Porto's BEST São Bento Apartment: Stunning 1st Floor Gem!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into the utterly charming, potentially slightly flawed (because let's be real, nothing is perfect) but ultimately fantastic Porto's BEST São Bento Apartment: Stunning 1st Floor Gem!
Alright, so here's the deal: I just spent a week there. Not literally a week in this apartment, but in the spirit of this apartment. You know, the one they are selling. And frankly, I'm ready to spill the beans.
First Impressions & "The Vibe":
Okay, let's be honest, "stunning" they say? Well… yeah, pretty much. It's on a first floor (remember that, accessibility is important, and covered later, I promise!), and just the walk up the stairs already sets the tone. Charming. Honestly? The exterior corridor is a bit… well, let's just say it could use a lick of paint. But you know what? That's part of the charm! Because when you unlock the door… whoa.
Accessibility (a HUGE Point, and not just the physical kind):
Okay, so the first floor is a BIG win. No lung-busting climbs with luggage. Elevator? Nope (but hey, that’s part of the charm!). Facilities for disabled guests aren't specifically listed…so I can't vouch for that, and that's a crucial detail to be aware of. The apartment does have a bathroom phone, which is, well, a nice touch of old-school luxury, and facilities for disabled guests.
But accessibility isn't just about ramps and elevators, is it? It’s about feeling welcome right? Well, they tried, alright. The 24-hour front desk is a godsend, especially when your flight gets delayed and you arrive at 2 AM. Check-in/out [express]? Yes. Check-in/out [private]? Absolutely! You can tell they understand travelers.
Cleanliness and Safety (because, pandemic):
Look, post-pandemic, we’re all a bit paranoid, right? Well, the apartment has: Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, Hand sanitizer, Rooms sanitized between stays, and Staff trained in safety protocol, all of which made me breathe a little easier. They also were Professional-grade sanitizing services.
The Rooms Within, And the Extra Extras:
Available in all rooms: Additional toilet, Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping,Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, *High floor (well, not *high, but you get the idea), In-room safe box, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens. That's just a TON of amenities. I mean, the complimentary tea was a lifesaver after arriving late!
On-demand movies: I actually used this. It's included: Internet access – wireless. Yes, that's important. I'm just sayin'.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (because, vacation):
Okay, the kitchen (remember, it's an apartment) is stocked with essential condiments, which is seriously appreciated after a long day. They also offer Breakfast in room and Breakfast takeaway service.
Now, the apartment doesn't have its own restaurants, bar, coffee shop, but Porto, my friend, is a culinary paradise! You'll find Restaurants, Coffee/tea in restaurant and Buffet in restaurant, A la carte in restaurant nearby, though. Not Asian cuisine in restaurant, although it's not that difficult to find.
Services and Conveniences (the stuff that makes life easier):
Air conditioning in public area, Audio-visual equipment for special events, Business facilities (if that's your thing), Cash withdrawal (thank goodness!), Concierge (helpful with everything), Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store (snacks!), Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator. Also, Food delivery (because sometimes, you just need pizza in bed, right?) Gift/souvenir shop, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Safety deposit boxes. And, Taxi service.
Also, Internet and Internet [LAN] are available!
Getting Around (because you’ll want to):
So, no bicycle parking listed, which is a shame. Car park [free of charge]! That's gold in Porto. Airport transfer is available, which is a huge win. Taxi service is also readily available.
Things to Do (and NOT Do) & the “Relaxation” Factor:
Okay, here’s where things get a bit… limited, but you can still enjoy yourself. No Spa, Sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Pool with view, Gym/fitness Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath,
For the Kids (if you've got 'em):
Babysitting service is listed, but I'm not a parent…so I can't vouch for how good it is.
The Quirks and Honest Truths:
- The Noise: Okay, look, it's in a city. There's some street noise. Bring earplugs if that's a dealbreaker.
- The View: Beautiful interior of the apartment! Not exterior view.
- The Overall Vibe: This isn't a cookie-cutter hotel. It's an apartment. Which means you’re living like a local. (Or at least, pretending to be one.)
The Bottom Line (and a Shameless Sales Pitch):
Okay, so Porto's BEST São Bento Apartment: Stunning 1st Floor Gem! isn't perfect. It's got its quirks, its slightly dated exterior, but it’s got HUGE charm. It’s clean, well-equipped, and in a FANTASTIC location. And I actually LOVED it.
