Maison Albar Hotels Le Monumental Palace

It's a magnificent hotel located in a beautiful palace, right next to a metro station. The rooms are spacious and very attractive, with the TV positioned behind a mirror. Two desserts (financiers) are offered. There's a very good and varied breakfast buffet with a lovely adjoining library. It also has a hammam, an indoor pool heated to 29°C (a bit chilly in the middle of winter), and normally a sauna, but the latter was out of order.

We had a great four-day stay at this hotel. Everything went smoothly and the service was outstanding. The entire team was very attentive and welcoming, whether at the front desk, during breakfast, or with room service. The staff really made the difference. I highly recommend this hotel and I would happily stay here again.

I spent New Year's Eve in Porto, and the best thing about this hotel for that time of year was its location, right on the town hall square where they had set up a stage with live performances and a DJ for New Year's Eve. I'd like to highlight several things we didn't like. One was at check-in; they made us pay the full amount of the reservation upfront, and the receptionist who attended us wasn't very friendly. Another issue was the breakfast buffet, which was included in our reservation. On the first day, they tried to charge us for it. I can forgive that, as anyone can make a mistake, but what I don't think is up to the standards of a 5-star hotel is that there was no fresh orange juice at the buffet, and unless you ordered espresso, they served it to you at the table from a thermos. There weren't even capsule coffee machines. When we asked if we couldn't have espresso, they finally said yes, and they would serve it directly to the table as many times as we asked. But initially, while they informed us about the hot dishes we could order outside of the buffet, they didn't mention anything about the coffee. Another point to highlight is that what the hotel calls a spa is actually a room with indirect lighting and very comfortable sun loungers, a Turkish bath, and a decent, if somewhat small, pool. However, it lacks any hydromassage or pressurized waterfalls, and the water temperature is rather cold. I think calling these facilities a spa is a bit of a stretch. I'm unfamiliar with the treatment area, as we didn't use any of the treatments. I'd also like to mention that, just as they inform you about the views from the rooms facing the plaza, they could at least tell you that the rooms classified as "deluxe," like ours, don't have views. Instead, they go into details like the fact that they overlook an interior courtyard of another building very close to the hotel. On the positive side, the quality of the bed linens, towels, bathrobes, and even the slippers was excellent, as was the complimentary water in the rooms, along with the coffee and tea. As for the hotel staff, everyone was very friendly and helpful, from reception (except for the person who checked us in on the first day) to the breakfast waitresses and the housekeeping staff. There were no language problems at all; everyone spoke to us in Spanish. If I were to return to Porto, I would consider this hotel, but knowing the city a bit better, at this price, I might also consider other options. I understand that prices may be higher around New Year's, but the hotel is rated 5 stars, and there are aspects that, in my opinion and based on my experience, don't quite live up to that standard. In any case, Porto is a city worth discovering and visiting.