I had a choice between the Astoria and a newly refurbished apartment. I chose the Astoria and I’m very glad I did. The art deco building is beautiful and unchanged for decades. I know opinions will be divided and it is very tired ( completely exhausted !! ) but somehow that didn’t matter at all . In the U.K. the interior ( especially the ground floor ), as well as the exterior would, I believe, be protected by Grade 2 listing status. The dining room is just fabulous and I could picture people there attending balls etc 70/80 years ago with the band playing and everyone in their finery. Plumbing dodgy, always a slight relief when the lift managed to get you where you wanted to go, not the quietest but location is fantastic and the staff in their formal black and white were a joy ( especially given the undoubted moans that they must receive from guests who expect modern facilities )

I really embraced the “tiredness” so nothing really to dislike

Location: great. Right next to the main street with shops, restaurants and such. A great walk to the famous Coimbra university. You can take a bus from the train station and it's a short 5 min walking distance. Room: Beautiful room - high ceiling, balcony with the view of the river and the main street. Still quiet when the window is closed; Breakfast: Eggs, caffe, breads/crossoint, pastries, fresh fruit. Very good espresso. Had tabasco sauce and black pepper. Other: the lounge downstairs is nice with the old-world decor and lighting although the sofa covers are falling apart. If visiting Coimbra again, I would stay here (but preferably in a different room due to the bathroom layout, see the negatives).

Bathroom: The room we got (Last room to the right on 2nd floor) has a strange bathroom. The toilet and sink are so close that when you're seated on the toilet, you can literally 4 inches from the sink. You can really brush your teeth. Clearly, not enough clearance there. While both my wife and I are very slim, this could be a meaningful issue for someone with a larger frame. In an otherwise a very nice hotel, the bathroom in this particular room is questionably designed.

We were fortunate to have the absolute best room of the hotel. Top floor at the end at the curvature of the building. If you could not have this one, then the ones at the lower 2 floors. Also great location at the flatter areas and 15 yards to the beautiful walking street of restaurants and charm of old architecture. Also an absolute must to arrange a tour of one of the oldest Universities in Europe and its equally astounding library.

All was perfect for us. It is an old hotel built in early 1900's and retained all the old charm. Some would want more new modern luxurious hotels, but we choose character and charm over all of those. This had it in spades.

Faded art deco hotel in a great location, at the foot of the main pedestrian street separating the lower and upper town. The hotel has a lot of charm. Very nice staff, breakfast was good, room service for extra 5 euros. We could leave our luggage the day of checkout at no extra cost, which, given the heat and the steep climbing, was a life saver. Very good restaurant with a big but intimate terrace right behind the hotel (not part of the hotel, but handy if you don't feel like walking any further).A few minutes walk from the train station.

Liked everything, but the hotel could be so much more with a careful and tasteful renovation. Some of the common areas could be brought back to life with a bit of imagination. But still very atmospheric.

We loved the location and the views from our room. The breakfast was fairly simple compared to some hotels, but it was nice fresh food. The bread and cakes were excellent. The hotel was full of character and even had an old fashioned lift with a seat, which we loved!

We were hoping to have a drink in the hotel bar - but there wasn't really a proper bar, just a limited selection of drinks and an 'honesty' system with which to pay for them which didn't really create a relaxed sociable atmosphere.

old style hotel reminded us of past experiences of hotels in Mozambique under Portuguese influence . Close to station and to old town with many eating and shopping options nearby. Able to walk up to University. Lovely old fixtures. Oldest lift in Coimbra . We had a beautiful river view balcony which was great at night when road works ceased

Suffering for its age . Would be nice to have tea coffee facilities in room as no real room service. Unfortunate to have all the road construction going on starting at 6a.m but not in hotel control

We spent two nights here and found the location perfect. It was so close to amazing restaurants, bars, cafes and shopping malls. The view to the river was beautiful and fun to watch activity on the streets. Reception staff were friendly and helpful, nothing seemed like too much trouble and we enjoyed the candy available there! The atmosphere and decor of this old hotel was like stepping back in time to a bygone era. We felt privileged to experience such a treasure of Coimbra. The lift was a highlight and we laughed every time we used it, watching ourselves sitting on the leather clad bench. Our room was huge with plenty of space and a small reception room upon entering with high ceilings.

Wifi was unavailable in room but available in downstairs common spaces. Toiletries available but fairly basic.

The hotel is well located at the foot of the old city. It is a bit old style but that has a special atmosphere. I had a superior room which was more spacious. The bed was comfortable. The staff was very friendly. There is a self-service honesty bar in the charming historic sitting room.

I had difficulties connecting to Wifi for more intense tasks such as file transfers and VPN. There is no garage for the car, but public garages are nearby (500m).

We had a lovely room on the front with a balcony (hope construction finishes soon, though). The breakfast room is delightful; all the staff pleasant, but on two evenings the two guys working were really fun and very helpful, especially when we discovered we were waiting for the wrong person on the wrong day. The room furniture is an antique-lover's joy e.g. dressing table especially, comfy bed and enough pillows and towels. The main floor 'salon' is a treasure.

No in-room Wifi is a bit of a nuisance, especially late at night/early a.m. when need to get dressed to collect or send messages. However, there's a certain charm to it all.

Great staff. Beautiful old art deco dowager of a hotel dating from 1926; some things a bit shopworn but that's to be expected. Harks back to hotels of the golden age. Location perfect. Elevator even paneled in wood with a leather banquette inside. Huge tub to soak in. Classy lobby area with honor bar.

Breakfast average, but coffee poor. They should get a machine that grinds and brews on the spot like other hotels of this caliber. Weak wifi.