Dukes Corner Guest House

The reception was not open continuously due to lack of staff so we had to arrange the time to check-in (which cannot often be concrete whilst travelling) but other than that, it was a decent accomodation.

We stayed for 3 nights in this guest house. It is basic, clean with great staff and one of the few budget friendly places that offers breakfast also. The location is great; you can walk to almost all attractions (depending on how much you want to walk); and surrounded by coffee shops and restaurants. It is in a beautiful, old home and the details are great- if you are in that sort of thing. The good: - The staff is amazing. Every one we met was great and very helpful. The front desk person-Emerson: gave us great guidance on what to see, how to club things to get the most out of our day, where to find good restaurants, etc. - We got there sooner than our check in time, and they let us keep our luggage there, offered water etc. -Our room was ready when we got back and our luggage was put in the room - Breakfast was simple- coffee, boiled eggs, baked goods, toast, butter, jam, fruit and some meats. The breakfast was handled by the sweetest Iracema and she was amazing. They give freshly squeezed orange juice and it's amazing. We had read in reviews that there were options to given to other travelers for scrambled eggs but we did not get that option- but that's ok. We missed breakfast one day as we had to step out early but when we told Emerson he made sure the next day they let us have breakfast 15 mins before so we won't miss it. - The room was very clean. It was small- which is expected of European hotels, but was as advertised and had everything we needed. The covered balcony gave us the extra space and we enjoyed it. - They give you wine as a welcome drink- which is nice. They also offered beer and I am not sure it's a norm; maybe it was done as a special thin-due to the first 'not so good' point below. The not so good: -It was hot the 2 out of 3 nights we were there. When we went to our room after it was ready the room was stuffy and hot. There are no fans and the Air conditioning unit was throwing warm air. So we went and told the front desk associate who told us that the there was an issue with the Air conditioning unit in that room and their repair person was sick so he can not get anyone there till a day later and it will be fixed then (2 nights out of 3 nights of our stay). This annoyed us as this should have been something that should have been mentioned when we checked in. We asked can we move to another room and were told there were no other rooms empty. We asked for a fan and they gave us one. They also told us to open the windows as it cools down in the night and that should help- so we did as it very hard to sleep in the room without that. That led to another issue-mosquitoes. So we did not get a good night's sleep 1st night fighting hot stuffy room and/or mosquitoes . On day 2 ( Sunday) I requested again and told about the mosquito issue; I was told they are trying to get another repair man. In the evening when we got back and checked we were told that they got the new repair person and the air conditioner needs a part which th

We were aware prior to our arrival that Reception would be closed so we rang the number provided as we left the airport and the owner had arranged for someone else to be there to greet us. However, the lady spoke very little English (and we speak no Portugese) so check-in was lengthy and difficult as she was using Google translate. It was not the best first impression and having read more reviews on our return home, we clearly missed out by not having the personal experience at check-in and missed some information eg cooked option at breakfast! Our room (with garden access and balcony) had lovely high ceilings, it was clean and the bed was very comfortable but the facilities were very basic. The air conditioning unit was not working on our arrival so the first night was unbearably hot (it was repaired the following day after reporting it to the owner) but there were no dials to change the temperature - it was set low but I would have preferred the room to be cooler. There was no safe in the room which we expect as standard to be able to store our passports etc securely. There was no storage ie chest of drawers or wardrobe - there was a wire with coathangers at the back of the built-in bathroom. Any noise from the bathroom could be heard in the bedroom and the shower was tiny (although pressure was good). There was a luggage rack for the suitcase. The kettle was on a small desk which had no socket nearby so it had to be boiled on either of the bedside tables. There was no fridge so drinks were not chilled and no option to have milk in our tea. Breakfast - the continental was varied and tasty but we were not aware that there was a cooked option. 8-10am did not work for us - too late for our day trip to the Douro Valley (first morning) so only ate breakfast on day 2. We were provided with a couple of pastries and carton of orange juice for day 3 as we had an early flight. Overall we expect our holiday accommodation to be better than home and this room was not up to standard - it was underwhelming and disappointing.

We arrived on a late flight but the hotel had pre arranged a taxi for us. All went smooth, and a lovely welcome on arrival. Room was not massive and we had no wardrobe which is not normally a problem but we had 4 nights here as we started a 3 week tour of Portugal. Just a note for anyone having a longer break. The bed was really comfortable and shower great. It was fairly quiet too in a residential area 15 to 20 min walk to the river and tourist spots. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly , prepared to help with any questions, and breakfast was ample choice and good quality. Overall, a lovely start to out trip, I would recommend staying at Dukes Corner if you prefer a bed and breakfast with the personal touch rather than the hotels. Thanks to all for a lovely 4 nights. I also recommend Dona Mira on a near side street for food and drinks. Lovely friendly bar.

Made very welcome by the staff who were always helpful. Rooms were cleaned and beds made daily with fresh towels. Breakfast - freshly pressed orange juice, omelette or scrambled egg on request, fresh fruit and of course pasteis de nata! I would be happy to return to this guest house

The whole experience was excellent All staff were very helpful with map to get about and advice on areas to visit and local restaurants Location was fantastic just above the old town with 10 minutes walk in and 15 minutes down to the river Breakfast were super with a wide choice all fresh served between 8-10 Room was very comfortable and cleaned when requested Fantastic friendly guest house and staff

Excellent position in a quiet neighboughood. Everyting in the house was tidy and clean. The breakfast includes good coffee and quite a selection of healthy and local food. The staff was very friendly and helped me out with briging their own tips for trips around the city. Also the internet connection was pretty fast. I can quite recommend for both business and vacation.

What a surprise! After many years of both short and long stays in Portugal, and staying in a variety of different types of places – everything from rented apartments to five-star hotels – my expectations were perhaps not too high when I booked Dukes Corner Guesthouse for an extended stay. But oh how wrong you could be... Dukes Corner is the best place I've stayed in Portugal in all the more than thirty years I've visited the country! A somewhat anonymous and unassuming building, with a beautiful exterior for sure, which may not impress in the purely technical details. But in all the other details – from the reception on the first day to the departure on the last day – there was one thing that impressed me the most. And it was that in every given event, it was always the guest's best interest that guided the actions. Everything was done to make your stay as comfortable and carefree as possible. And always with a smile and a good mood that warms the heart. Through their actions, the staff makes you and all other guests feel comfortable, have fun and feel good. And all the staff, not least Fatima, become almost like family members in your own house. The staff and level of service at Dukes Corner beats any five star hotel I have visited around the world. With a shorter description: Simply the best….