Fraga Douro House, Douro Valley

The location of the unit was the best part of the house, with magnificent views over the Douro Valley. It was spacious plenty of room to sit and admire the views. Two bathrooms is always a bonus.

Many aspects of the house and arrival could be improved from a practical perspective. We were given a GPS location and a code for the lockbox, but the house was still not easy to find as it is down a pedestrian only ramp and the house can't be seen from the street unless you know what you are looking for. A picture of the entrance and number of the house above it on the street level would assist in finding it. The lockbox number was also updated but we were not given this until we called as we couldn't open with the code we were given. The house was cold throughout and no heating or extra blankets were provided. The kitchen is in a separate room from the house, so a bit painful to access. What appears to be the main bedroom is also not very private, as it appears to have been built as a living room. It has glass doors with what looks like one way stickers on it. However, these only work at night when the lights are turned off. The rest of the time everyone else in the house can see straight into the room. A set of curtains over those doors is all that is needed for privacy. The upstairs shower is over the bath and very slippery even with the shower mat. One of our friends slipped and almost knocked his head on the bath. The downstairs bathroom was spacious but there are no shelves in the shower to put soap or shampoo. Nothing was provided as well in terms of bathroom products and this was the only place during our 3 week stay in Portugal that this was the case. It is a long drive to go and buy shower gel if you have not brought your own!

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