Centenary Fontainhas Apartments

Recent Reviews: 46

• User:Jenni D

  Trip type: Couples

  Take a deep breath if you have luggage - 45 stairs just to the 2nd floor

  06 Mar 2019

  We stayed here for 6 nights at the end of February 2019. We were in a second floor apartment called "Sensual Red" presumably because one wall has been painted a deep red - "Bordello Red" my husband called it. How would he know that I ask!! The apartment is well situated and there is a large supermarket within walking distance but it's uphill.There are two good reasons NOT to stay at this particular apartment. The apartment we had is two storeys high fronting a very busy one way, but major thoroughfare. During the day traffic is bumper to bumper and two lanes deep most of the time. At night there are sufficient vehicles to be disturbing. Bring ear plugs. The second problem is access. There are 45 steps comprising four flights of stairs to get to the apartment and there is no lift. Carrying heavy bags up and down the stairs was challenging.The apartment is in a building some 140 years old and is a blend of old and new. The street facade is uninspiring. There are original (presumably) timber floor boards and plaster mouldings. There is a small but modern and functional bathroom which has an impressive feature wall of large granite blocks. The same blocks feature in the reception area on the ground floor and presumably in other apartments in the complex. One negative with the bathroom is that the shower mixer tap is in the middle of the back wall. It sticks out from the wall and as the shower is quite small it is not difficult to knock the lever while showering. In this case, as my husband found out, you can suddenly get an unwelcome freezing cold or alternatively very hot surprise. Children take care.The modern kitchenette has a fridge, two electric hotplates and a combi microwave/oven unit so you can certainly self cater. However, the oven looks complicated and there were no instructions provided. The storage cupboard for glasses and crockery is too high on the wall.The reverse cycle air conditioner, while working, was not working well and the heat output, even when on the maximum setting, was tepid at best. Not helped by the fact the room has high ceilings. Consequently we were cold during our stay. There is a small TV with Foxtel. There is too much large furniture which makes the apartment look smaller than it is and limits movement around the room. Wifi is free but limited and not secure.The bed is not particularly comfortable and you can feel the mattress springs. There is a narrow outside balcony with table and chairs but you won't want to use it as it is directly above the road. Therefore noisy and lots of exhaust fumes.Finally, a couple of other little niggles. No suitcase stands are provided so your suitcases will go on the floor thereby making access to contents more difficult. Secondly, reception keeps very limited hours so most of the time you are on your own. A phone number is provided so presumably you could use that to get assistance. The receptionist at check-in was very helpful and informative and speaks good English. She gave us a complimentary glass of port each, a nice touch.To travel around Porto take one of the hop on/hop off buses. 15 euros each for two days, 18 euros if you combine it with a boat trip (well worthwhile) or 25 euros if you also want to visit the old port wine cellars for a tasting. Tickets can be bought at reception or on the buses themselves. Taxis in Portugal are also cheap. From airport take shuttle rather than a taxi - 9 euros each, door to door. Find it by the rental car offices. If walking, wear decent walking shoes. Porto is hilly and the footpaths are cobbled. They are uneven and hazardous if wet. In conclusion, while the apartment itself is fine for a few days, I recommend you try to book one of the other apartments on the ground floor and at the back so you don't get as much noise and don't suffer a heart attack humping the bags up the stairs. PedroC6359, Front Office Manager at Centenary Fontainhas Apartments, responded to this review Dear Jenni,Thank you for your extensive comment, we appreciate you putting an effort into writting this comment because your opinion is important to us and it helps us improve the quality of our services.Regarding to the location of our touristic appartments, we agree on the fact that some of the apartements are facing a busy street. However, the double glazed windows and wooden shutters help to reduce almost entirely the noise coming from the street. Of course, if the balcony is open and you are on it, the noise is a bit annoying, but at the end we are in a turbulent city. We suggest to the guests who are sensitive to the noise to choose apartments to the rear of the property, where there is no circulation of vehicles, just the sound of the seagulls.Regarding to the access, it's a bit tiring to use the stairs, but we restored a bulding with more than 140 years and for that reason we wanted to preserve all its originality (granite, noble woods, ceilings, etc). We couldn't include a lift in the building, however we took in consideration to have an apartment on the ground floor, so that can be used for people in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility. We recommend that at the time of booking, you ask for an apartment on the first floors so the stay would be more pleasant for you.For the same reason as we couldnt incorporate a lift into a building, we chose to stick with the original size of bathrooms. The dimensions are similar to those in the old days and as we restored the building just like the original, we kept the same size, with walls in stone and furniture in marble.We are sorry to read that you found the oven complicated to operate, moreover because there are instructions provided for this specific oven, as well as for air conditioner remote and TV remote, in the apartment, on the living room table. We show them to our guests while doing the tour around the apartament on the check-in. In addition, we are sorry to read this information because during various interactions with the staff, you never expressed the difficulty with the oven and when reffering to air conditioner you said that the temperature was satisfactory for you.Among the furniture in the apartment, there is a specific piece of furniture for the luggage of our guests, in order to avoid situation when guests are forced to keep their luggage on the floor.Taking into account that we position as touristic apartments and not a common hotel, the reception is open during the check-in timetable, however we provide multiple options to contact us at any time of the day.To conclude, we would like to thank you for your visit and we sincerely hope that you would stay with us again. There are other apartments in the building that you might find more suitable.Greetings from Porto,Madara & CFA team

