House of the Prince (Casa do Infante), Porto

Advantages: A five-star stay…
Disadvantages: …with just three-star facilities

...and the Compañia (Jesuit) church. It tucked away in a little cul-de-sac off a cobbled lane that rises steeply from the Plaza de Armas through the ancient artisan, now more artistic, quarter of San Blas. 'Picturesque' is how San Blas is described in all the guidebooks, but despite that it's not a bad description. The narrow streets and courtyards, often based on the original Inca stonework, are crammed with craft markets selling sculptures, pottery, jewellery, alpaca clothing, textiles and other artefacts. The district is home to many cafés, bars and restaurants. It's an ideal location, not just for daytime sight-seeing, but for venturing out in the evening to eat and drink. * Style and scale * The Casa San Blas is small, having been converted from a former merchant's house of no great grandeur. The 250-year-old building has been... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: One of the best examples of Catalan Modernism
Disadvantages: Very expensive

...in~ Mid December is probably the quietest time of the year to do anything of a touristic nature in Barclona and the Casa Batllo is a particularly good example of that. It's not actually a very big building and can easily get jam-packed with tourists. If you try to get into this attraction in summer the lines are long and the wait's interminable. But we strode straight up to the ticket booth without any delay. However, it might have been better to take some time to get over the shock of €16 entry fee. 'For goodness sake' I muttered under my breath 'I want to visit the house, not buy it!' The Entrance fee includes a very good and comprehensive audio tour. At some times in the year I think it's possible to buy a cut-down ticket that only includes the main floor of the building and excludes the attic and the chimney. However we weren... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Excellent service, nice quite location
Disadvantages: No lifts or ramp for those with walking difficulties

...building on a separate piece of land. We later found out from watching TV that they call the American drama West Wing 'Casa Branca' or the 'White House'. We later discovered that 'Quinta' means mansion or manor, so we roughly (and probably incorrectly) translated QCB as the 'Mansion of the White house'. ~Check-In~ The reception were always helpful and very good. We discovered this within a few minutes as I was still feeling ill after my bad flight and the taxi ride from the airport at 25 Euros (£17.50). The receptionist directed me downstairs to the toilets, whilst Mrs. Cad booked us in. I came back ten minutes later to find an empty reception and no wife. Normally a missing wife is not a problem, but it is when she has your passport and money. The receptionist appeared and directed me to my room. Mrs Cad was already inside cooing like... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful