Babel Guesthouse, Porto

Everything! Industrial New York style decor. Well designed and thought out layout.

Electricity flip switch went a couple of times. But managed to find the switch quick enough to resolve the issue.

We were issued with a code whilst in the air on our way there

The beds/bedrooms in the 2 bed apartment, I should have read pages of reviews. It has see through walls which are plastic so no privacy at all. Thank goodness it was just the 2 of us. Then the beds are in a wooden surround the only way to get in is over the end of the bed. So with a leg that isn't great I ended up on the settee for 4 nights! We were looking at moving, and if there hadn't have been the settee we would have had to! Plus the bathroom is painted black very dark and not pleasant

Location was very central and it was everything it advertised . The restaurant downstairs was also amazing.

Nothing

Location was perfect, interior design of apartment exciting

There were no products in the bathroom apart from basic soap, shower gel would have been good

Clean, spacious, minimalist. Tall ceilings. I was greeted at the door and given a code. Staff were very responsive to email communications. There was a complementary bottle of wine, a nice shower, functioning air conditioning, a lovely view and well-sealed windows to keep out the noise and light. Super central location which was very convenient for a short solo stay - lovely restaurants, great accessibility to all sights, nightlife, restaurants and easy to get further out of the city away from mainstream tourism. I thought it was very affordable for a what it was in a central location during high tourist season. It's worth noting this is not a 'hotel' as some reviews have expected - rather, it is a short-stay apartment. There are hotel elements (towels, coffee, etc) but you are left to your own devices mainly, which I much prefer, as it is un-intrusive.

Perhaps could've benefitted from a few more basic features in the room (without sacrificing the minimalism) - e.g. a general sink for rinsing glasses etc, slightly larger fridge maybe. Coffee maker was also a bit on the fritz, but that is very minor.

Great room and hotel. Take in consideration that the room walls are transparent, the rest was perfect. Moved to another room because our friend left and they allowed me to move directly from one room to another without any waiting time.

Great communication by whatsapp, self checkin with codes, very central location, parking nearby, good price

it is in a lively street therefore it can be a bit noisy, not an issue for us but good to know before booking

Staff was very helpful, location

The walls of the bedrooms were completely transparent! Spiderwebs in some corners!

Location, comfortable beds, great water pressure

No washer/dryer, can hear everything in the rooms because the place echoes.

The location was fine. That’s about all we liked.

The apartment was difficult to find because it is on a very steep street that doesn’t allow cars.. it was up 2 very long flights of stairs on the 2nd floor and no elevator. So it was difficult to carry our bags up. The bathroom for starters is painted black and with very dim lighting. The beds are wall to wall so you have to crawl into bed from the foot of the bed. And don’t put anything on the wooden platform around the bed because if you knock anything off it will fall into the tiny space between the weirdly transparent walls and will not be retrievable. Which happened to an earring of mine. The air conditioning unit is in the front room and doesn’t reach the bedrooms. Which get hot if you close the doors. And when we went to check out, we called the number they left to say call anytime for assistance so we could get help carrying our bags down the long flights of stairs and we got the response that no one is available until 12:30, and checkout was by 11! So much for their sign saying to call for help! There should be big warnings about this place. Carry only a backpack if you want to stay there.

Beautiful interior, very central location.

Good location Babel is a fine restaurant

A badly designed rental. Imagine being provided with cutlery,cups, saucers, ,plates but no sink in the " kitchen/food preparation area--a major flaw.. One had to run back and forth to the only sink which was in the bathroom. That carries health risks.

Once we FINALLY got information from the host after REPEATED requests for information, things went well, but the utter lack of communication nearly derailed our arrival, our stay, our trip, so I can't totally be objective about the facilities. The room was great, the location was great, but there was a lingering feeling that if we needed anything, we wouldn't be able to reach anyone. It's hard to be enthusiastic with this level of anxiety.

Leading up to our stay, we continued to get threatening messages (i.e. in ALL CAPS) that if we didn't complete info on their app, we wouldn't get our entry codes. I did complete it, but continued to get that message. I tried responding to them numerous times, including through Booking.com. When we got to Porto we sent a message through WhatsApp, which they never responded to. Out of the blue, they finally sent an entry code about mid-day when we nearly booked a different place. They sent it to my daughter's email ONLY, even though I had been the only communicator up to that point. It was just happenstance that she checked her email. They never sent the entry codes to me. Of the 4 days of our stay, that ruined our first half day. I've never had an experience like that through Booking or any other way. We loved the room, but I would be hesitant to ever stay again or recommend it. Sad.

