Hotels & Other Accomodations

 This is a listing of various hotels and other accomodations we have stayed at on our recent travels.

2026:

Lisbon - February, 5 nights @ Hotel Marques da Pombal - central hotel in good location, near Metro.  Not in historic centre but can walk 20-30mins or 10min Metro to get to centre.  This is on a busy street but not a noisy area and has many other hotels as well as restaurants and shops nearby.  This is a good choice for being close enough to central, but not in the noise or busy tourist crowds.

Lisbon - May, 2 nights @ Moov Oriente - This is a budget hotel, relatively new Portuguese owned chain, modest facilities but very clean, friendly staff; good option for budget price in close proximity to Oriente train station and 15min drive to airport; also supermarket and metro station nearby.   For a more mid-range option at about $50 more per night, choose the Moxy Oriente (Marriott brand), which is directly across street from Oriente Train/Metro station.  From Oriente the Metro takes about 25-30mins to Baixa/Chiado station in centre of Old Town Lisbon.   

For a first time visitor to Lisbon and wanting to stay in the heart of old town Lisbon there are many options.  We had stayed in a couple of Shiadu properties in 2015 and 2017.  These are very central and high quality.  Priced accordingly.

Albufeira - February, 11 nights @ Airbnb

Armacao de Pera - 10 nights @ Airbnb (through Algarve Lodging).

Lagos - 31 nights @ Adega Condo Complex through Resort Rentals Algarve.

Praia da Rocha (Portimao) - 28 nights @ Foz Palace through Nuris2u Rental Agency.  

2025

Winter:

Lisbon - 1 night before departure home at Moov Oriente.

Madeira - 5 nights at Tui Blue Madeira Gardens in Funchal.  This is a resort hotel with great facilities and service.   It has indoor and outdoor pools, a great buffett breakfast and it also has events onsite and staff can arrange other activities offsite.   The location is still Funchal, but away from the old town.  You could get to old town by Bolt/Uber or bus.  There are still lots of good restaurants a short walk away from the hotel.  We had a car for part of the time at this hotel and used the location as a base to explore other parts of the island for day trips.

We also stayed 4 nights at Hotel do Carmo in Funchal.  This is an older hotel, but located right in the old town area, walkable to everything in the town centre.   You probably do not want a car at this location as parking would be difficult and/or expensive.

Porches - 1 night at Pestana Viking Hotel.

Armacao de Pera - 31 nights in March at apartment booked through SONHOS DE FÉRIAS.

Praia da Rocha (Portimao) - booked month of April at Apartment “Sea View Love” through Nuris2u.  Very nice apartment with modern decor and fully equipped, though it is in an older apartment building and some nearby clubs can be noisy late into some nights.

Fall:

Porto - 3 nights at Bloom House by Sweet Porto.  Great location.  This is an airbnb type accommodation that we booked directly via Sweet Porto website.  It is not a hotel, but apartment type units that they have in several locations.  Our travelling companions stayed at their Bolhao Market apartment by Sweet Porto and it was also great location and very nice accommodations.  You do not want a vehicle at these locations as you are in the heart of Porto.

Braga - 5 nights at Villa Garden Braga.  This was a base to explore Braga itself as well as day trips to Guimaraes, Barcelos and Viana do Castelo.  

Peneda Geres Park - 3 nights in Sao Bento at Hotel Sao Bento da Porta Aberta.   This was base to explore the Peneda Geres Park area.

Douro Valley - 1 night at Vila Gale Douro Vineyards.   Very nice hotel and location, great pool, great buffett breakfast and supper, though the hotel is not walkable to any town or restaurants.  

We had previously stayed at Pacheca The Wine House Hotel (in 2017), which was beautiful, but prices had grown considerably since then.  

Alvarenga - 1 night at Airbnb near the Arouca 516 Bridge.

Aveiro - 1 night at Hotel Veneza.

Faro Airport - 1 night @ Hotel 3K Aeroport (this was a 1 night stop between the train ride from Porto and picking up rental car at Faro Airport), before moving into condo in Praia da Rocha (Portimao).

Praia da Rocha (Portimao) - Varandas da Rocha (“Balcony Amazing” - name of unit), through Nuris2u rental agency.  

2023 (see info via this link):

2023 stays