Mercure Porto Centro Aliados Review: Perfect Porto Stay
Planning a trip to Porto? Read our honest review of Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, a clean, spacious, and perfectly located hotel in the heart of the city.
Loading...
Planning a trip to Porto? Read our honest review of Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, a clean, spacious, and perfectly located hotel in the heart of the city.
Mercure Porto Centro Aliados
Sharing my detailed review of this hotel in Porto—
super clean, perfectly located, and amazingly spacious!
I was absolutely thrilled with my stay.
Contents. | 1. Where to Stay in Porto 2. Detailed Review of Mercure Porto Centro Aliados 3. Breakfast & Other Facilities |
1. Choosing the Best Hotel Location in Porto
*The blue arrow indicates the hotel's location.
Porto is a city known for some seriously steep hills.
Since traveling in Europe easily means walking 20,000 steps a day, it really becomes a test of endurance. That's why picking the right accommodation location is absolutely crucial.
The city center of Porto stretches around Aliados Avenue and the São Bento Station area.
This is the absolute best area to stay in because everything—from shops and restaurants to the Bolhão Market, and the metro for airport transfers or getting to Jardim do Morro—is right at your fingertips.
Especially if you're planning a summer trip, Western Europe's summer heat can be absolutely brutal.
Having your hotel right here lets you easily pop back in for a quick break and recharge throughout the day.
In fact, during the scorching midday heat, I often ran back to the hotel to cool down when I was sweating like crazy in the afternoon before heading back out.
The buildings cascading down the hills do look incredibly beautiful when viewed from the riverfront.
Some people might prefer a hotel with a view of Porto's Douro River.
But trust me... that area is a steep hill nightmare.
Since you won't be staying in your hotel room the whole trip, enjoying those stunning views from local restaurants or Jardim do Morro is more than enough!
📍 Mercure Porto Centro Aliados
R. do Bonjardim 95 Rnet 9382, 4000-124 Porto, Portugal
The hotel I chose, Mercure Porto Centro Aliados, is located right in the heart of the city—just a 6-minute walk from São Bento Station and a 4-minute walk from Bolhão Market.
Superb location, incredibly clean, and very reasonably priced. I highly recommend it!
2. My Review of Mercure Porto Centro Aliados
Mercure Porto Centro Aliados
The hotel is housed in a beautifully remodeled historic building right in the city center.
Since Porto is a historic city with an aged charm, the hotel's exterior and entrance might look a bit small and understated.
But once you step inside, it's a completely different story! haha
The hotel features a gorgeous sky blue as its main theme color, which felt so refreshing and vibrant.
The room has wooden floors, which feel so much cleaner than carpet. Near the entrance, you'll find a safe and a mini-fridge, with the bathroom right next to it.
The bed was pristine and spacious enough for two.
The outlets on both sides got cut off in the photo, but they are there! (Super important, haha)
Even though this was a standard room, it was surprisingly spacious. You can fully open up your suitcases without any struggle!
There was also a very large table, which was perfect for laying out our things or enjoying a quick snack.
The standard bathroom amenities are from NUXE.
Since it's a brand hotel, I loved that they paid attention to these little details with quality amenities.
The toilet is located behind the sink, with an extra door leading to its own separate little water closet area.
Of course, a hairdryer is provided, and the shower booth was spotlessly clean.
I stayed in a standard room with a garden view, and opening the curtains revealed a view of the hotel's pool.
It's a cozy, tiny pool, but many travelers were out there sunbathing and taking a dip anyway!
Still, opening the curtains to see this lush greenery combined with the blue of the pool was incredibly beautiful.
The pricing is quite reasonable too.
For a 4-star hotel right in the city center, it's a fantastic deal.
Here is the price for a 1-night stay for 2 adults in a standard room on a random date (taxes included):
~$157 | |
~$184 |
If you have a high member tier on Trip.com, you can book it for even less.
(I saw rates in the ~$115 range!)
Either way, Trip.com currently offers the best deal.
For reference, the official website rate is in the ~$179 range. Booking through Trip.com can save you over ~$32!
3. Hotel Breakfast & Other Facilities
For once during my travels, I booked a room that included breakfast.
It was a buffet-style setup. While the selection wasn't huge, it was perfect for grabbing a few classic European continental bites to start the day.
Since I love cold cuts and cheeses, it was more than enough for me. But if you're looking for a hearty, heavy breakfast to start your day, you might want to adjust your expectations.
The ground floor lobby has this incredibly cool space.
There's a bar equipped with beer taps, and the seating area is super spacious. I have to say, this photo turned out so moody and aesthetic! haha
I didn't actually order anything from the bar, but since my room didn't have a wine opener, I did head down to ask the staff to uncork a bottle for me.
A bit of a quirky point for a hotel not to have a wine opener in the room, but they were happy to help.
To quickly wrap up my hotel stay:
Pros
Fantastic location
Very clean and tidy
Beautiful, stylish interior design
Spacious rooms
Cons
No wine opener in the room;
Breakfast buffet is a bit basic
They're a bit minor to really call "cons" lol, but I thought I'd list them anyway.
Overall, I really loved this hotel.
If you're looking for a clean, well-located hotel in Porto, I highly recommend it! :)
The hotel is located in the city center of Porto, a 6-minute walk from São Bento Station and a 4-minute walk from Bolhão Market. It is in a very convenient location for accessing major shops, restaurants, and subway stations in the hilly city of Porto.
The room floors are clean hardwood instead of carpet, and NUXE products are provided as the basic bathroom amenities. The layout features a separate space with a door for the toilet behind the sink.
Breakfast is served as a continental buffet with a limited menu. It is good for a light meal consisting mainly of ham and cheese, but you shouldn't expect a hearty breakfast.
There is a small outdoor swimming pool visible from the garden view rooms. There are no wine openers provided in the rooms, so if you need one, you must go down to the lobby bar on the ground floor to request it.
Discover why Esquina Urban Lodge is our top pick for budget-friendly accommodation in Lisbon's Baixa district. Great location, clean rooms, and amazing value!
Searching for a flat, walkable hotel in Lisbon? Read our full review of the Turim Terreiro do Paço Hotel, including room details, prices, and nearby eats.
Looking for the best river view in Porto? Here's my honest review of the River Soul Hotel, featuring breathtaking balcony views and modern comforts.
Planning a trip to Porto in 2026? Discover why Youropo Downtown is the ultimate base for your Portuguese adventure, offering massive rooms and prime location.
Planning a Porto winery tour? Discover whether Graham's official site or a guided tour offers the best price, benefits, and experience for your 2026 trip.
Deciding between a Douro Valley day trip and a Gaia cellar tour? Here is why Graham's Winery is the ultimate choice for a short, premium Porto wine tasting.
