It was hot in Porto, the neighbors understandably had their AC working the entire week. The location of the only windows made it so that the bedroom was constantly between 28 to 31 degrees Celsius even when it was a cool 17 degrees outside. The loud fans did nothing to help. It was loud and hot. They wouldn’t let me cancel the rest of my stay even when we were baking, and sadly they had no other units avail. I can’t speak for the other units, the ones with AC are likely fine. This unit may be fine in the Winter.

We booked a stay for a week at the brand new Torel Private Collection to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. Everything surpassed our expectations and this Porto vacation will truly stay a memorable souvenir for years to come. The hotel is well located with superb views overlooking the city, the Douro river, and the city of Gaia across. The decor in the common areas and the lobby is very tasteful, and the hotel takes its name from the original art collection that hangs on every wall. This Torel hotel is the definition of a luxury boutique hotel. With only 16 rooms in total, you are guaranteed a quiet peaceful stay where you will always feel like a special guest. Our Deluxe Suite was very clean and spacious with high epoque ceilings and tall windows that opened to romantic views of Porto. The bed and linens were amazingly soft and comfortable, ensuring a restful sleep after long days exploring Porto and its beautiful surroundings. This place is also a treat for foodies as it houses a Michelin star restaurant (Kanjiru Omakase) and Chefs Matos and Rocha curate a delicious breakfast every morning. Beyond the quality and comfort of the hotel, what made our stay truly enjoyable was the tremendous kindness and assistance generously offered by all the hotel staff. Special thanks to Ashley Silva of Guest Relations who went above and beyond in helping us have a superb visit in Portugal by making recommendations and arrangements to discover in Porto and the Douro Valley.