Hotel Carrís Porto Ribeira-Porto — Hotel in Porto

We stayed here in December 2024. Of the 40 or so hotels I've stayed at throughout 2024, Hotel Carris had the worst service.

The Good: location is excellent—the hotel is right by the water. There's a bit of a walk uphill to the core downtown area with the shops, but it was nice being able to step outside to admire the bridge.

The Bad: the room was extremely small and cramped—we only had two carry-on size luggages and we barely had space. However, the biggest issue was the bathroom: corners and metals were rusting and the glass door is not big enough so the water splashes everywhere. Clearly this wasn't just an issue for us as the bottom of the wooden door was molding long before we arrived.

The Worst: there was an older lady at reception (she seemed to have a higher position than the others) who clearly hates her job and gets annoyed whenever customers ask her for anything. We did some laundry and the hangers inside the room were already occupied by our clothes, which were wet from the rain. When I went down to ask for more, a gentleman at reception seemed to be sympathetic and gave us three. When we needed a few more (we just had a few layers as this was a winter trip), I went downstairs. I understand that we received three extra. If I were in her shoes, I would've said 'I'm sorry, we've run out of hangers as a lot of guests have had to dry their clothes today' (again, it was raining), or have said they don't have a lot of removable hangers. However, she looked extremely annoyed and said 'we already gave you some. We don't have any more.' I'm not sure if she was annoyed because other guests may have already asked(?) and I hope she didn't think I felt entitled to hangers or something—I was only asking believing it was a normal question. I looked over at the gentleman, and he simply stared. Because I was a little offended at this point, I asked if she had any suggestions as we still had a lot of wet clothes (again, the room is very small and we just ran out of surfaces to lay our clothes across) and she seemed to get angrier and even more annoyed. As someone who also works in service, I didn't understand her attitude at all. Had she just said they ran out because other guests were using them or they don't carry a lot of removable hangers, I would've shrugged and accepted we'd have damp clothes. But reading the other reviews, it seems like service is sorely lacking at this hotel.

The other thing that genuinely irritated me was the 1 euro charge to store bags. Of the 40 or so hotels this year, 1 hostel did not accept bags at all, 1 capsule hostel asked me to pick up my luggage by 7, and a few hotels outright did not have storage service. I have never had a hotel charge us to keep the luggage. I am not sure why 1 euro matters so much to CH, but seeing its service, I don't actually think this hotel knows or understand what customer service actually is. If the hotel had lockers charging 5-10 euros, I'd at least understand it as profit. If the hotel said they just couldn't accept bags, I'd also understand. Not sure what the significance of 1 euro per bag means to the hotel.

Lastly, this hotel is uncontactable on the weekends by email, which was genuinely a first for me. Party hostels can email me back on weekends, the Ritz Carlton emailed me back on a Sunday, a capsule hotel answered my non-important inquiry on the weekend, a resort responded at least within a day on a weekend, but for some reason, CH can't.

So, my suggestion for CH: -If you can't meet a customer's request, that's fine, but I'd appreciate a 'sorry' instead of making customers feel bad for even asking -Replace the moldy doors and get larger glasses for your bathrooms -Either properly charge for luggage storage, don't do it at all, or get rid of the 1 euro charge because it's such a weird amount to ask. -I ended up just eating the international call charge to contact CH, but it'd be appreciated if someone could filter through any urgent emails over the weekend or write somewhere that emails are only reviewed during...

We booked the Carrís Porto Hotel through Booking.com, drawn in by its excellent location in Ribeira, close to many of Porto’s main attractions. And in that regard, the hotel truly delivers—you can’t beat the convenience of being within walking distance of the city’s best sights.

However, our experience from the moment we arrived was far from welcoming. The reception staff seemed indifferent, almost annoyed by our presence, which was not the best first impression. We had prepaid for three nights and, when asked about our room, were reassured that we had been given a “nice” one. Unfortunately, that could not have been further from the truth.

The room was shockingly small—easily the smallest we’ve ever stayed in. Moving around without bumping into each other (or the walls) was a challenge, making for a very uncomfortable stay. But the real disappointment came when we opened the curtains, hoping for a view of Porto’s charming streets or the river. Instead, we were met with a brick wall. It was beyond disappointing.

For a four-star hotel, the amenities were also lacking. No bottled water, very limited bathroom essentials, and not even a shower cap—basic things that should be standard. Sleep quality was another major issue. The hotel is extremely noisy, with metal staircases that amplify every footstep and heavy doors that slam shut loudly throughout the night. The cramped room only made things worse, as navigating to the bathroom in the dark was a near-impossible task.

That said, there were two saving graces. First, the breakfast was genuinely fantastic—great variety, fresh ingredients, and one of the few highlights of our stay. Second, the staff member who checked us out was the only friendly and apologetic person we encountered. She acknowledged that we had been placed in the smallest room in the hotel, usually reserved for single-night stays, and agreed that we should have been given a better one considering our three-night booking.

Overall, this was a disappointing experience. We are not overly fussy travelers, but this hotel failed to meet even basic expectations for comfort and service. Porto is an incredible city, but next time, we’ll be...

Our recent stay at the Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira was truly delightful! The location is fantastic, half a block from the Douro River with the charming Ribeira district right at your doorstep. This modern hotel is a skillfully refurbished 14th-century building, adding a unique and special touch to the experience. History and modern comfort seamlessly blended. Plus, having so many of Porto's amazing attractions within easy walking distance was a huge bonus.

What truly stood out was the exceptional service. The staff were very accommodating from the moment we arrived. Our originally booked Superior size/level room wasn't quite ready. Without any fuss or hesitation, we were promptly upgraded to a considerably larger Mini Suite at no extra cost! This thoughtful gesture set a positive tone for our entire stay. Our room was comfortable, spacious, clean, and equipped with everything needed. While the beds initially felt a little firm, they were pretty comfy, and we slept soundly. The thoughtful touches extended to the room amenities, with a great selection of coffee and tea. I did have a minor adventure Googling how to use the Nespresso Mini, but that was on me!

We opted to add breakfast to our package when reserving at a discount. Breakfast being one my favorite meals of the day. The breakfast buffet each morning was a real treat! The variety of delicious options was impressive. I even tried the baked beans (a nod to the British influence, I presume!) and was pleasantly surprised. And real scrambled eggs! It was a refreshing change from the typical American hotel breakfast. This breakfast setting is a classier establishment, so be sure to dress respectfully for breakfast, no pajamas please!

Overall, our experience at the Hotel Carris Porto Ribeira was great! The combination of a prime location, kind staff, and excellent amenities makes it a top choice for anyone visiting Porto. I recommend it and would...