Hotel Astória

Stayed at Hotel Astoria as part of a tour and overall had a good experience. It’s a nice historic hotel, and the room was very, very spacious - which is rare for Europe. The room even had a separate reading/sitting area, which made it feel more comfortable than expected. Breakfast was pretty decent - nothing fancy, but solid and got the job done. The elevator is definitely… interesting. It’s a historic elevator where you have to manually open the door when it reaches your floor. Some people will love it, some won’t, but I personally thought it was pretty cool. It’s still safe and modern enough - the doors don’t open until the elevator fully stops. The location is the real standout. Easily one of the best spots in the city, right at the bottom of the hill and perfect for walking around and exploring Coimbra. One small suggestion: while I appreciate the historic character, the hotel could benefit from some modernization, especially in the bathroom. I wasn’t a fan of the shower heads - they had the old historic-style knobs, which look nice, but I’d personally prefer a more modern bathroom setup. Overall, a solid stay in an excellent location, especially if you like historic hotels with character.

The hotel is historic, opened many years ago—some might say it’s just old. The location is excellent, in the center of Coimbra. About a kilometer away, across the river bridge, there’s a municipal parking lot with great rates. The area around the hotel is safe, even at night. The hotel was surely very beautiful in the past and must have been a luxury hotel once. The furnishings are often antique. The room I stayed in was very large, with a “grandma’s house” scent. It didn’t have a fridge or a safe. The bathroom was also from another era. It had excellent fixed hygiene products with a great scent. Breakfast was good, with a wide selection of sweet and savory items. There aren’t many restaurants nearby, so I didn’t try the hotel’s restaurant for dinner.

From the outside, the facade of the hotel was a view in itself. Upon entering you will be greeted by a lobby you may imagine is a movie set from years ago. The antique furniture and wooden flooring amazed us. We booked the romantic room. Still in theme with old furniture and fixtures including the bathroom. It was spacious and had 3 full windows with excellent view of the mondego river and bridge. Hotel location was very good. It resided along the main road accessible to public transport beside the river. University of Coimbra was 15-20min hike away. Upon check-in, the reception handed us a map and explained briefly how to navigate the city. She included a few places that we should visit. Complementary breakfast was great! Lots of bread, cheese ans juice options. There as also ham, egg and mushrooms. Cereal is also an option for kids. Btw, we really loved the hot chocolate, even though it was powdered. Our stay in hotel astoria was one we will never forget. The overall vibe of the hotel matched the old feels of the city and yet no eerie feeling during our entire stay. If you are a couple, make sure to book the romatic room!

Beautiful historic hotel with personality in a great location near the old city. The rooms were clean and the staff were helpful. They have an amazing breakfast with choice of cereals and breads. Also, there were eggs, meats and beans.

This is either a 5 star or 1 star hotel depending on what you are looking for. If you want a 60 inch OLED TV, fully stocked mini bar and floor safe, this is not the hotel you were looking for. However, if you want to step back in time by staying in a charming, centrally located bit of Coimbra history, then this little bit of faded grandeur might be for you. Very popular with tourists though, so you will not be bumping into Hercule Poirot at breakfast, more likely a very loud American at the next table giving everyone in the dining room a first hand account of all the places they have been to in Portugal....