We are on a 21 day trip around Portugal and spent 2 nights in Coimbra staying at the Solar hotel and it has been the best place we've stayed throughout our whole trip. I'm so glad we chose to stay here. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay perfect, helping us with laundry, listening to our dietary needs and all the little touches were so much appreciated. The room was impeccably clean and comfortable and a really wonderful place to stay. Location is fantastic, not far from restaurants and the historic centre. Highly recommend it!

We stayed in Hotel Solar Antigo for 6 nights. It is one of the most unique hotels we have ever stayed in. The staff was so kind and helpful--especially Daniella and Lilliana. Fatima, our housekeeper, was always so pleasant and kept our room immaculate. When we asked about laundry service they told us to bring our laundry and they would do it with no cost! Our suite had it's own entrance from the street. When you enter you see the downstairs with a huge jacuzzi and a small eating area. Upstairs is the bedroom and bathroom. There were rose petals strewn on the floor and bed. The bedroom had a great view of the city but there was very little drawer space to put clothing so we lived out of our suitcases. The bathroom is very small and there is only one small light in the ceiling so it was dark and difficult for my husband to use the mirror for shaving. There was champagne and cake when we arrived and breakfast was brought promptly at 9 every morning. This hotel is in barrio alto so it's an uphill climb to get there but the mercado elevator is just a short walk and saves a lot of steps. The hotel is a close to the University and there are a few restaurants nearby. The main street and most of the restaurants are on the lower level of town but easy to get to when using the elevator.

Pros:
- Lovely staff running the hotel who obviously work very hard
- Great location near the old city sites, no recommends for what to do from staff
- Breakfast basket was really nice
- The hot tub novelty is kind of cool, but it does not get very hot
- Really interesting looking conquistador place that is fun to try for a night, but really expensive compared to almost every other place in the area (twice the price or more)

Cons:
- We still have luggage that smells like mildew, the whole place has a really bad mildew smell that get's into everything
- Generally understaffed, maybe it's a family run place with us waiting to get in and out while the desk staff is cleaning... lots of people waiting in such a small space, again I mention the staff was very kind
- Many lights and electrical outlets (3-4) did not work in the room, including main lights in the balcony. Therefore the balcony was un-usable which was why we booked it
(when we asked about the lights the answer was "they do not work")
- the layout is really awkward, especially the bathroom - the door barely closes and it is RIGHT next to the bed... makes for an uncomfortable setting
- The bed is old and uncomfortable
- The turkish shower is hard to control and makes the whole entire apartment steam up
- The kitchen was not very functional, not all the dishes and utensils were stocked
- Because it has a cave-like feel it definitely has temperature issues and dust/very small bugs coming into to room thru crumbles

I would not recommend Coimbra again.