The Hotel Astoria is situated in Coimbra, one of the four major cities of Portugal. The other three are Lisbon, Oporto and Braga, and the Portuguese (bless them!) have a little ditty to describe all four. They say, in between mouthfuls of roast suckling pig, that 'Braga prays, Oporto works, ... Read review
The Astoria Hotel has a building which is one of the architechtonic symbols of Coimbra ... more
of Adães Bermudes autorship It combines since 1926 the tradition of the intemporal elegance and of the most pure comfort with the refinement of the best service in an environment of the twentiesLocated in the centre of the noble historical cidade universitaria university city situated between Alta uptown and Baixa Downtown and facing the Mondego river In the middle of the comercial area and a few steps from the monumental area it presents the ideal choice for leisure or bussiness in the town of Coimbra
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Hotel Astoria is a striking 19th century hotel with domed tower, which overlooks the ... more
Mondego River, 50 meters from the centre of Coimbra. The restored guestrooms feature soft decor with dark wood furnishings and chandeliers; all include balconies framed by long drapes, offering city or river views. Modern amenities include cable television, air conditioning, clock radios and telephones. The attached marble bathrooms come with Portuguese tiles, hair d ryers and bidets. Guests can dine on Portuguese specialties in the hotel's formal restaurant, featuring dark wood panelling, high ceilings and polished wooden floors. Those on business will find banquet, conference and meeting facilities which can cater for up to 100 people, complete with audiovisual equipment and business services. Other facilities include Room service, laundry facilities and nearby parking. In the evening, guests can enjoy a specialty coffee or drink in the hotel's Bar 21 or seek local information and sightseeing advice from the hotel's multilingual staff. The hotel is surrounded by a wealth of attractions: the Mondego River and bustling streets of Coimbra centre, are both 50 metres away. The Botanical Gardens are 200 metres away and Santa Cruz Park is one kilometre from the hotel. Oporto Airport is approximately 85 kilometres from the hotel vicinity. The Carris AeroBus number 91 departs every 20 minutes to the Cais do Sodré railway station (journey time is about 20 minutes), where guests can catch one of the frequent trains to Coimbra train station, which is 300 metres from the hotel. Coimbra is best explored on foot as most of the attractions are within walking distance and the town centre is pedestrianised.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Hotel Astoria is a striking 19th century hotel with domed tower, which overlooks the ... more
Mondego River, 50 meters from the centre of Coimbra. The restored guestrooms feature soft decor with dark wood furnishings and chandeliers; all include balconies framed by long drapes, offering city or river views. Modern amenities include cable television, air conditioning, clock radios and telephones. The attached marble bathrooms come with Portuguese tiles, hair d ryers and bidets. Guests can dine on Portuguese specialties in the hotel's formal restaurant, featuring dark wood panelling, high ceilings and polished wooden floors. Those on business will find banquet, conference and meeting facilities which can cater for up to 100 people, complete with audiovisual equipment and business services. Other facilities include Room service, laundry facilities and nearby parking. In the evening, guests can enjoy a specialty coffee or drink in the hotel's Bar 21 or seek local information and sightseeing advice from the hotel'smultilingual staff. The hotel is surrounded by a wealth of attractions: the Mondego River and bustling streets of Coimbra centre, are both 50 metres away. The Botanical Gardens are 200 metres away and Santa Cruz Park is one kilometre from the hotel. Oporto Airport is approximately 85 kilometres from the hotel vicinity. The Carris AeroBus number 91 departs every 20 minutes to the Cais do Sodré railway station (journey time is about 20 minutes), where guests can catch one of the frequent trains to Coimbra train station, which is 300 metres from the hotel. Coimbra is best explored on foot as most of the attractions are within walking distance and the town centre is pedestrianised.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
In the heart of the historical city of Coimbra, Hotel Astória is in a prime position ... more
overlooking the Mondego River. This classic hotel is renowned for its elegant comfort, refined European service and its classic feel.Located in the centre of this university city, the Hotel Astória is within easy reach of many of the city’s top attractions, including the university and it’s unique Baroque library, the Machado de Castro Museum and the downtown area known as the ‘Baixa’ – a warren of narrow, cobbled streets full of shops, cafés and churches.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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Advantages: Friendly Staff, Great location Disadvantages: Doesn't have all the mod cons
The Hotel Astoria is situated in Coimbra, one of the four major cities of Portugal. The other three are Lisbon, Oporto and Braga, and the Portuguese (bless them!) have a little ditty to describe all four. They say, in between mouthfuls of roast suckling pig, that 'Braga prays, Oporto works, Coimbra studies and Lisbon plays'. From that you can probably guess that Coimbra is the principal university town, their version of Oxbridge. It is, in my opinion ... ...at one time the Hotel Astoria was once the premier hotel in Coimbra. I also know that Coimbra was once an important stop on the grand tour of Europe back in Edwardian times. Coimbra is a classically beautiful city. The hotel certainly hasn't changed much since then. I loved it for that reason but could understand that many might not. Someone really should suggest holding a Murder Mystery weekend there. The spirit of Poirot might join in.
