City Apartments Portico, apartments under the arcades of Merano
City Apartments Portico offers apartments with a kitchenette under the arcades of Merano, close to the thermal baths and the centre. Location is its strongest point. Guests are divided on cleanliness, space and welcome, so I would only recommend it to anyone looking for a simple, central base.
Written by Valeria Romano
Published
Mapiola is a travel blog: this is not the official website of City Apartments Portico.
Where City Apartments Portico is in Merano
City Apartments Portico is on Via Portici, in the heart of Merano, with a location few properties can match. The thermal baths are about 100 metres away, according to the description, and restaurants and shops are a few steps off.
Guests keep repeating it: the location is excellent. You enter from the arcades, with shops and pizzerias right below, and the partner car park is nearby. Some note that the door is not easy to find today and that a few more directions would help.
For skiing, the description mentions the Merano 2000 ski area about 7 km away. For me, Merano is best explored on foot, and here you leave the car and forget about it.
What the apartments are like
The apartments are small and functional, with a kitchenette, fridge and table, plus a bathroom with a hairdryer. One review describes a clean studio with everything needed, but not luxurious, and that judgement seems fair to me.
- The kitchen. According to the description there is also a dishwasher, but one guest found it poorly equipped: enough for a quick meal, nothing more.
- Security. You enter through a gate under the arcades, locked, which leads straight to the apartment stairs.
- The view. One window looks onto a roof, another onto the town. Don't expect views.
- The details. There are few surfaces for luggage and, for one guest, no air conditioning.
The photos, some warn, may show other apartments: one guest found theirs much more spartan than what they had seen online. If it matters to you, ask for a photo of the one you will be given.
What guests say about City Apartments Portico
On Google the rating is 2.9 out of 57 reviews, a low score that hides a very polarised property. Those who speak well of it highlight the location, value for money, cleanliness and friendly owners. Several appreciate the landlady who welcomed them and the clear instructions on where to park.
Those who were disappointed talk instead about a dusty flat, with dust and hair on the beds, towels that were too small, a cold welcome and confusion on arrival, when the booking could not be found. One person says the balance is paid at check-in and warns you to keep that in mind.
How to average it out? I read plenty of guests who were happy with a night or two, and a group of people with really negative experiences. Better to know in advance that the risk is there.
What to know before booking
The downsides need listing. Space is very limited, with few surfaces for suitcases and clothes. Cleaning during the stay is not always guaranteed: one guest expected the cleaner the next day and nobody came. Towels are few and small, and one guest did not find a bidet.
| What works | What to know |
|---|---|
| Central location under the arcades, close to the baths | Small, spartan apartments with few surfaces |
| Kitchenette useful for short stays | Poorly equipped kitchen, and no air conditioning for one guest |
| Owners available for many guests | Cold welcome and confusion on arrival for others |
| A large dog was accepted, one review says | If in doubt, confirm everything in writing before you arrive |
If you book by phone, keep the confirmation message handy. One guest arrived by bicycle and had problems precisely because the booking could not be found.
Who I would choose it for
I would consider it for a night in transit, or for those coming to Merano for the baths or walks who spend little time indoors. Those who liked it most were guests with no great expectations who wanted the centre within a couple of minutes.
I would not recommend it to anyone looking for comfort, space or attentive service, nor to families who want to stay in an apartment for a long time. In that case, I would look elsewhere.
What to do in Merano and the rest of the region
In Merano the plans make themselves: the baths a few steps away, the stroll under the arcades and the historic restaurants of the centre. One guest mentions the Forst brewery as a typical pub nearby.
If you want to widen the trip to Trentino-South Tyrol, you can look at B&B Trento Nord in Trento and Hotel Caminetto in Cembra. I can only give you their names and villages, because I do not have the details to tell you what it is like to stay there.
Passionate about travel and about the kind of places that turn a getaway into something unforgettable. I love writing about hotels, country houses and charming hideaways, helping every traveller find the perfect place to rest and feel at home.
