The Yeatman

Very close to perfect: delightful staff; superb position with wonderful views over the Douro to Porto; spacious, comfortable rooms; top-quality breakfast; expertly curated items on Portuguese wine in the corridors (like a fascinating museum/art gallery); fine spa facilities; impeccable standard of fixtures and maintenance. I don't meant to sound churlish, but I do have two moans: it's all but impossible to escape the unrelenting and intrusive recorded "cocktail music" in all the public areas except the spa. Awful if you don't like it! Why not vary the style of music during the day, or have different types of music in different areas? Or relay the really good live music when the pianist is playing in the bar? Or - heresy - have some quiet areas? My second moan is: why on earth is there only one easy chair in the bedrooms, when there's ample space for a second one? Overall, though, one of the great hotels, with the high prices fully justified.

Absolutely loved everything about the Yeatman, especially the breathtaking view! We were in a room at the end of the hall on the 5th floor with a spacious terrace. It had great water pressure and was totally silent and quiet. Never heard any noise. It was immaculately clean. Lovely staff. Breakfast was fantastic. We were happy that we chose to stay on this side of the river in Vila Nova de Gaia and have the stunning view of Porto.

My family consisting of two couples upon recommendation from our wine supplier visited the Yeatman hotel yesterday to sit on their terrace for an afternoon drink and take in the views. We own a small hotel in the UK and were excited after the recommendation to visit. However upon arrival a very snotty nosed receptionist (who phoned down to the bar) informed us that if we had not booked a table then we were out of luck. We couldn’t find anywhere on the website to book a table for a drink but that may have been just us not being tech savvy. We decided to go and have a look at the bar and see what we were missing out on. EMPTY, completely EMPTY. So we asked one of the bar staff who said sure, are you hotel guests we explained no, he then said oh sorry we are fully booked we have a big party about to arrive (he was the gentleman we presume who spoke to the receptionist) however we said look we don’t mind where we sit (there was an abundance of lounge seating etc) so after some persuasion he let us sit in the lounge bar and we ordered our drinks. We ordered two bottles of sparkling wine with our delightful waitress. As she was so lovely we thought we’d ask if we could sit outside she looked shocked and said yes of course there’s loads of tables! So we did and we leisurely drank our fizz. Alas no surprise no party turned up! We travel a lot and stay In some of the best hotels in the world but this, I have never experienced before! Total shock and disbelief . Rude and uneducated staff. Should be ashamed of themselves and the receptionist should look for an alternative career. If my staff ever treated any of my customers like that I would be mortified.

My wife and I celebrated our wedding in Porto and stayed at The Yeatman Hotel on the evening of our wedding and the day before our honeymoon. The experience was truly sublime, from the warm and attentive service at reception to the breathtaking morning views paired with an incredible breakfast buffet. On the morning after our wedding, we ordered room service and were delighted with an exquisite cheeseboard delivered promptly and with exceptional care despite the early hour. On our second day, the hotel surprised us with a complimentary bottle of champagne to celebrate our wedding, a thoughtful and memorable gesture. We stayed in the room called Sao Domingos which happened to be the same name as the champagne we received. We enjoyed watching the sunset over Porto and the city lights come alive while sipping champagne. The hotel’s stunning location offers beautiful terraces where we had drinks both in our room and at the main hotel. It maintains an exclusive and peaceful atmosphere without ever feeling quiet or dull; there is a vibrant energy throughout. On our last night, as we had to leave early for our flight, the hotel staff kindly asked if we wanted a ‘breakfast box’ to go. When we woke up around 5 a.m., we discovered it was no ordinary breakfast box but a silver platter of delicious food to enjoy as we got ready; yet another outstanding detail that added excitement to our stay. During breakfast, we went to check out the buffet and upon returning to our table we found personalized coffees with our names in the foam alongside glasses of champagne all without asking. This attention to detail made our stay even more special and unforgettable. We look forward to returning and wholeheartedly recommend The Yeatman Hotel to anyone wanting a luxurious experience in Porto complete with exceptional service and stunning views.

Having stayed in some of the best hotels in the world The Yeatman does not even begin to live up to the hefty price tag slapped on rooms there. The front of house staff are unfriendly, unwelcoming and incompetent (we were overcharged for our deluxe suite and only realised after we left - which led to the most unpleasant experience to try to get our refund). The hotel is vast and tastefully decorated - and it is certainly very interesting to learn about the winemaking side of things - but it has no soul or warmth. There is no one to help when you need directions and there are endless corridors and lifts just to get from A to B. You will easily get your 10,000 steps in just going from the lobby to your room. The spa is vaste but portly maintained and the indoor swimming pool a germ cesspit - you will definitely get sick after swimming in it. The steam room is poor and the sauna mediocre - such a let down as it all looks so very inviting. The view of Porto is lovely and sitting outside in the sunshine for breakfast at The Orangerie (for the somewhat limited breakfast spread) was nice. We won’t go back. It is such a shame as it has a great location and has the potential to be amazing but is completely let down by the poorly maintained Spa and rooms, and the most disagreeable front of house staff.