ZERO Box Lodge Coimbra

“Step outside your box and you will be amazed…” This was the main message on the hotel’s website, accompanied by photos of the restaurant. Unfortunately, this became our main disappointment, as aside from the room, THERE IS NO COMMON AREA AVAILABLE FOR GUESTS. The restaurant serves breakfast, but it is not integrated into the hotel facilities, outside breakfast time, you are expected to make a purchase while there. Our second disappointment was the bed sheets. We are experienced travelers across all hotel budget levels, and we have never encountered sheets in such poor condition; they had holes all over them. We asked for them to be changed, which they did, but the replacements also had holes, just slightly fewer… The acoustics are also an issue; you can clearly hear everything from the neighboring rooms, including people snoring. Besides that, the staff are friendly, the location is great, the breakfast is good, and the shower is good. However, in our opinion, the value for money is not worth it. You can find better options in Coimbra for the same price.

Such a fun experience! Warm welcome by the enthusiastic hotel staff that gave us great recommendations for a short stay in Coimbra and two cold beers. The rooms were small, but functional and hip and well designed. A bigger bathroom than one would expect. Airconditioning was great, the bed was good and I liked the ambience lights underneath the bed. The entrance of the hotel is also quite beautiful: with carpets with drawings and cool lighting. The location was perfect: only a 5 minute walk to one of Coimbra’s main streets. Breakfast was also great: pancakes, hard boiled eggs, pan con tomate… in a fun and nicely decorated space. Perfect for a short stay in this beautiful, kind of magical city. I say short stay because obviously you have no windows in the box and I do prefer some fresh air in my hotel room (but I knew beforehand that that wouldn’t be a possibility).

Nothing fancy, but it does exactly what you need — a comfortable, cozy, and dark place to get a good night’s sleep. It has no natural light, which you may care about, but I did not mind as darkness + cool temperature are generally great for sleep. The storage lockers are super convenient, especially since you can use them before check-in or even after checkout. The staff were friendly, and you’re even greeted with a non-Portuguese beer (Carlsberg) when you arrive, which is a nice touch. The only downside is that there’s no self check-in, even for Airbnb guests — not ideal if you’re arriving late. That’s the only reason I deducted one star. Other than that, great spot and great location!

Great location for the centre of town, by the river. Really good breakfast and nice bar/restaurant upstairs. Friendly staff. But the rooms are too claustrophobic for me, despite a really good shower.

Our stay at zero box lodge was amazing! The staff checking in and out were extremely pleasant and very helpful. Hotel was clean, one of the cleanest hotel showers I’ve been in. Great location Great vibes, would definitely recommend. Thank you zero box for the fabulous stay, we are excited to stay at your Porto location tonight!!