Hotel Astoria

The hotel is about 80 years old, so if you don't like antiques, this is not the place for you. The location is excellent, the staff was very helpful and the rooms were clean. They also have free Internet. The food was good, for Portugal..... I was very disappointed with the food overall in Portugal since I had heard how great their seafood was. I guess these days is all frozen and farmed just as in the USA. There is no parking but there is a public parking just in front. We had a great time in Coimbra!

My wife and I spent 3 nights at the Astoria and wish we had stayed longer. It is an older establishment but makes up for its physical deficencies with a great location (close to the train station, river and downtown). The staff were professional in every respect. The facilites were clean and functional. This is not a place for anyone seeking a modern North American style hotel but a great place if you want to ride an old elevator and have a positive experience.

Having looked at length on line, we settled on the Astoria and were quite pleased. Architecturally, it's rather stunning, inside and out. The elevator looks like something that should be in a museum (polished brass, mirrors, even a padded bench!), and it works just fine. The public spaces are equally striking architecturally; I'm not quite sure about the style -- art deco? art nouveau? -- but the hotel was built in 1917. Even the furniture in the rooms is interesting, like something you'd pay a fortune for in those retro shops on the Lower... more

We stayed here for a few nights on a driving vacation through Spain and Portugal; we found the hotel to have a fair amount of old-fashioned charm but also to be showing signs of age and perhaps deferred upgrading. It is well-located, with parking (actually a public lot across the street with very unofficial "guides" who assist in helping you steer in and out of very tight spaces, for a tip) and easy access to the main pedestrian mall and shopping areas. However, there are many signs of age, including furniture, carpeting and window coverings... more

We were very pleased with our stay at the Astoria for two nights. The staff was very helpful. The room we had overlooked the river on the third floor with a small balcony. The room was comfortable and bathroom was good size. The reception room was very nice. Couldn't beat the location. Parking was difficult as lot across from hotel was full most of the time. Once there we didn't use the car as most sights are within walking distance. Many nice restaurants nearby. Would stay here again!

Old and charming hotel ! The hotel location is great, right by the river and close to many restaurants, boutiques and pedestrian streets. Our room, which opened onto a small balcony offerred a nice view of the river; it was small, with furnishings dating back from beginning of century which added to its charm. The bathroom was modernized and immaculately clean. Too bad we were there on a Sunday as most of the stores were closed. Buy ceramics in Coimbra, as it is beautiful and much more expensive in other parts of Portugal (we saw the... more

This hotel definitely does not live up to the previous ratings that were given. We stayed here for 1 night and were very disappointed. When booking we expected the hotel to be amazing, according to the reviews given here and the price (about double what we had paid in Porto). On arriving, we discovered that we has a twin room, despite e-mailing the hotel to ensure we got a double. The room also smelt very musty, as if the windows hadn't been opened since the 1960s! We were able to move rooms to get a double, whcih was good, and we... more

My husband and I stayed one night at the Astoria, on our honeymoon. I felt like I was transported back to 1920s or 30s--this is definitely the place to go, if you like historic buildings. Along with the history, however, comes some inconvenience. The elevator is so authentic, it's a bit scary...we found it faster and easier just to scale the four flights of stairs to our room (we're in good shape, so we didn't mind). While the renovations were adequate for the most part (the bathrooms are especially nice, with lots of marble and shiny... more

This is a great old hotel, a bit creaky but very grand and comfortable. The staff is friendly and and helpful. The Astoria is perfectly located, overlooking and right on the river and around the corner from the (steep) street that leads to the top of the city, the university with its old library, nice restaurants, some featuring the fado singers the area is known for, and terrific views. There is a nice riverside park a short walk from the hotel with a big open air ice cream cafe, and lots of tours up and down the river. The Astoria, and... more

This hotel has a perfect location that allows you to wonder through all streets and see the hot spots and sites of Coimbra. Although old, the hotel has a charm that pulls you in. Certain features of the hotel including the Lobby's mini-balcony are things you would only expect to see in a film noir. Like most European hotels the mattress was not as firm as I would like but you must give up something. The restaurant was excellent and a must if you want to try some really goo local food. The staff are extremely polite and... more