My Personal Anecdote:
So, picture this: I arrive after a long flight, exhausted and hungry. The check-in is seamless. I throw my bags in the apartment, grab my free bottle of water, and find the nearest bakery for a pastel de nata and a strong coffee. Bliss. That's how this apartment makes you feel.
The "Book Now" Offer (Because You Deserve It):
Tired of boring hotels? Craving an authentic Porto experience?
Book Porto's BEST São Bento Apartment: Stunning 1st Floor Gem! now and get:
- A taste of the real Porto: Live like a local in the heart of the city.
- Unbeatable Value: All this charm, comfort, and convenience at a price that won't break the bank.
- Peace of Mind: Cleanliness, safety protocols, and a friendly staff.
Don't just visit Porto. Experience it. BOOK NOW! Limited availability!
(And, okay, I'm not affiliated. I just loved it.)
Chamonix's Crown Jewel: Unforgettable Dining at La Couronne Hotel Restaurant
Okay, buckle up, buttercup! This isn't your run-of-the-mill, perfectly polished travel itinerary. This is a real person's attempt to navigate Porto, with all the glorious, messy, and occasionally hangry bits included. Let's do this!
My Porto Pilgrimage: Lemago Porto Apartments - SÃO BENTO 1st FLOOR (and the Chaos Within)
Day 1: Arrival - And the Quest for Pastel de Nata Begins (aka, Jet Lag is My Nemesis)
Morning (ish): Land at Porto Airport (OPO). Greeted by that glorious, slightly humid Portuguese air. Immediately feel a surge of "YES! I'm here!" followed by a crushing wave of "Oh god, did I pack enough socks?".
- Logistics Rambles: Finding an Uber was surprisingly painless. My brain, however, was currently operating at about 30% efficiency thanks to the transatlantic flight. Tried to speak Portuguese. Uttered something that might have been "Bom dia" but probably came out as "Bong Dee-ah"… which raised an eyebrow from the driver. Not a great start.
Afternoon: Check-in at Lemago Porto Apartments. SÃO BENTO 1st FLOOR… sounds fancy, right? It is! Sort of. The apartment is charmingly old-school - think high ceilings, creaky floorboards, and a slightly wonky showerhead. Instant love/hate relationship.
- Emotionally Charged Observation: The view from the balcony is stunning. Like, heart-stoppingly beautiful. But, BUT… there's also a construction site directly opposite. Soundtrack: the constant hammering of "Porto's symphony". Trying to decide if it's charming or just loud. Leaning towards both.
Late Afternoon: The Pastel de Nata Search (Operation: Sugar Rush)
- The Quest: After a quick, questionable attempt at unpacking, the real mission begins – finding the perfect Pastel de Nata. Everyone said it's a must. I'm convinced this will be the culinary peak of my existence (probably).
- Failed Attempts: First place – closed. Second place – "Sold out!" (Seriously? Already?). Third… I actually bought one, but my overexcited rush made me drop it on the pavement. Cue: a dramatic, internal scream.
- Success! (Finally!): Found a little hole-in-the-wall bakery. The aroma! Oh, the aroma! The first bite… pure, creamy, flaky, eggy, sugary bliss. I momentarily forgot about the construction noises. And possibly my name. I basically declared it my new religion.
Evening: Wandering around the Ribeira district. Feeling slightly bewildered by the narrow, winding streets. Got lost three times. Accidentally stumbled upon a jazz club. Listened to some surprisingly good, very loud music. Had a glass of Port wine (the real stuff, not the sickly sweet supermarket stuff). Immediately felt tipsy and brilliant.
- Quirky Note: Porto is built on hills. My legs are already aching. Thinking of investing in a tiny scooter.
Day 2: The Douro River & the Port Wine Hangover (Literally)
Morning: Woke up with a throbbing headache and a strong urge to never look at a bottle of Port wine again. (Famous last words, I'm sure). Decided to blame the cobblestone streets, actually, I'd blame the entire city for this one.
- Emotionally Charged Observation Seriously, these streets are a workout! No wonder everyone looks so effortlessly chic here. (Secretly, I suspect they're all secretly built of steel.)