Extraordinary accomodation right in the middle of things (but quiet nonetheless). Comfortable beds, great shower, great design. Super!

The decoration is beautiful. The bed is big and very comfortable. The view from the small balcony is nice, and the wooden doors help keep the sun (and outside noises) out while sleeping. It is a small street between bigger ones that have more foot traffic, so it is mostly quiet.

There were hangers in the room, but no drawers or storage space. No iron. The bathroom is beautiful, but very, very dark, and it is hard to look at oneself in the mirror while getting ready.

We really liked the decor and the vibe that that apartment gave.

There were a lot of little flies around but that just might be from the windows being open from the previous stay? The door lock was a little finicky to use.

Location was excellent-walking distance to river and plenty of restaurants and shops. Size was perfect for two people. Apartment was very clean, nice furniture, not cluttered.

N/a

The shower was excellent

The bedroom walls are see through acrylic sheets! Zero privacy. The beds are comfortable but very difficult to get into. There are no electric outlets near the beds, either. The bathroom is very dark. Needs way more lighting.

It was right in the middle of the old town close to restaurants, bars, supermarket and all things touristy..

Nothing

Great location. Good food places around and easily accessible to everything. We were in room 2 and the room was comfortable and nicely decorated. A little noise from the road/restaurant but nothing crazy (we weren't there on a Saturday though).

No microwave, fridge and had to ask for a kettle as one wasn't provided. There wasn't a receptionist in the 3 days we were there, we also had to cancel the first night due to a flight issue and even though we had a partial cancellation policy, the hotel does not want to honour it passing the buck to booking.com. We were told we could leave our bags with reception but that would not have been possible given them MIA.

Really nice accomodation - central location, spacios, has even some tea/coffee spot. Big and comfy bed.

Poor soundproofing – every night we could hear the neighbor's snoring from the other room.

Great location!

We hoped the restaurant would have been open, but other than that, it was great and the location is amazing

Better ventilation in the bathroom, no milk for the coffee

Location. Spacious. Balcony overlooking street. Great shower.

Bed simulated queen size but the two mattresses pulled apart. No elevator. Bathroom other than shower was poorly designed.

Very unusual place, feels like you are sleeping in a shipping container or a converted warehouse office! Super quirky but unfortunately not practical. The location of this place is fantastic. Right in the centre close to everything. Perfect. Obviously you pay the price for this and it is super noisy at night so don’t forget the ear plugs! The shower is incredible! Powerful and hot!

Zero privacy as you can see in the picture, you cannot even shut the bedroom ‘doors’ which are about 1 metre apart and separated with rather pointless plastic see through walls… Kitchen is a tiny fridge and microwave so no cooking. The beds are probably the worst part of the stay because they are impossible to clamber in and out of without hurting yourself on the hard wooden surrounding it is boxed in by (see picture). I had to put my older parents in another hotel after 1 night because they really struggled with this. Would possibly suit students or stag/hen but would not recommend to families or older crowds or anyone who values a good night sleep!

Cleanliness, location, style

Key to enter was a little problematic. Otherwise, nothing.

No staff anywhere. Nowhere to leave luggage after check out. No phone number to call if you need help

The location was great, all local amenities nearby, rustic and beautiful

No small chairs to sit close to the balcony

The location was good, and the hotel has a chic modern design.

The room was not clean enough, and the reception was always unmanned. Additionally, we were two people in the room and the hot water ran out quickly when the two of us showered one after the other.

It was the best place, I loved everything there, the room was very beautiful and the location was perfect, for sure I will gonna come back there

I like everything

Location

Transperant bedrooms walls offer zero privacy.

The location was excellent and the room was very clean and staff responsive.

I did not like we had to set our suitcases on the floor. Would be nice if a luggage was available. There was also no place to put your toiletries which was also inconvenient.

Location was great!

Great location. Easy access to get in.

Little too modern and cold for my tastes