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• User:Thomas N

  Trip type:

  An average stay at this apartment

  30 Nov 2018

  The owner Pedro was very friendly and receptive. The apartment is quite centrally located.The apartment had no washing machine or dishwasher. The lights in one of the bedrooms was not sufficient and was dimly lit. The stone wall in the bathroom( this was not plastered ) was black in places ? mold..There are Ac's in both the bedrooms but the heating function does not work. PedroC6359, Owner at Centenary Fontainhas Apartments, responded to this review Dear Thomas,Thanks for your time for the revue.We have in our conditions that we don´t have dishwasher or washing machine.I´m sorry that you didn´t understand that our building is an original building with 140 years, and it was everything restored, the black in the stones is because those stones are black.About the air conditioning, I´m sorry if you have some problems with the same, but when we make the check in we explain everything about the AC´S, and there is the explanation how it works, and in the days that you were there, we met sometimes and you never talk about that.Maybe next time you must ask when you have some questions or douts.Best Regards,Pedro Costa

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• User:Maximo M

  Trip type: Family

  Great

  09 May 2018

  We stayed with family for 5 nights. Room was very clean and cool. Pedro is an excellent host always ready to find solutions to any problem. Location is really good with just a small issue: could be a bit noisy but manageable. All in all, great place to stay in. Pedro C, Proprietário at Centenary Fontainhas Apartments, responded to this review Dear Maximo,It is always good to receive nice people like you and your familly.This is your home at Porto.Best Regards,Pedro Costa & CFA TEAM

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• User:Z0siaB

  Trip type: Family

  Perfect

  19 Apr 2018

  Centenary Fontainhas Apartments was as good as the reviews promised. Our two bedroom apartment had 3 full bathrooms plus a sitting room and kitchen. The facilities were immaculate. It was on the top floor without a lift but it wasn't a problem for us at all. Staff were friendly and helpful, making recommendations and securing taxis for us when needed. I would definitely stay here again when I am back in Porto. Pedro C, Owner at Centenary Fontainhas Apartments, responded to this review Thanks so much for your kind words.With good people is always easy to provide the best service.we waiting for your visit again.Best,Pedro Costa & STAFF CFA

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• User:Cougars09

  Trip type: Couples

  Lovely

  22 Oct 2017

  These are really lovely apartment a 5 minute walk from the historical area and from any of the tourist bus routes (red/yellow/blue) they don’t look much from the outside but are lovely inside. Air conditioned and fully serviced. There are breakfasts available but there are nice coffee shops close by for breakfast and plenty of little shops/supermarkets to stock up as u have a fully functional kitchen. There are plenty of stairs to get to the apartments so not suitable for some. Nice place to stay and a €20-25 cab fare back to the airport. We will be back.

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