The location was perfect - centrally located and very safe. The apartment was incredibly spacious for one person (the space was larger than I expected after looking at the photos) and clean.
I received a call the day before informing me that the elevator has been broken for two weeks and it’s still not fixed (the apartment is on the fourth floor). They were wonderful and gave me the option of changing apartments at no cost if I preferred. I decided to stick with this one since they called me back again and said that building management is fixing it the day after I arrive at the latest. The elevator is really convenient for transporting your luggage up and down, and Vitor helped me carry it upstairs when I checked in.
My check-in process with Vitor was great and seamless. ORM even let me check in a few hours early since I got in early. He gave me local tips on what to see and where to eat.
I had to contact ORM a few times because I couldn’t get the front door to the building open and I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the heat. They were incredibly fast at responding, which I appreciated. They are about 10-15 minutes away via foot if you need anything in person (which in my case, I did for the heat). It ended up working - just a small glitch!
The space was wonderful - it’s a large open-space loft with a kitchen, fridge, pots/pans, dinnerware, oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar. They even left coffee and tea for you to make. The view from the balcony is impeccable. It is honestly what won me over when booking and just as great in person!
My only complaint is the front door to the building. It is difficult to open and wasted time when I was trying to re-enter the building to go up to the elevator to my apartment. Sometimes I would get lucky and sometimes it would take me 10 minutes just to open the door. There was also a homeless man sleeping outside of this building door (as it is enclosed inside and warm and dry) twice when I was coming in/out. This was quite alarming, but at least there is a secure door to even enter the apartment space, I suppose. I had to wake him up to exit the building one morning, but he was nice and moved without hesitation.
The negative comment really does not outweigh the positive comments. It was a minor inconvenience at the end of the day and the immediate responses I got each time about any issues I had were much appreciated. All in all, I would definitely stay here again the next time I’m in Porto!