Icon Apartments by Nôma — Hotel in Porto

The hotel website featured a description of the room, listing basic essentials. I saw that the bare minimum was included, and I thought that would be enough. Imagine our surprise when we actually arrived at the room.

Yes, there was a hairdryer — but no electric kettle. There was a toilet — and, amazingly, even toilet paper! There was a double bed — but only one bedside table for two people.

What was truly unacceptable, however, was the absence of such a basic item as a kettle and two cups. A cheap kettle and two cups — that’s all. I had brought chamomile tea so my wife, who was staying at the hotel for medical treatment, could have a cup of tea in the morning and evening. This wasn’t just for comfort — it was a medical necessity.

The internet worked the first day, but not the second. There was no option to enter a password for the Wi-Fi network. Without a password, it connected to the network, but there was no access to the internet.

The code provided by the hotel had eight characters. So, before you could use it to enter the building, call the elevator, or open the room door, you basically had to memorize it like a Shakespearean sonnet!

When we came down to the lobby in the morning, the regular milk had run out and only soy milk was available. Seriously? In Portugal — a country with no shortage of cows — is milk really a problem? Or is it just this hotel?

In the evening, I noticed many people sitting in the lobby with their laptops. Their problem? There were no free sockets to plug in. To charge a device, guests had to unplug the standing lamp and use that socket. Five-star service for business guests, right?

And in the lobby — a space where many guests gather — there’s no air conditioning. The air becomes unbearable. It’s only when the door opens that you can finally breathe.

On top of that, the hotel is located right on the edge of a large road interchange. Because of the constant traffic noise, many rooms are simply impossible to ventilate — you can't open the windows, neither during the day nor at night. Naturally, there was no warning about this on the booking page.

In short: cutting costs and saving on basic amenities is not just unpleasant — it’s...

This property needs a proper review. I actually have nothing to fault about it so everything is only pros. Just a few recommendations for improvement but that too is nitpicking.

It's a special experience I this apartment to start with there is no reception no one at the property it's all done by email and online payments you get a code that will get you in and out of the apartment (parking lift etc) very secure and safe. All common areas (lifts corridor etc) are super clean and well maintained they smell nice as well.

Located ideally near the highway there is a shopping mall and huge Lidl supermarket 5 mins away (by car). Located about 15-20 mins from city centre there are public transport close by. Location is a housing area with many other apartments nearby. Though I won't recommend a walk in the night on the roads behind.

We booked the apartment with the balcony and that just wowed us the cleanliness, facilities, 2 bathroom and full kitchen dinning and sitting area (with a large TV) and a separate bedroom with doors, each room gets an air-con and also its own full bathroom as well. Balcony is accessible from both rooms. The room and comfort it provides is exceptional for the price.

I requested for towel change and cleaning every second day (we stayed 6 nights) and they obliged.

We had a car and parked in the super secure underground parking lot which really spacious and has enough slots. (Free). There is also a laundry room which we did not use.

Nothing at all to fault if anything I would recommend the following.

Keeping a usb charging socket in either or both.

Kitchen does not have a waste bin as such we are given waste covers so we need to keep that on the floor.

Bed is slightly small would have been good to have a bigger one which fits the room.

Also provide a small inexpensive table and chairs in the balcony.

Water pressure on the shower on both bathrooms were low would good to if that...

You get what you pay for, I guess. The room was fine. A comfortable bed with good functioning AC and a nice shower - although the toilet seat was a little loose and the sink was too small.

But then... Only one bedside table and one chair for two people? No enclosed closet/wardrobe space - only an open frame with 5 clothes hangers for two (and no more available even on request) and a very short hanging space that's not big enough.

The balcony was shared and accessible to the room next door. Which is great if you're a family or friend group that has booked two rooms right next door, but an imposition and possible security risk if not.

WiFi was patchy and inconsistent. There was no bin in the main room - only a tiny one on the bathroom. Only one draw each available in the provided chest of drawers. No water is provided complementary. Also no room kettle or tea or coffee.

The location is convenient but not nice per se, being next to two large insurance company buildings and a major highway.

Also, the lifts/elevators! Holy cow, these were frustrating. Hardly big enough to fit more than four people with luggage. Devilishly slow. Only workable using the room code.

Like, I don't know. In person, the staff seemed friendly and helpful. Yet the service overall was lacking due to over emphasis on no frills and automation, which combined with poor communication. For example, we couldn't get the lift to work when we arrived. It wouldn't recognize the room code. When we asked, this was because we had arrived 5 mins before our official check in time. Which would have been ok - if that information had been communicated in the check in email!

I don't like to be mean, but this place feels like the Ryanair of hotel experiences, built around cost cutting wherever possible. I can't imagine ever wanting to stay here again, and would gladly pay extra for a better service elsewhere next time I...