The Yeatman

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.

Went to the Yeatman yesterday, for breakfast. It was recommended by a couple of good friends of mine. They were right. Best breakfast & one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. The food and view, perfect. Highly recommend

We had booked a table for afternoon tea at 3pm but having arrived early we were ushered out to a beautiful terrace with an amazing view across the river to Porto. Drinks were ordered, but service appeared to be somewhat slow. I put this down to still serving lunches. We were told afternoon tea would be served inside in Dick’s Bar, which seemed a shame on a beautiful day. We were taken inside about 3.15pm and offered a choice of table - only one other table occupied at this time. The place seemed oddly sterile and, with the lack of customers, lacked much atmosphere. What followed was a painfully SLOW service to provide afternoon tea for 2 people. A table of 4 came in after us and were gone long before us, I felt somewhat sorry for the young woman serving - she appeared to be the main server in the bar and disappeared for an age every time she needed to collect towers of foods/fresh water for tea and anything else. I think the kitchen must have been at the other end of the building the time it took to fetch things! All in all we were there nearly 3 hours! Whilst no one wants to be rushed on these occasions, there is a balance of relaxed informal service and plain tardiness. This I think this fell into the latter category! I would hesitate to recommend this experience to anyone based on my own recent experience . In fact a lady +two children appeared just before we left and after 20 minutes there was no sign of food/drink coming her way either. I would respectfully suggest that if the prestigious Yeatman Hotel continue to offer an afternoon tea experience that an increase in staffing is required to be able to provide a more acceptable level of service and also provide an outdoor option (under shaded umbrellas) to optimise the panoramic situation of the terrace. A beautiful hotel with stunning aspects but on this occasion, it fell way short of the 5* treatment which was expected.

The hotel although highly regarded for its starred restaurants and location, is pompous and unfriendly. I had booked a pre-night stay with the property in anticipation of a Abercrombie and Kent tour. Following an overnight flight I arrived around noon and was greeted but told rooms weren’t quite ready. Two hours later they still weren’t. Having expressed my disappointment and frustration I asked that my luggage be returned as accommodations were available a short Uber ride away Miraculously a room was available within 20 minutes. A premier hotel would not subject their guests to such chicanery. Reputations matter, but actual performance is defining

We were locked out of the side gate and complained he was not helpful. Lots of stairs to get around from town, inconvenient. We expect (and pay for) superior customer service. For the price there are better places to stay and closer to town. Even getting from your room is a half a mile to the front desk, main thing was his lack of concern and attention to customer service. I never complain but this was just too much.