Garden in Town Hostel — Hotel in Porto

2,5/5* The pros: this hostel feels pretty safe, clean, and orderly. The kitchen is equipped, the lounge area is small but pretty well used, and the terrace will be nice when they finish re-doing it (it’s a good size and has potential). The price was good as well, though not even coffee is included in it (coffee pods 50c each and no milk or anything provided). Wifi is free and works just fine. The bunkbeds in the large mixed dorm on the entrance floor all have privacy curtains, individual lights, and plugs which is nice for feeling tucked away when you turn in. They lent us padlocks for the under-bed lockers, which was nice as a lot of places will charge for that kind of thing. One towel was included with the bed linen.

The cons: Not in a particularly central part of Porto. Smell of industrial cleaner pretty strong when we entered the place, so clean but not nice to smell anyway. (A complete bathroom, a shower room, and a WC all open right onto the check in foyer, which obviously doesn’t help the situation). My wife and I have never had an issue with sleeping together on the same bunk at a hostel, of course paying for two, but we were explicitly told we could do no such thing by the guy checking us in. We did anyway, but the joke was on us because we inadvertently chose the uncomfortable of the two beds. And I mean, UNCOMFORTABLE. Like, sinking in the middle, a spring poking in my wife’s back all night uncomfortable. Sadly we only realized the next morning, after suffering all night. The bad bed we had is the bottom bunk on the right just inside the door, in case you chose to stay in Garden In Town AVOID that one!! I was also not happy with the bedding situation: one pillow, while terrible (like lumpier than tapioca pudding), did have a pillowcase, but the auxiliary pillow was simply a throw pillow with no normal pillow case - not particularly washable and something I definitely didn’t want anywhere near my face all night. Also it doesn’t seem likely that they clean all the bed linens after every guest - just a guess, but we found a tooth brush stuck in the underside of the bunk which just seems like no-one’s been in there to clean or check it out.

All in all, we wished we had spent a bit more for something more central, and couldn’t understand the raving reviews this place had. Average hostel, not the worst I’ve seen, but definitely not the gleaming gem it was made out to be in...

The worst hostel experience I’ve ever had — avoid at all costs.

I booked a night at Garden in Town Hostel in Porto, clearly stating in advance that I would be arriving late, after midnight. They confirmed this without any issue. I was charged upfront, before even arriving. However, no one informed me that I would need an access code to enter the hostel, or that check-in would be impossible without it.

On the day of my flight, my plane was delayed and I had no internet access while traveling. At 1:00 AM, I arrived at the locked front door, completely unaware of how to enter. There was no one to help, no staff present, and no instructions. I was left alone in a city I didn’t know, with nowhere to go. I had to urgently find another place to stay and pay an additional 100 Euros out of pocket.

Since then, the hostel has ignored all my calls and messages. I wasn’t even able to leave a review through the booking platform because I technically “didn’t check in.” This is absurd, considering I couldn’t check in due to their complete lack of communication and accountability.

This experience was not just disappointing, it was unsafe and inexcusable. I demand a full refund and a formal apology. Until then, I will continue to share this experience anywhere I can. Travelers...

🚨 Stay Away – One Night Was Enough to Destroy Everything! 🚫 I spent only one night in this so-called "hotel"—and it was a nightmare in every sense of the word.The room was full of bed bugs, dirty, with a disgusting smell, and absolutely no hygiene.It felt more like an abandoned shelter than a hotel.I woke up covered in bites, itching all over, and didn’t sleep for even a minute.The pictures online are completely fake—they have nothing to do with reality.This place is a trap for tourists.The staff? Totally unhelpful and careless.No apology, no compensation, no sense of responsibility at all.Just complete indifference.To be honest, even if they offered me a free stay, I wouldn’t return.Save yourself the trouble, the stress, and the skin irritation—anywhere else is better than this!A sincere warning: don’t book, don’t visit, don’t even walk past this place!It should be shut...