Misleading property photographs and…
Misleading property photographs and very poor customer service We stayed at the LovelyStay Primrose 2BR apartment in Porto for a week in August/September 2026, booked through Booking.com. The apartment itself was attractive and well located. However, the photographs on the Booking.com listing gave a very misleading impression of the setting. In reality, there was extensive building work immediately adjacent to the property, with significant construction activity and a portable toilet directly outside/next to the building. This had a considerable impact on the appearance, outlook and enjoyment of the apartment. We had not appreciated the extent of the construction when booking, and it was certainly not apparent from the photographs we had relied upon. What was particularly disappointing was LovelyStay’s response when we raised the issue. Communication was extremely difficult and we struggled to get a meaningful response or resolution from their customer service team. Booking.com subsequently offered some Travel Credits following our complaint, which we appreciated, but our concerns about how the property had been presented and the way LovelyStay handled the complaint remain. I would advise anyone considering this property to ask for current photographs and specific information about any neighbouring construction works before booking, rather than relying solely on the photographs shown on the listing. The problem wasn’t simply that there was construction in Porto. It was the extent and proximity of the works, the mismatch between the advertised photographs and the reality, and the poor response from the management company when we raised it.
By Michelle R.