The House of Sandeman - Hostel & Suites

Wow! The House of Sandeman really does it right. My wife & I stayed here in a private room for 3 nights during our Porto visit. The location in Villa Nova de Gaia is awesome…right on the Duoro river with great views across to Porto and several bridges. You’re within walking distance to all the port wine lodges and great food. And it’s a nice walk across the main steel bridge or you can take the water taxi right out front over into Porto. The staff were just so friendly and helpful. They can help you book a port tour at the Sandeman wine cellars for a bit of a discount and it’s just next door from the hotel. The breakfast was great. And the rooms, lobbies and common areas all have comfortable and cool amenities. The place is sparkling clean. It was a great value for the money. We’d definitely stay here again.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything!

This place was the best hostel for the same price i paid in other cities. I have been to 5 hostels during this trip in Spain and Portugal. Team is great. Unfortunatelly i didn't ask the name of the gentlemen at the reception but he is very accommodative and valuable Sandeman teammember. All speak English very well which makes communication simple and clear. Very picturesque view from dining room window and atmosphere is relaxing and calming. They have welcome drink, also tea time for free. Breakfast is great!

It was cold and damp in shower, maybe it is in the whole Portu like this i don't know, but doesnt make you comfortable. Hot water was not hot, but warm. Again maybe it is thing around Portu.

The room was really nice and spacious. The view was amazing from our room. The location of the hostel is perfect. The staff was really kind and helpful regarding all our requests and questions. I would choose this accommodation again when visiting Porto next time. And we loooooved the city, Porto itself as well. It's definitely worth a great 2-3 day long city break.

We appreciated the simplicity and the design of the room, however, to our taste there were not enough storage in the room. On more shelf or an extra cupboard would have come handy. The temperature in the room was not optimal, it got cold from time to time, but it seemed to be a central problem which they were working on and the staff were open to support us with it anytime. It didn't seem to be a constant problem, however, it was a bit suboptimal for our stay. The breakfast is nice, but the online ordering system is not too logical, it would worth rethinking, redesigning it (from a process perspective) and making it a bit more logical, in my opinion.

I loved how well-designed this hostel was in terms of layout, common area bar/kitchen/lounge, and how everything from the beds to the interior signs tied back to the port wine making concept. Genius. Breakfast was delicious and a good way to meet fellow travelers... always a huge plus when food & coffee is ncluded. Location is quiet but so close to the bridge that it's very quick to get into Porto by walking, quick to see the sites in Vila Nova de Gaia, and also easy to get out of the city by car. Parking is not included but there is a decent parking garage a 3 minute walk away. As for the room, I stayed in a female-only dorm, which was very spacious. I loved that there were 4 full bathrooms attached to this room. The privacy of having a full bathroom and not just a shower stall in a shared bathroom made getting ready so much easier and faster than at other hostels I've been to.

My complaint is the beds in the 14-bed room. They are designed to look like old wine barrel frames, but they are all connected. So if someone moves further down the line, your bed moves also. Because of this I woke up many times. Super annoying. I was also put on a top bunk, and given that there were a number of empty bottom bunks it would have been nice to be asked if a top bunk was OK. I'm 44, have bad knees, and at the time had a broken finger and a shoulder injury, so it was a little tricky to climb up the ladder and crawl into bed from the end instead of the side. Also, add a door closer to the door between the bed room and the locker room so that it closes automatically and light from the locker/bathroom area doesn't leak in when people are sleeping.

Location is perfect. Next to the river, few minutes by walk and you're on the next side of the river in the city center. Very friendly staff, everything clean and beautiful, big rooms, comfy and big beds, nothing to complain about at all! Very nice lockers with easy locking system, you don't need your own lockers. Welcome drinks were very tasty 😁 The view from the window during breakfast was breathtaking. It's sad that we were in a hurry, otherwise we would sit there for hours! Obrigado 🫶🏻

There could be more meat and cheese slices for breakfast to make some sandwiches etc. My friends, who eat a lot of it, were a bit disappointed.

Love the concept and the ability to stay in a renovated historic building of an iconic part of Porto history. The common room has amazing views of the river, the sunset, and the city of Porto. Facilities are tastefully designed and well maintained. Staff are fluent in multiple languages and overall quite helpful.

The barrel beds in the hostel room are cool, but even though they aren’t stacked on top of each other, they are all connected to the same frame, which means you feel it when someone else in your row gets in or out of bed or moves around too much - not great if you’re a light sleeper, but then again, if you are a light sleeper, you probably shouldn’t choose a hostel dorm room to begin with. It’s not a hostel oriented to Camino walkers, but definitely a nice place to stay if you’re on the Camino or, like I was, finished with the Camino and on the way home.

The views from the suit side were great. The location is good as a home base but it is on the opposite side from Porto proper so it does me lots of additional walking - but I found the quieter evenings and views worth it. The breakfast was a pleasant surprise. The room size was generous as well.

Minor complaint, the bed/pillows weren’t as plush/comfortable as I was expecting for a relatively new hotel/hostel, however I’m being very nit picky. Though not a problem for us, it should be noted there’s a decent flight of stairs to get to reception. While wheelchair accessible via special lift, expect to carry your luggage up.

Everything was great! I truly enjoyed my stay from start to finish. Before check-in I had some doubts so I contacted the hostel and in less than 24h I already had an answer! The check-in was 5*service,never had such service even in a hotel. They offered to carry my luggage and they showed me my bed place. Huge bed and very spacious locker. Continental breakfast was good too, plenty of options and good quality food,also paying some additional euros is possible to upgrade to a cooked one. The lounge area is spectacular, comfy seat, not loud music, nice views over Douro river. The ideal place where to chill after a long day exploring Porto. The location is great to explore around and at the same time to enjoy the "movida" along the river. The hostel offers lot of opportunities to make the most of your stay. I loved the communal dinner all together around the big table in the room, that's probably where I felt more the hostel vibes. I also rent an electric bike and that was definitely a good choice! Thanks guys, if I'll back to Porto you'll be my 1st choice!

Nothing honestly

Amazing location. Afternoon tea served at 5pm. Free water available. Friendly and helpful staff, although when leaving with a lot of cases, it would be nice if they offered to help you as there are no lifts. Large, comfortable beds. Decent breakfast. Generally Clean. Good amount of bathrooms in the dorms. Large, spacious rooms.

Bathrooms need a hand towel and floor cloth as the shower wets the floor and the you've a wet, middy floor! Staff did provide upon request but would expect it as standard given the price they make for full dorms.

Lots of people wrote that Sandeman feels like a hotel in the guise of a hostel, and what shall I say - they were right! The beds were big and comfy, not the usual bunk bed madness. Everything was clean and super appealing, and the cherry on top of everything was the stunning view over to Porto. I actually came there to work, but socialized easily nevertheless. I'd most definitely come back!

If I had to name something at gunpoint - I'd say they could probably serve different jams over the course of the week, but that's the very definition of first world problems I guess. Breakfast was still amazing 😍