Afternoon: River Douro cruise. The views are spectacular, even through my slightly blurry vision. Beautiful bridges, colorful buildings, and those famous Rabelo boats. Managed to avoid the dreaded touristy photo ops, actually.
- Anecdote: Saw a flock of seagulls attempt to steal a whole sandwich from an unsuspecting tourist. Pure, unadulterated entertainment.
Late Afternoon: A visit to a Port wine cellar (after a quick breather and a giant bottle of water, and a whole pan of scrambled eggs). This time, I'm being responsible… mostly. Heard about the history of Port, tasted (a lot) of different varieties, and pretended to know what I was talking about.
- Emotionally Charged Observation: The cellars are incredible, with the history. It's intoxicating (pun intended, of course). Got the feeling of the place, and the people, so invested in the product, you can't help but be enchanted.
Evening: Dinner in the Vila Nova de Gaia area, overlooking the river. Ordered what I thought was a simple meal but turned out to be a massive plate of grilled octopus. Ate the whole thing, because what else are you supposed to do? Regretted my eating decisions.
- Quirky Note: Portuguese people are incredibly friendly. Everyone seems to want to chat, even when my Portuguese is limited to "Obrigado" and "Cerveja, por favor."
Day 3: Books & Beyond (and the Art of the Perfect Espresso)
- Morning: Spent way too long in Livraria Lello, the bookstore that inspired J.K. Rowling. Totally worth it. It's like stepping into a Harry Potter movie. The spiral staircase is breathtaking (and slightly terrifying).
- Rambling Thought: Started to consider getting into the whole "magic" thing. Seriously, the place is magical.
- Afternoon: Coffee & wandering around the streets near the Clerigos Church and Tower. Tried to take great photos, but mostly ended up taking blurry ones. Found an espresso shop. Perfect, strong coffee. One for me, one for the headache.
- Anecdote: Managed to almost trip over a stoic-looking dog. He gave me the side-eye. I blame the cobblestone streets.
- Late Afternoon: Found a little art gallery. I don't usually do art galleries, but this one was small, quirky, and full of actual people. They didn't mind that I don't know much about art, I liked it.
- Emotionally Charged Observation: Sometimes, being spontaneous is the best way to discover something amazing.
- Evening: Dinner. Found a great little restaurant. Amazing food, wine, and good vibes. The whole atmosphere made me feel happy. But, I ate again. So much.
- Quirky Note: I need to start jogging, or at a minimum, just walking more.
Day 4: Goodbye Porto (and the Tears of Regret)
- Morning: Packing. Always the worst part. The apartment feels smaller now, and far less charming feeling that it did at first. Regret not doing more.
- Rambles: I'm already thinking about coming back.
- Late Afternoon: Taxi to the airport.
- Emotionally Charged Observation: Porto, you magnificent, chaotic, beautiful city, I'll miss you. Hope to return.
Some Unpolished Notes and Loose Ends:
- Things I didn't do (and now regret): Take a traditional Fado show. Learn more than five words of Portuguese. Master walking on cobblestones.
- Things I will do next time: See more museums. Eat more Pastel de Natas. Actually plan things.
- Final Assessment: Porto is a total assault on the senses (in the best way possible). It's beautiful, it's chaotic, and it's utterly unforgettable. And I am 100% sure I'll be back! Maybe I'll have learned to walk by then.
So, you're telling me I just *decided* to rip up the kitchen floor? What was *that* about?
Alright, alright, don't judge. Look, it started innocently enough. I was watching a HGTV show, you know, the ones where everything magically looks perfect in 30 minutes? And I saw this gorgeous herringbone tile. *Herringbone tile*! And suddenly, my perfectly fine (albeit a little…beige) kitchen floor was a crime against aesthetics. My brain went into overdrive. My heart started racing! This was it, the key to a happier life!
The reality? I was bored. I had a toddler. I needed something, ANYTHING, to feel like I was still capable and creative. And, full confession? The tile was on sale. That herringbone was calling my name, and honestly, I *loved* the idea of it. "I can totally do this myself," I thought, full of naive optimism. Spoiler alert: I could not. Not even close.
Okay, fine. So, herringbone. How'd *that* go?
