Hotel Universal
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Summary of reviewsHotel Universal in Gerês receives numerous positive reviews, particularly for its standout location. Nestled in the heart of the village, it provides easy access to local amenities and attractions, including cafes, restaurants, a supermarket, the spa and nearby waterfalls. Its positioning on the main street beside a picturesque creek offers both centrality and scenic beauty. The tranquil atmosphere and proximity to nature make it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding mountains on foot, delivering a restful and convenient stay.
The breakfast service at Hotel Universal is consistently praised for its variety, quality and taste. Guests appreciate the delicious and varied breakfast buffet with special mentions of magnificent croissants and the friendly, helpful staff who ensure a positive start to the day. Despite some comments on limited fruit options and occasional calls for more choices, the breakfast experience is generally seen as a highlight.
Room reviews reflect a blend of charm, spaciousness and cleanliness. Guests find the rooms large and comfortable with many enjoying the nostalgic vintage décor. The scenic views and the soothing sounds of the nearby stream are also appreciated, providing a therapeutic backdrop. Some aspects, like aged furniture and the need for updates, are noted, but overall, the rooms are valued for their size and cleanliness.
Cleanliness throughout the hotel is a key strength with guests consistently praising the spotless rooms and well-maintained common areas. The hotel's high standards of maintenance extend to the bathrooms, which are frequently noted for their cleanliness.
Staff at Hotel Universal are described as exceptional, receiving numerous accolades for their friendliness, helpfulness and attentiveness. The reception team is commended for their warm welcomes and round-the-clock availability, enhancing the guest experience with their professional and kind-hearted service.
The swimming pool adds value to the hotel stay, offering a clean and pleasant environment despite being located 300 meters away and shared with other hotels. The inconvenience of the location and occasional crowding are noted, but the overall pool experience remains positive for many guests.
In summary, Hotel Universal excels with its prime location, excellent breakfast, spacious and clean rooms, outstanding cleanliness and exceptional staff service. While there are areas for improvement, such as room updates, WiFi reliability and pool accessibility, the overall guest experience is largely positive, making it a favored choice for visitors to Gerês.
Categories
The breakfast service at Hotel Universal is consistently praised for its variety, quality and taste. Guests appreciate the delicious and varied breakfast buffet with special mentions of magnificent croissants and the friendly, helpful staff who ensure a positive start to the day. Despite some comments on limited fruit options and occasional calls for more choices, the breakfast experience is generally seen as a highlight.
Room reviews reflect a blend of charm, spaciousness and cleanliness. Guests find the rooms large and comfortable with many enjoying the nostalgic vintage décor. The scenic views and the soothing sounds of the nearby stream are also appreciated, providing a therapeutic backdrop. Some aspects, like aged furniture and the need for updates, are noted, but overall, the rooms are valued for their size and cleanliness.
Cleanliness throughout the hotel is a key strength with guests consistently praising the spotless rooms and well-maintained common areas. The hotel's high standards of maintenance extend to the bathrooms, which are frequently noted for their cleanliness.
Staff at Hotel Universal are described as exceptional, receiving numerous accolades for their friendliness, helpfulness and attentiveness. The reception team is commended for their warm welcomes and round-the-clock availability, enhancing the guest experience with their professional and kind-hearted service.
The swimming pool adds value to the hotel stay, offering a clean and pleasant environment despite being located 300 meters away and shared with other hotels. The inconvenience of the location and occasional crowding are noted, but the overall pool experience remains positive for many guests.
In summary, Hotel Universal excels with its prime location, excellent breakfast, spacious and clean rooms, outstanding cleanliness and exceptional staff service. While there are areas for improvement, such as room updates, WiFi reliability and pool accessibility, the overall guest experience is largely positive, making it a favored choice for visitors to Gerês.
Hotel with Parking
Hotel Universal offers private parking for guests. It is located within the Peneda-Gerês National Park and has an outdoor swimming pool.
3-Star Hotel
Situated in Gerês, Hotel Universal offers standard hotel accommodations. It is located near local attractions and provides essential amenities for a comfortable stay. The hotel is a good option for budget-conscious travelers.
