5 Stars!

Portugal | Apr 18 - May 9, 2026

A unique and quirky hotel that is very well located, with a tremendous staff that is quick and eager to please, and support its guests. Accommodations were clean and comfortable, breakfast was good, and the hotel itself is historic, with a great vibe.

If you get the right room, the views can be amazing! Otherwise, it is a highly touristic hotel that lacks personalized service, and any cultural charm (views excepted). Wifi strength is marginal. Breakfast is a standard buffet. You are not centrally located within the Algarve,

A beautiful reconstruction of an old sanitarium. Nicely situated within the park. Wifi strength was good. Breakfast was very good, although in the bar, food and service were both lacking. Staff were generally kind and helpful. It would be nice if tours were offered of the property given its history; to learn more about its use, layout, and reconstruction.

A beautiful property that's ideally situated, with a kind and helpful staff, great food and drink, solid wifi and amenities.

A purely tourist hotel. It is conveniently located within the city; within walking distance of a lot of sights and activities. However, it lacks any local charm or character. Wifi is mediocre. Breakfast was good though. Staff were attentive and kind. Construction works next to the hotel were disruptive, with noise and vibration that began early in the day and continued to the evening.

A purely touristic hotel. While nicely located within the city, it lacks any kind of local vibe. Staff were generally uninterested and disengaged. Wifi was stable and breakfast was okay - the same offerings each day. If you like consistency and predictability, this is a fine hotel. If you prefer a more tailored, boutique experience, look elsewhere.

A comfortable place to stay, walkable to the core of PDL. Kind and helpful staff. Great wifi. Great breakfast. The spa, and its associated amenities, were superb.

Rita was an excellent guide. Funny. Engaging. Knowledgable. She put together a loop that traversed each neighborhood, sharing historical and cultural highlights along the way. I asked specifically if she knew of any Vhils works, and she was able to incorporate one as we walked, which was greatly appreciated. She introduced us to many foods and shops, making stops so we could sample them as we went. It was a wonderful introduction to Lisbon!

Sintra is a must-see destination if you're in Lisbon. We were paired with Rita once again, which we both were pleased with. The skip-the-line tickets were enormously helpful! Guides are not allowed within Pena Palace, which was a little disappointing, however, Rita was keen to answer our questions before and after our tour. Throughout the day, she was kind, eager to share her knowledge, and helpful. The only downside, for me, was the lack of visiting the Moorish Castle. I felt like there was time within the day to do so, being respectful of our timed entries elsewhere. We made a stop for lunch, which could have been shortened or skipped outright to make time for the castle. Rita didn't feel it was a worthwhile destination, but I disagreed with her assessment. Still, she and our driver Rui fulfilled our request to visit Cabo da Roca, which was also very appreciated as it lengthened the day.

This was great! To learn how to make this iconic pastry was a real "treat"! The class was good. Small enough to be personal and move along at a steady clip. Everyone was engaged and having a good time. Our instructor was funny, well prepared to teach the class, and helped all of us succeed in our endeavor. There were steps that were completed in advance, both for ease and timing. Personally, I would have liked to have participated in each step, even if that meant a longer overall class. But still, a really good time.

The Fado, was sublime. Beautiful. Haunting, in a way. You could close your eyes and feel the music. It was truly beautiful. The Portuguese guitar is a striking instrument, both in looks and sound. And those creating the music, playing the guitar, singing, were soulful, talented, and a joy to listen to. The dinner itself was okay. Good. Not as exceptional as the music. Restaurant staff were kind, but disorganized and rushed. In the end, they got everyone seated, meals and drinks ordered, and it all worked out. But it seemed like it was their first time doing it. The venue itself is nice, although I would suggest being seated away from the front entrance where the musicians will ultimately perform, as you're inches away, the music and singing would be loud.

Rui showed up to the hotel on time. Brought us to the rental car directly, and offered to stay until we were set up.

In hindsight, I should have communicated our plans more accurately. Timings for some of the places we wanted to get to weren't clear. For example. the Convent of Our Lady of Arrabida, was closed. The Forte de Albarquel had limited hours. Had we known those in advance we could have made better use of our time. We ended up visiting the Forte de Sao Filipe which was outstanding! From there we drove to Setubal for lunch, taking your suggestion for the choco frito. It seemed like there was a fair amount to see in Setubal, but again, it really wasn't discussed so we didn't know. We walked around a little before we continued our drive to the hotel.

This was a phenomenal restaurant! Well designed, curated, nice touches in plating and silverware. Attentive service. Delicious food! Great atmosphere. Terrific all around!

A great way to experience this dramatic coastline. The equipment provided was of good quality, and the staff were each excellent! I was grateful the boat captain enabled us to take a quick swim on our return to the harbor. Our kayaking instructor was fun, kind, helpful to those in the group that needed assistance. His knowledge of the area was great to listen to. I would have enjoyed more time on the water, but for what it was, no big complaints.

Nuno is an outstanding guide. It is clear he is passionate about the park, taking great pride in its beauty, diversity and fragility. His knowledge of its history, and biodiversity, was impressive. He took great care to assure our safety and comfort while in the park. Our lunch together was wonderful. He packed ham, bread and cheese, with jam and a bottle on wine (he forgot the glasses but that was easily handled). Sharing the day with him was a delight. I am glad we added more time, and that Nuno could accommodate us. Three hours would have been seriously limiting. He was willing to share suggestions for further exploration, and offered us insights on our hotel that the hotel staff themselves couldn't do.

This experience was incorrectly booked as just the boat trip, and not the boat and kayak trip combined. This was not a big deal and is not the reason behind my rating. I greatly appreciate your response to that situation. Rather, the boat is, just a boat. The ride upriver is scenic and that's really it. You don't go all that far. I'm glad we did not go upriver with the boat and then kayak downriver back to town. It's the same view, and the river channel is busy with a lot of boat traffic. It would not have been very relaxing. Doing the two separately allowed us to kayak down the other arm of the river which was, frankly, dirty and smelly. Not super great. I would skip this activity overall, and would rather do a private boat hire with a wine and cheese tasting that would travel a greater distance along the river. No kayaking. And spend more time exploring the wineries along the valley.

This was easily one of the best meals we had on our trip. Highly elevated, exceptional dining in a beautifully situated and sophisticated dining space.

To begin, I didn't know this was booked as a private activity. Maybe it wasn't and we got lucky that it was just the two of us and our guides. But if it was booked as such - thank you! Our guides, Daniel and Wolf were phenomenal! They took great care to assure our comfort and safety. For Lilian, this was especially important as this was her first canyoning experience. The course itself was great! Beautifully scenic, and challenging enough without being (too) overwhelming. Again, to Daniel and Wolf, your efforts in making the day safe, comfortable and fun, were much appreciated. The experience itself was great! We enjoyed witnessing the beauty of Madeira from an entirely unique perspective.