Midway down the Avienda Centrale, the Bracara Augusta has bangs of historical charm and a warm Portuguese Ben-Vindo for visitors. Reception check in was friendly and efficient. The hotel is small but rooms are spacious and offer decent value for money. The furniture is a bit tired but the bathroom fixtures are modern, and the place is spotless. The adjoining restaurant was open late, had excellent food and was reasonably prices. Many locals eat there. Breakfast was excellent with plenty of choice and super staff to hand. Warm and comfortable in the winter. A great location f(10mins on foot from the rail or coach stations) for exploring the cathedral and other places of interest in this gem of the North.

The room allocated to me did not have a view of the garden as shown and/or promised on their website. There was music playing every night that could be heard from outside, and roosters crowing every early morning.

The reception area is placed very close to the main entrance and the entrance to the restaurant, where staff "checks" where you go and when and with whom. The lift is also placed near the reception area. When I wanted to go up in the lift the receptionist would run after me or other staff would check inside as the door was closing. I found this to be very intimidating.

When checking out, I was interrogated with several questions by the receptionist as to why I am leaving, while other staff members observed.

When I phoned the hotel later that evening regarding a set of keys I may have accidentally left behind, the receptionist said it was impossible to check the room. She promised to phone back the next morning after noting the contact telephone number as well as the room number. Needless to say, nobody bothered to phone back.

Otherwise staff was polite; no other problems with the room, except the television could be better placed for those who would actually like to watch TV. Wifi was excellent.

We enjoyed our stay in Braga. The Bracara Augusta was really a good hotel to stay in. We had a 2-room suite which was great. Very roomy and comfortable.
Breakfast was included and very nice. Centrally located. Parking was not very good but the staff helped. This area in Portugal is fantastic with the coast and the National Park within driving distance. I would definitely stay here again.

I spent four nights at the Bracara Augusta while in Braga for a conference.

The location on the central plaza is good, although parking is problematic. The hotel has a few free reserved spaces but if you can't snag one you have to pay for part of each day at the nearby underground garage. To drive up the entrance requires driving on what appears to be a sidewalk, but it is OK. GPS directions were good.

The hotel has a very good restaurant. The free breakfast is outstanding.

My room was clean and quiet, with two twin beds. Hi speed internet was excellent, both wired and wifi. TV screen was small, more like a computer monitor. Shower was tiny, about 1 meter square with a wraparound curtain.

All of the staff at the front desk and in the restaurant were professional, friendly, and helpful, with good English all around.