6/10 Okay
Joanne G.
14 Mar 2023
Fabulous host, but apartment needs attention!
We have stayed at a number of VRBOs around the world, and this is the hardest review I've ever had to write because Pedro, the host, is just terrific, but the apartment, itself is not.
Pedro is kind and exceedingly helfpful. He left a carafe of Port wine for us, and because he is a tour guide, had lists of things to do, restaurants, and more. He almost always responded to texts immediately, and his recommendations for a wine shop and dinner were excellent.
The apartment is on the Douro River with fabulous views of the city. It is spacious and generally clean.
Unfortunately, there were issues that I didn't communicate to Pedro because they weren't things that could be fixed while we were there.
First, the photo of the view that caused me to book is misleading because it is taken from a much higher floor; the apartment is on the ground level. It was rainy and chilly the week we spent there, and the apartment was really cold, even with the heaters at the highest setting and use of the space heater in the living room. Other VRBOs in Portugal had inverter heaters that worked well, and we hope Pedro considers this option.
The biggest problem was the mildew. The apartment was damp and mildew was everywhere--living room and kitchen ceilings, shower curtain, and couches and chairs. A loud automatic air freshener spurted every 20 minutes but it didn't solve the problem. With allergies and asthma, it was extremely unpleasant, and I hope Pedro can remediate this soon.
Joanne G.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023