Review: Hotels & Resorts in Portugal
- The Talking Bee
- Aug 28, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 30
We had visited Portugal for our honeymoon and stayed in different cities / towns over the span of a fortnight.
Here are the brief reviews of the hotels where we stayed. This is based on our personal experience and feedback only.
Well there’s a story behind why we landed up here. We had actually booked another hotel just across the street, which #booking.com had recommended and it really looked good. However, the room was extremely small with a very weird bathroom in the middle of the room ( no bathroom walls). This was the lesson no 1 to check for filter - private bathroom when you book rooms online.
So, there was no way we were going to stay there. We had arrived in Lisbon by 8 pm and for some reason, the area was quite deserted. We were quite tired from our BOM- DXB- LIS flight and had no energy for running around with our luggage. We checked a few hotels online and most hotels were sold out. Hence we thought of taking a chance right across the road where Holiday Inn was located.
Hotel has a very small lobby and a restaurant at the lobby level itself. Rooms were decently sized. No room service.
Location is perfect. Its 4 minutes walk from Marques De Pombal which is a main square. Its very close to the happening area of Lisbon which is Bairro Alto.
Pros : Perfect Location. Clean and tidy rooms. Helpful English speaking staff. Value for money.( we paid approx 80 Eur for 2 pax for a night including breakfast)
Cons : Small rooms. Breakfast area was too small and options were repetitive.Self service.
Website : Holiday Inn
Our hotel was just two minutes walk from the main boulevard which was Avenida da Liberdade. This is city’s most central, modern part that has most 5 star hotels and high street shopping brand outlets.
SINTRA
A gorgeous heritage #villa property. Its a shame that we were staying here only for a night. Its located in the hilly terrain of Sintra hence much cooler compared to Lisbon or Lagos. ( temperature went upto approx 8 degrees at night)
We had a lovely apartment overlooking the pool and greenery. The entire property had a very rustic charm and was ideal for a romantic getaway. The main market and the bus stop is slightly away hence its recommended that one drives down in a private vehicle.
Our room had a lovely queen size bed and a daybed by the glass walls, lounger and a big LED television. It was really cold there and hence we used the in room heaters. Room also had a kitchenette with all the necessary amenities.
We had our breakfast in their restaurant which served continental breakfast. The staff at the hotel was very polite and provided great service.
Pros : Beautiful heritage B&B. Big Rooms, Warm Staff. Free parking. Value for money.
Cons : You need a car or Uber to get here. Nothing else.
Website : Quintas Das Murtas
A modern Spa Retreat that overlooks the beach. Very conveniently located, it had free parking. Room was really fabulous with a sit out area overlooking garden and a pool.
We had a studio room to ourselves which was stacked up with enough things to even start living there 😉 We felt the front office staff could use a little politeness. We didn’t consume any meal here so wouldn’t comment on food. A great resort but below average service.
Pros : Clean and spacious rooms. Big lobby. Cabs readily available with hotel. Multiple restaurants and bars.
Cons : Slightly impolite staff.
Website : BELMAR SPA AND RESORT
A part of chain of hotels i.e. Vila Gale, this property is on the bank of Douro River. It has wine plantations right next to it and offers a gorgeous view of the river & its surroundings. Its a boutique property, just about 30 rooms. The rooms have sit-out balcony which is huge. It has gym and indoor heated pool as well as outdoor pool and Jacuzzi.
Restaurant had a good buffet spread and they also made some simple vegetarian food for us. They had a very courteous staff. Hotel also had a bar which was very decently priced. We booked a vineyard tour through the very helpful concierge.
Our overall experience with the property was great. Value for money.
Pros : Gorgeous rooms with a river view. Dual vanity in the bathrooms. Buffet with a good spread. Food and Beverages are priced at decent prices.
Cons : None.
Website : VILA GALE RESORT , DOURO VALLEY
Among the hotels that we booked last minute, Vincci Porto was one of the best choices. It’s centrally located and is a designer hotel ( according to #telegraph UK and many other) It has a huge lobby. Staff was super friendly. We were simply happy to get free luggage assistance which was a rarity in Portugal (in fact entire Europe) I believe.
It has paid parking. Hotel has a restaurant. We had room service as well as a lunch at the restaurant. Food was okay, if not great.
Beautiful rooftop bar (which was closed to due winters )
Room was big enough. Especially bathroom was huge.
Here is what it looked like.
Photo courtesy - https://en.vincciporto.com/rooms/
Pros : Perfect location. 24 hrs room service. Rooftop Bar.
Cons : None.
Website : VINCCI HOTEL , PORTO
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