Casa Melo Alvim - by Unlock Hotels

This hotel is so beautifully restored and it’s in an ideal location, right next to the train station and the funicular to the hilltop Santa Luzia, in the heart of Viana do Castelo, yet quiet and peaceful. There are many lovely spaces to sit, chat, work, play games, in the common areas. There’s a pool and patio adjacent to the bar, which also serves as the breakfast room. Important for me, due to some mobility limitations: there’s an elevator. I stayed for five nights while my husband was walking the Portuguese Camino, and he took a rest day here and stayed two nights. Our room (202) was, I believe, a standard double room, but it was spacious and very comfortable. It was serviced daily and spotlessly clean, the bed was very comfortable, there was space to unpack and a desk to organize my things (one small drawback being the limited number of outlets, leading me to have to charge my phone next to the sink, risking it getting wet), there was a soaking tub!, and a seating area looked out the window with a view of Santa Luzia (as well as some construction and renovation or maintenance on the railroad station 😊). Some earlier reviewers disparaged the breakfast provided. Something must have changed if their reviews were accurate (maybe their feedback inspired improvement), because the amount and variety offered was considerable: a variety of breads and cereals, spreads, cheeses, deli meats, yogurt, fruit, hard boiled eggs, hot scrambled eggs, bacon, plus juice, coffee, and tea. Quite an appetizing colorful display! The best feature of this hotel though is the incredible staff! Everyone was gracious and always willing to help, with a smile. Daniela and Alberta were especially attentive and helpful to me, and Rui went way “above and beyond” in helping me get train tickets, arranging a massage for my pilgrim husband when he arrived, attending to special requests, giving excellent restaurant recommendations, etc. My heartfelt thanks for all the help so readily and graciously given. I would definitely stay here again and highly recommend it.

I booked one of the top tier accommodation in this “hotel” - the Prestige Apartment- for a comfortable and upscale 4 night stay and what a got was the opposite - an awful nightmare. The hotel has an amazing location in the city of Viana but the positives end here. My room was located in an adjacent building and it was a run down apartment as far as it can be from a “prestige apartment” with worn out tacky furniture and no internet service. I had to work remotely during my stay so I told the reception employee, Sr Rui Braga, about the internet issue and night after night I was unable to work because there was no internet at all in my room or very weak and inconsistent internet. So for the first 2 nights I ended sitting in the hotel lobby, that was empty like most rooms in the hotel, and worked until late using the WiFi available in that area. In the third night I was to tired to argue and request them to fix this issue that I just didn’t work and in the next morning, I decided to leave and spend my final night in another hotel that could provide decent internet service. I left early in the morning and no one was available to check me out, so I left my information and later got an email letting me know that I would have to pay for the last night (the fourth night) since my reservation was no refundable. What?! I didn’t leave because I wanted to, I left because the hotel is a dump that can’t even provide basic internet to guests. I had no choice and then I was penalized by their incompetence and forced to pay for a night that I didn’t use. Even worse, they offer me a voucher to use in the future, like I would return to this second class guest house. Breakfast included in the rate is a sad carb fest. I tried it once and didn’t come back. The dishes that I used to eat in my room were never washed by whoever cleaned the room and they were left sitting in the sink day after day. Viana do Castelo has great hotels, Casa Melo Alvim is not one of them.

Old monastery turned hotel. No USB ports in the rooms, fridge doesn’t work. It’s an interesting hotel, selection of food for breakfast is okay, not much to choose from. Nice selection of Viana gold leaf jewellery to purchase. Location is great close to everything especially shopping centre behind the hotel. Easy to walk too. Great little pub next door. Riu at reception is very gracious & accommodating. Chef was not working the night we were there so the restaurant was closed. We had room 103

This is a gorgeous manor house built in 1507 but renovated with all mod cons. So many quiet places to sit and read. Right in town near the Train Station. There is a courtyard with a pool if its hot. Our room had a bath and a "flirting seat"at the window. Lots of traditional features. Staff went over and above.

Casa Melo Alvim is an incredible property, a 500+ year old manor house, fitted out to the highest quality. The best asset for this property is the staff! A big shout out to Rui who greeted us & helped with orientation and then when we were leaving gave us great advice for our forward journey. Perfect stay

This is a wonderful hotel in a historic building. The hotel has a beer garden and a pool, and is walking distance from many dining options. The staff was friendly and helpful. I wish we had more time there!

My experience at this hotel was unfortunately not satisfactory. Although I paid full price, I could hardly sleep in the beds. The main bed was uncomfortable, but the extra bed we requested was even worse. The room was a disappointment. It was full of dust, and it seemed like it hadn't been cleaned properly in weeks. The fact that some rooms were connected with doors that could be opened on one side was particularly annoying as it resulted in a lack of privacy. You could hear every noise and conversation from the room next door. The breakfast was okay, but it couldn't make up for the negative experience with the room. It is a pity that the hotel does not put more emphasis on the cleanliness and comfort of the rooms. All in all, my stay at this hotel was disappointing. I can't recommend it to anyone, unfortunately. ______ Meine Erfahrung in diesem Hotel war leider nicht zufriedenstellend. Obwohl ich den vollen Preis bezahlt habe, konnte ich in den Betten kaum schlafen. Das Hauptbett war unbequem, aber das Zusatzbett, das wir anforderten, war noch schlimmer. Das Zimmer war eine Enttäuschung. Es war voller Staub, und es schien, als ob es seit Wochen nicht mehr richtig gereinigt wurde. Die Tatsache, dass einige Zimmer mit Türen verbunden waren, die einseitig geöffnet werden konnten, war besonders störend, da es zu einem Mangel an Privatsphäre führte. Man konnte jedes Geräusch und Gespräch aus dem Nachbarzimmer hören. Das Frühstück war in Ordnung, aber es konnte die negativen Erfahrungen mit dem Zimmer nicht ausgleichen. Es ist schade, dass das Hotel nicht mehr Wert auf die Sauberkeit und den Komfort der Zimmer legt. Alles in allem war mein Aufenthalt in diesem Hotel enttäuschend. Ich kann es leider nicht weiterempfehlen. FOTOS: 3 ERWACHSENE (vollen Preis bezahlt)

We were only at the Melo Alvim hotel for two hours before eating out and then back for a good night’s sleep. There was no problem with any of that, it is a comfortable and welcoming hotel in a very unique building. However, the breakfast room (restaurant) experience was just quirky. The seating upstairs (nearest the buffet) is designed for lounging, not dining. There were cereals and fruit on offer but no bowls or spoons….. when a waitress receives a request for same one of each is offered from beneath the counter on the serving. The same process is therefore repeated for the next guest, and the next. Nothing seemed to be replenished until someone asked. All very odd and made for a tiring experience.