Mercure Porto Centro Aliados Review: Perfect Porto Stay

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.

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.

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!

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):

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! :)

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