Hotel with Outdoor Pool
Hotel Universal offers an outdoor pool. There is a poolside deck with plenty of lounge chairs available for guests to use.
Hotel with Swimming Pool
Outdoor Pool
Accessible Hotel
About Hotel Universal
License: 912
Guest Reviews
Location
Visitors particularly appreciate the hotel's proximity to nature, making it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding mountains on foot. Despite its central location, the hotel maintains a tranquil atmosphere, ensuring a restful stay for its guests.
In terms of practicality, everything one might need is within a short walking distance. The hotel's strategic placement in the center of Gerês village means that guests can easily immerse themselves in local life while enjoying the convenience and comfort of a well-situated accommodation. The serene, green surroundings, combined with the ease of access to various attractions, make Hotel Universal's location one of its standout features.
Breakfast
The overall consensus is that the breakfast is good with some mentioning it meets Portuguese standards and features a particularly magnificent croissant. The breakfast area is noted to be comfortable, providing a pleasant environment to start the day. Additionally, staff are frequently praised for their friendliness and helpful service during breakfast.
While several reviews point out the breakfast's excellence, a few guests have remarked on the limited variety and suggested that more options, especially in terms of fruit, could enhance the experience. Some also noted the inclusion of breakfast in the room rate as an area of improvement.
Despite these minor critiques, the breakfast at Hotel Universal has generally been regarded positively, making it a notable aspect of the stay for many visitors.
Rooms
Guests appreciate the hotel's value for money, particularly noting the cozy and welcoming rooms with ample space. Many were pleased with the large, comfortable beds and the room’s cleanliness with some enjoying the vintage décor that evokes a sense of the 1920s. The common areas also receive praise for their tasteful decoration.
However, some aspects of the rooms reflect their age with multiple comments pointing out the need for updates and renovations. Issues such as aged furniture, insufficient lighting and outdated bathrooms were mentioned. Additionally, certain amenities like mini-fridges and room service are lacking. Comfort is occasionally compromised by hard beds and uncomfortable pillows.
Despite these drawbacks, the hotel’s scenic views, especially the soothing sounds of the nearby stream, provide a therapeutic backdrop, enhancing the overall experience. The location is ideal for those wanting proximity to the spa and waterfalls. While some elements like room condition and breakfast variety could be improved, the spaciousness and cleanliness uphold its positive reputation among many visitors.
Beds
However, there are several points of criticism. Some guests reported that the beds are hard and the pillows are small or uncomfortable. In certain cases, the mattresses are old and could use replacement. Generally, while the beds are adequate for some, others feel they are not very comfortable with specific mentions of the mattresses being too hard and the pillows being less than ideal.
Overall, while the comfort of the beds at Hotel Universal is praised by a number of guests, there is room for improvement in the quality and condition of the mattresses and pillows to meet all guests’ expectations.
Cleanliness
The common areas, including large rooms and comfortable beds, are also appreciated for their cleanliness and organization. Despite the hotel's age, it has been well-maintained, ensuring a pleasant stay for visitors. The rooms come across as neat and tidy, reflecting the high standards of maintenance upheld by the hotel.
In addition to being clean, the hotel provides good value for money and includes functional amenities like air conditioning, which guests find advantageous. Although there were mentions of some challenges due to the pandemic affecting daily room cleaning, the general consensus remains highly favorable regarding the hotel's pristine condition.
Staff
The professionalism of the staff shines through with remarks on their splendid support with employees being compared to a 5-star service. The service quality extends to the restaurant, where waiters were praised for their attentive care and effort to accommodate dietary preferences.
While there are some mentions of average service and a few instances of unkind behavior, these are outliers in the overall positive feedback. The staff's ability to speak English and maintain clean common areas adds to the positive guest experience. Overall, guests commonly describe the hotel staff as lovely, kind and diligent in ensuring a pleasant and comfortable stay.
Wi-Fi
Pool
Outdoor Pool
Yes, Hotel Universal has pool(s) that belong to one or more of the following categories: Outdoor Pool.
No, a spa isn't available at Hotel Universal.
No, Hotel Universal doesn't allow dogs.
Yes, parking facilities are available at Hotel Universal.
No, Hotel Universal doesn't have a gym.
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