Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina 4 stars

Very helpful and friendly staff. Rooms comfortable.

We chose this hotel because of it's central location, allbeit on one of the more elevated parts of the city.. Most things are reachable on foot if you don't mind the hills. Taxis plentiful and cheap if you need a ride. Everything is good value, particularly food. For sightseeing, we opted for a 2 day hop-on, hop-off ticket, plus Poer winery tour, and river trip. Bus tour fairly unexciting, but took us out of city to beach, then we walked back along seafront and riverbank. Weather warm (mid-March), needed shorts and sun-cream.

Booked a double room, was given 2 singles, but that was fine. Booked breakfast, was told it hadn't been included, paid for another. Other than that, the staff were consistently fantastic, especially the bar and restaurant staff, but front desk also couldn't help us enough. Based on staff alone: 10/10 Location was great for our needs. Very tidy and clean rooms. Well stocked and modern looking. Would stay there again.

Room was very small with a poor layout. Cold breakfast was ok but hot breakfast was cold and not very appetising. Not the usual standard you would expect from a Mercure hotel.

Efficient check in and out. Pleasant bar staff. Good choice at breakfast.

Excellent stay

Central location with easy access

The service was perfect, the bedroom was large and comfortable, the restaurant food was fantastic as were the restaurant staff. The hotel was luxurious at a reasonable price. I felt very at home at the hotel and would recommend it to everyone. The location is perfect too!!

A wonderful experience. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. Nothing was too much trouble. The hotel is in a superb location and easy access to all attractions. Clean and well maintained. Breakfast was great and varied- absolutely delicious. I would visit this hotel again and recommend it to family and friends. Thank you

Excellent location. Nice room. Delicious breakfast.

Your hotel was part of the reason we fell in love with Porto the first time we visited your hotel had a big influence on our feelings for this city. However on our fourth visit, our second time at this location. Our third at your Gaia hotel, unfortunately that location was just a little to out of the way and you had no rooms available at the time of that visit. On our first visit we felt welcome, we had help with our bags, we had lots of information given to us, my child was given a cuddly toy. It was a great way to start our trip after a long drive. However on this occasion there was one staff member slouched with her elbows on what can only be described as a cocktail table with a laptop looking more like a struggling writer working on a failed screenplay in a low budget Starbucks. We did appreciate that the room was ready at such an early time in the morning. The room was perfect, we already knew from past experience not to expect to much of a view. The one problem was we booked the room to use the sofabed for my ten year old son and it wasn't set up with sheets but this was quickly rectified by housekeeping. We then went to park the car at a local carpark used by the hotel as overflow. We greatly appreciated this as it saved having to find one ourselves. The next morning we left the room at approximately 9 am with the please make room sign hanging on the door. We returned at 3:30 pm after exploring more of Porto to an untouched room. We called reception and asked if this was normal, we were told someone would come up and do it immediately. We didn't want this as we had come back for a break not to watch someone tidy a room. Housekeeping showed up and said she would return in an hour once we had left. We returned a 7:30 to a tidy room but our complimentary drinks had not been restocked. At no point would this be an issue but when other little things happen you start to pick at other things. The next day we checked out at the reception table. We are aware of the extra taxes but I didn't need a mobile phone shoving in my face to show me the payment was eight euros. Our stay at this hotel will not only make us think twice about staying with your hotel group again but actually returning to Porto. I am aware that companies need to move with the times as technology and expectations of people change but we weren't spending €10 euros at McDonalds ordering food from a TV screen. People work hard to take holidays and stay in nice hotels, you are part of their holiday.

Five-star interactions with the reservations, reception and bar teams that would have made for a 100++ experience if only attention to detail is also brought to housekeeping services. My stay at Mercure Porto Centro Hotel came at the end of a four-week walk across Portugal and Spain, and mid-way, I realised I didn't want to bring as much things as I'd packed into my backpack. It was very easy to coordinate with the hotel's reservation team, which agreed to help me keep some items for a week until my return for my stay --- leaving my items and picking them up were also quick, I approached the reception team, quickly showed the items and was given a tag to claim my items when I arrived, and upon presenting the tag, my items were given back to me in original condition in just a few minutes. Checking into the hotel was also a positive experience, I arrived before noon (and the usual check-in time) and was told my room was not yet available but was already being cleaned, I was offered a seat and a welcome drink at the restaurant (the welcome drink is part of my status benefit) - it was a relaxing and welcoming environment to spend time at, and some 30 minutes later, someone from the reception team came with my key and advice to use the elevator at the restaurant that's closer to my room. I had been upgraded to a Privilege Room. :) I had not been told this, but drinks in the mini bar in a Privilege Room is free and refilled early evenings --- they're non-alcoholic (perfect for me) and include still water, sparkling water, a bottle of Compal juice, a can of Nestea and a can of Coca Cola. I also asked for an unusual wake up call time, and the hotel gladly obliged and called on-time, with a follow on call about 5 minutes later to ensure I was really conscious the first time they called. The only set back throughout the positive experiences was that the attention to detail did not extend to housekeeping. The Privilege Room toiletry kit is a box full of goodies that included shampoo/conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, soap, shaving set, shower cap, vanity set (cotton buds/cotton pads/nail file) and one or two other items I didn't take much notice of --- unfortunately, while there were mostly two items of each, there was only one vanity set on the first day, and it wasn't refilled on the second day. I also encountered a small unknown bug on the desk on the first day. I was able to resolve this quickly so it wasn't any trouble. I did forget to tell the hotel that the safe had probably run out of power, I assume they don't check it for that regularly but hopefully, with this review, they'll be able to replace the batteries. I think the little negatives could have been easily resolved if I thought it was worth the effort to give the feedback and ask for a resolution. Overall, the experience with Mercure Porto Centro was a positive one and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again if the quoted rates are within my budget.

Staff very professional and helpful. Decent quality rooms. Hot breakfast not very hot. Scrambled eggs not great quality. However restaurant food excellent. Only hotel I ever stayed in that I was able to get food late in the evening after been out for drinks. Overall I would recommend this hotel.

Satisfactoria

Room good size, nice outlook. The room had a fridge to keep your stuff and a bath which is a BIG bonus. The room is poorly lit, struggled to read unless directly under the bedside light shade. Wifi could be more efficient. Very clean. Can't comment on breakfast due to 15 euro charge.