Oh, honey. It was... a journey. A sweaty, exhausting, swearing-under-my-breath journey. First, the demolition. That was fun! Smashing up old flooring with a sledgehammer? Therapeutic! (Until my back screamed at me for the next three days.) Then came the leveling. Which, apparently, requires this thing called *self-leveling compound*. Which is… well, it's like trying to pour concrete while simultaneously bouncing on a trampoline. I ended up with this lumpy, uneven surface that looked like the terrain of the moon. I was *convinced* I would never get back on my feet
The tiling itself? Forget it. I watched YouTube videos. I read tutorials. I even (gasp!) *borrowed* my neighbor’s tile saw. But the herringbone pattern? It's a cruel mistress, mocking me with every wonky angle and uneven cut. I swear I spend more in grout than the tiles. My fingers are not meant to be perfect.
Did you, um, *finish* the floor? Or, like, did you give up and move to Antarctica?
Believe it or not, I *mostly* finished it. After a week of tears (and a lot of wine), I finally laid the tiles. They are slightly uneven and I am sure that the grout line are not all perfectly aligned. It's definitely "rustic charm," or, as my husband calls it, "a testament to your questionable DIY skills." But, you know what? I did it.
I even found some decorative tiles for the edges to cover up the mess. Okay, I may have found a professional tiler to *fix* a few, let's call them "strategic imperfections". I'm not proud, but my sanity is worth more than perfectly aligned tiles. And after all of it, when my feet stands in the new floor, everything has been worth it.
What about the *rest* of the house? Is it all a disaster zone now?
That's a great question! The answer? Varies. Some things are a total mess. The "guest" bathroom (we use that term *very* loosely) is perpetually "under construction," and more than a year later. Pipes, paint, etc. What I thought would last two weeks, has now lasted several months. Drywall dust. I'm pretty sure it's now an integral part of my life.
But then there's the living room, which somehow, miraculously, ended up pretty okay. (Thank God for contractors!) We're talking new paint, new furniture. It actually looks... presentable. It's a weird dichotomy, this house of ours. One half, a shining beacon of domesticity. The other half? A monument to my ambition and utter lack of experience.
Did you learn anything from this whole experience? Besides how to swear in five different languages?
Oh, absolutely. The lessons were many, and often painful.
- **Hire professionals**: Seriously. They know what they're doing. Unless you're incredibly skilled and patient (I am neither), it's worth the money. Or at least learn your limits.
- **Measure twice, cut once**: This is not a suggestion. This is a commandment. (Also, measure thrice if you're me.)
- **Accept imperfections**: Your home is not going to look like a Pinterest board. And that's okay. It's lived-in. It's yours.
- **Wine helps**: A lot. (But maybe not *during* the tiling process. Or maybe, okay, a little bit. Don't judge me!)
- **Don't believe the HGTV shows**: They're lying to you. They're all liars! Everything looks good on TV in a matter of minutes.
- **The joy of a home renovation is that it is *never* over.**
And mostly? I learned how much I love my husband, who somehow, kept loving me despite my constant mess, and the fact that I had to ask him to redo the tiles.
So, what's next? Are you planning on tackling the roof?
Oh, God, no! The roof? Absolutely not! I may be ambitious, but I'm not suicidal. I'm currently eyeing the spare closet. The one that has some extra storage space that I think I'm going to expand. I think I am going to build another shelf or two.
Yeah... I will probably do it. Maybe. Perhaps after I take a class on how to properly align tiles. And drink a bottle of wine. Wish me luck.
Any advice for scared, DIY-curious folks like myself?
Okay, here's the deal. Home renovation? It's a monster. A glorious, frustrating, rewarding, and occasionally soul-crushing monster. If you're even *considering* it, here's what you should do:
- **Start small**: A coat of paint. A new light fixture. Build up your confidence.
- **Have a budget (and then double it)**: Seriously. Because everything will cost more than you think.
- **Learn to love the hardware store**: You're going to become best friends with the folks there. Buy the donuts. Good will goes a long way.
- **Take breaks**: When frustration hits, step away. Binge-watchHotels Blog GuideLemago Porto Apartments - SÃO BENTO 1st FLOOR Porto Portugal
Lemago Porto Apartments - SÃO BENTO 1st FLOOR Porto Portugal
