Hotel Dom João IV — Hotel in Guimarães

We stayed here at Easter 2012 and initially had trouble finding the hotel because the map we got from the internet did not correctly locate the hotel. It is directly opposite the train station, next door to a cafe. Our room was small and faced the station, but there was little noise as we were on the 3rd floor. The bed was reasonably comfortable, the ensuite an adequate size, and it was clean throughout. There is a small lift. The hotel is of the cubbyhole reception, no real lobby variety. There is no restaurant in the hotel and the room used for breakfast is small and quite dark. During our stay we had trouble with the breakfast service as the receptionist was also responsible for providing the rolls, coffee, etc. So we always had to wait and often had go to find him. I know you get what you pay for, but they simply hadn't hired enough staff although there was often a group of 3-4 young women hanging round reception. I did wonder if they were prostitutes, but they may simply have been friends of the hotel staff. At no time did we ever feel intimidated or at risk of thieves in Guimaraes. Most people there were friendly and I even was offered a place to stay by one person who spotted my backpack one day when I'd been shopping. The walk from the hotel to the town centre takes about 10-15 minutes if you are able-bodied. It is downhill on the way there, uphill on the way back. You pass the cultural centre with its gardens on the way down. Guimaraes itself is rather pleasant. The old part of town has winding streets and two nice cobbled squares with good restaurants and a few bars. It was too cold to sit outside at night at that time of year, but I imagine in the summertime it buzzes. It's has a large student population and there was usually something going on...

I have been living in Guimarães for over a year now and I have already had some friends and family visiting me. My family particularly enjoyed this hotel because of the nice price-quality. This hotel is one of the cheaper ones in the city, but still offers a nice location, nice, clean rooms and a good breakfast and service. It is right across the train station, where you can not only take the train, but also hop on the bus or taxi. For a few euros, the taxi or bus will take you to other parts of the city. You can also walk to the old centre in 10-15 minutes. I believe that right next to the hotel there is also a place where you can rent a car, if you prefer to do so. My family consists of frequent travellers that have seen quite a lot of hotels in many different countries and so when they told me this hotel was a great option, I knew I had to recommend it here. The hotel does not have its own parking place, but there is a public parking place nearby, on the left of the train station. The beds might be a bit small, but that is something quite common here in Portugal. If you are looking for a comfortable stay in Guimarães, but you don´t want to spend a lot of money, this is the...

Likes: Staff - they are very helpful, attentive, and great at multitasking. The one person working the front desk is also preparing the morning beverages. When the aircon in our room broke down at night, they had it fixed the next day. There gave me a cup of hot water for tea whenever I asked.

Location - in front of train station that takes you to Porto. Also steps away from Vila Flor garden and a supermarket. Ten minute walk to city center. Restaurants next door. It is in a Safe area but I found all of Guimaraes to be safe.

Coffee- my husband loved the coffee/ espresso they served with breakfast

Housekeeping- used towels were changed every day. They make the bed.

This is a 2 star hotel so manage your expectations. For me, it exceeded my expectations for a 2 star hotel!

Minor dislikes: The hallway and stairway lights are motion sensored. The place can look dark. The sensors are not very fast in detecting movement so you may be in the dark for a second or two.

Free breakfast is mostly a variety of sweet baked goods.

The sink faucet in bathroom was loud when in use. There was no sink and tub plug.

I wish there was an electric kettle...