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The Hotel Astoria is situated in Coimbra, one of the four major cities of Portugal. The other three are Lisbon, Oporto and Braga, and the Portuguese (bless them!) have a little ditty to describe all four. They say, in between mouthfuls of roast suckling pig, that 'Braga prays, Oporto works, Coimbra studies and Lisbon plays'. From that you can probably guess that Coimbra is the principal university town, their version of Oxbridge. It is, in my opinion the best-looking and friendliest major city in Portugal. The bulk of the city and the campus areas are on and around a dome like hill and is the usual Portuguese mix of white marble and redbrick squalor. The residential and commercial centre however is on the banks of a wide meandering river, the River Mondego. It is here that you will find the Hotel Astoria, overlooking the river and close to the main bridge.
Coimbra is almost exactly half-way between Lisbon and Oporto and to that end is easily accessible from both those cities' major airports. There is a high speed TGV style (Alpha Pendular) train service between Lisbon and Oporto which will get you to Coimbra cheaply in about an hour from both ends. There is also the main N1 north-south motorway (autostrada) if you have a death wish.
A friend and I had arranged our stay at the hotel over the internet and had no idea, bar the above photo, of what to expect. It was late June of last year.
Getting out of the taxi from the station, which is quite a walk otherwise, the outside of the building looked like any other grubby but majestic old colonial-style Portuguese building. The entrance, however, started to arouse my curiosity. It is one of those revolving doors, the old wooden variety that can only take one at a time, and creaks. Once we had negotiated that and got into the lobby we thought that someone had spiked our drinks on the train, for we had the distinct impression that we had just entered the 1920's. In front of us was the reception desk complete with smiling manager and his attendant livery-attired bellboys. To our right was a large dining room which has a high gallery having the function of a library and reading area. To our left was the lounge and bar. The whole place was decked out in wooden panelling, velvet upholstered armchairs and sofas, as well as ceiling-high mirrors. It could have been the Titanic or the Orient Express. There was a man smoking a cigar in an armchair with his back to me. I had the distinct impression that if I had tapped his shoulder, Hercule Poirot would have turned to face me.
Then there was the lift. Our impression of an Agatha Christie novel was affirmed by the lift. It is brilliant! See-through on three sides with a velvet cushioned bench at the back. The lift shaft is a wrought iron lattice-work column. I could have ridden it all day.
Unfortunately the antique ambience was a disadvantage when we came to the room. It was clean and comfortable but lacking in facilities. I didn't mind at all but my friend, who's a bit posh, was disappointed. The bathroom was large and had the usual array of freebies but the shower was in the bath, which could result in death, or even murder! A lot of cupboard space and the traditional kettle and choice of undrinkable coffee sachets and tea bags. There was cable TV but with a very limited choice of channels; mostly international news channels, BBC Prime and the French and German equivalents, belying its use as a tourist stop-off. My friend moaned about the lack of pornography, and I'm sticking to that story. That said, the stone columned balcony had a superb view of the river, which is just 50m away. I would insist on a front-facing room. There are around 60 rooms in all.We were there during the Festa of Santa Isabel and were treated to a magnificent fireworks display on the river.
Breakfast was a help-yourself buffet and included everything the British, German or French might eat for breakfast. However their idea of the English breakfast is a little eccentric, but if you've travelled in Europe you'll know what I mean. There was no limit to how much you could eat. My friend, who is not only posh and perverse, but also a pig had eight Danish pastries and god knows how many croissants!
Lunch and dinner were spectacular and very large portions. They did come as extra on the bill though. The smoking lounge and bar are open all night. We know this because my friend is also an alcoholic. The staff are remarkably friendly and helpful apart from the morning cleaners who were a pain, but aren't they always!
The room cost us 80 euros a night just in high season and dinner and lunch were 15 euros a head. You will get better deals at different times of the year though. I thoroughly enjoyed it just for the ambience, the views and the friendly staff but if you're the type that likes all mod cons it wouldn't be for you. I suspect that at one time the Hotel Astoria was once the premier hotel in Coimbra. I also know that Coimbra was once an important stop on the grand tour of Europe back in Edwardian times. Coimbra is a classically beautiful city. The hotel certainly hasn't changed much since then. I loved it for that reason but could understand that many might not. Someone really should suggest holding a Murder Mystery weekend there. The spirit of Poirot might join in.
