José, the gentleman who greeted us upon arrival, was lovely. He spoke English very well and was kind, friendly, and supportive of us travelling with a little baby.
- Pros of this specific AirBnB: as other reviews mention, the view and natural lighting is excellent. Access to services (transit, tourist highlights, grocery) is very good. You are within walking distance of everything. Note: you are on the Villa de Gaia side of the river, the side where all the port wineries are located. Hence, you have superb walking access to those companies. A beautiful lookout (miradouro) of Porto and a photogenic bridge are also at your door step.
Living conditions: as a place to stay the night, it was comfortable. The beds, dining area, and space was very good. We travelled with our 11 month old baby. Aposentus was very helpful by providing a feeding chair and baby crib. There also happened to be a children’s consignment store right next door. In case you wanted to shop second hand for your child, you may be able to find it there. The Europeans have good fashion!
The wifi was excellent for our needs. The elevator was appreciated, although the apartment is just on the first floor, so not far to walk. But great for luggages. As for the parking, phew! We were grateful we had it! Driving in Porto is a nightmare. Avoid at all costs unless you’re a local. We parked the car and left it there. Getting into the spot is another challenge. It requires good driving/reversing skills. Having another person there is helpful.
I will, however, mention the cooking arrangement at this apartment. It presented with various challenges. Namely, the supply and quality of cooking gear was hit or miss. There were a lot of odds and sods, with some things missing or not working. However, whenever something was needed, Aposentus responded and provided the items immediately. This kitchen is enough for small cooking tasks, like breakfast. But if you are looking to cook extensive meals, you might have some difficulty.
As a parent of a small baby, I will say that this apartment was not the most baby friendly. Accessing the apartment with the elevator was great! But small things in the apartment I really had to keep an eye out for so my little one (who just learned to walk) wouldn’t be grabbing everything. For instance, the windows that provide that beautiful view? When open, they present an ideal opportunity for children to throw things through them (as happened to us…she threw her pacifier out the window..of all the things! Haha). Say goodbye to things that fall. There were also many things to grab, like cables, fake plants, glass decorations, etc. This is no fault of Aposentus whatsoever, I’m just sharing that if coming here with a baby, be prepared to keep your eyes on them at all times.
Overall, Aposentus is a responsive company that cares about its tenants and seeks to provide a quality stay (unlike other company-run Airbnb’s that make you travel half way across the city to pick up a key, and they don’t respond to your questions once you’ve paid). Aposentus is not like that. They were quick to respond to my messages and were very helpful. They always tried to resolve the issues with what means were available to them. Thank you Aposentus for giving us a place to stay in Porto!