To feel disappointed we paid so much for this accommodation

[Holidays27]

We booked a month in advance and paid 220 euros a night. Photos and reviews were good; but we got a studio with 2 beds in the living room, one enclosed in a box/partition; street view and construction side next door. Not breakfast, not additional facilities, one bathroom. We are 4 people

You have selected 2 people and 2 rooms so you should have booked 2 apartments because that would be 1 person in each apartment.

The advert is untrue. It is a studio advertised as a one bedroom apartment. Ask to be moved to a one bed if you’re still there, as that’s what you paid for. If not, ask for your money back.

Oh I take it back! There is indeed an option to book 4 adults with a sea view, £266/night.

Yeah, actually, I’d be well annoyed to not get a sea view.

Are people not reading the booking.com details properly? There's an option to book for 5 people in a one bed sea view apartment. It also says these apartments are hardly ever available and yet there are 15 available at Easter! I'd be disappointed if were you op.

I think it is expensive for Porto. I paid 110 euros a night for a two bedroom apartment right in the centre, two real bedrooms. Porto is not really on the sea, though, so I'm a bit confused. The centre and all the stuff you would want to see is on the Douro.

No it’s expensive - I paid much less per night recently in central Porto in an apartment with a bedroom as well as a sofa bed.
It can get confusing when you’re looking at several options - you just need to be more careful to ensure you get a separate bedroom next time - I can’t tell if you’ve been misled or not.
I love Foz and it’s easy to travel into the centre using the Douro tram, regular buses or taxis.

A studio is just that, no separate bedroom usually in a studio. It looks well styled, clean, from the photos I would assume the property was bijou & compact tbh.

We booked and paid for 4 people but I am sure they gave us a 2 people studio

I only see one bedroom apartments with sea view advertised, with varying levels of occupancy? So I can’t see what OP did wrong (apart from expectations of breakfast)

Looking at the photos I'd be expecting a bedroom with a double bed in and a stunning sea view!

So they are counting the "box" as a bedroom? Yes that's misleading.

The issue is probably them calling the "box" a bedroom. When you go to the actual Flattered to be in Porto website, the English for which is obviously a translation, it mentions how the old building had been converted:

"Lodged in an historical building, Flattered to be in Porto apartments were rehabilitated according to a design by the architectural office Barbosa & Guimaraes. The interior design, framed by the Atlantic and the Ourigo beach, was authored by Architect José Carlos Cruz.
In order to adapt to its new use all the apartments were intervened. Besides the conquered flexibility, a new layer of complexity was added with the drawing of new boundaries between spaces. Therefore all the eating vs. living areas as well as resting areas were defined. This step allowed to enhance the architectural qualities of the building and by doing so it contributed for an expanded fruition of space and landscape. Every unit showcases an individualized interior design with small bookcases, vintage furniture, contemporary classics and great fabrics. All of this enriched by the works of Young Portuguese Artists from the Flattered Art Collection."

Reading between the lines the apartments were designed to be open plan with areas created for each function. It's unfortunate that they use the word "bedroom" for the box type structure where the bed goes, and I think you could easily complain about that description. It needs a note going on the booking.com website to describe it better. If it's just basically a compartment with no windows in I wouldn't really call it a bedroom.

They look like small city apartments, clean and comfortable, and all you need when you just need somewhere to lay your head on a city break. City apartments can be expensive depending on the location.

@Holidays27

We booked and paid for 4 people but I am sure they gave us a 2 people studio

Every room is 646 square feet.

I think every room is the same, just different layouts.

@Tynesider007

This thread reminds me of the Faulty Towers episode where the lady complains about her view of Torquay.

" What did you expect, herds of wildebeests sweeping majestically across the plain".

Aww love that espisode, Mrs Richards, what a gem!

@MichelleScarn

Clearly not the same apartment!

Well, yeah. They're not the same apartment.

It Is a block of multiple apartments. The photos show several different once, to give a comprehensive idea of the sort of thing you'll get.

Which one did you book - the Box? What does your confirmation say?

@Roselilly36

A studio is just that, no separate bedroom usually in a studio. It looks well styled, clean, from the photos I would assume the property was bijou & compact tbh.

Yes, it does look well styled, with mention on the Flattered website of the art, vintage furniture and great fabrics. You're probably paying extra for the styling of it.

You're not the only mislead one (booking.com review):

I was dissapointed by the facility not matching the description.
5.8

Liked · Friendly staff, easy to comunicate with, provided us with a complimentary breakfest.

Disliked · The property did not match the description. It did not have a separate bedroom - it was a mezzanine space, open for the rest of the apartament / living room. We could not separate ourselves (me + my wife) from the kids, who occupied the living room. We didn’t have privacy, which is important to us - that is why we decided to rent a separate bedroom apartment... Also, the price was very high, considering what the studio / apartment offered (comparing to much larger apartments in Porto).

www.travelandlust.com/reviews/flattered-to-be-in-porto
That says the bedroom is in an industrial container!

One of the photos clearly shows a double bed in the open plan area.

Have you queried the seaview?

I think the bedroom thing is unfortunate - they are obviously counting a mezzzanine or a partitioned 'box' as a bedroom.

But the seaview query should be easy to determine - does your booking.com confirmation state "seaview' or "city view"?

One-Bedroom Apartment with City View

Entire apartment646 feet²Private kitchenetteEnsuite bathroomCity viewAir conditioningDishwasherFlat-screen TVSoundproofingCoffee machineMinibarFree WiFi
Apartment size: 646 ft²
1 single bed and 2 large double beds
Comfy beds, 8.3 – Based on 9 reviews
Offering city views, this apartment features a modern interior design. The fully equipped kitchenette includes all the necessary utensils to prepare meals.

The living-dining area comes with an iPod docking station, a satellite flat-screen TV, and a CD/DVD player. The private bathroom includes free toiletries.

'I expect to be able to see the sea!'
'You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky.'
'That? You need a telescope to see that!'
'Well may I suggest you move to a hotel nearer the sea? Or preferably in it.'

Genius episode.

@TeaKlaxon

YANBU.

When I go to the link, the only option to book for four people (which does cost £220 a night, so assume is what you booked) is a a "One-Bedroom Apartment with Sea View".

You have not got a one bedroom apartment. You have got a studio apartment. That is misleading. Accommodation providers shouldn't expect you to have to guess based on photos that they have lied about what they are providing - that's on them.

Also, you have not got a sea view apartment. Putting in the text that some have city views and some have sea views is not enough if the main headline description is "One-Bedroom Apartment with Sea View". If some apartments don't have a sea view, that title listing is a lie.

As you said, the issue with breakfast is pretty clear - you had the option to book with or without breakfast, and at £220 a night, you booked without breakfast and that is pretty clear. So I wouldn't mention the lack of breakfast in any complaint.

Change the booking dates - you will see that a number of apartments are then offered. The OP is BU.