Villa Cerrado das Fontainhas

The setting is beautiful, out in the countryside near Sintra and Lisbon, and on paper it had everything I wanted for my Portugal scouting trip: a peaceful place to stay, a spa, and breakfast. But I didn't find it relaxing, and the only thing that felt worth paying for was the massage, which the owner nearly spoiled too. Breakfast was uncomfortable. The chef made an omelette so salty I couldn't eat it, then stood over me, commenting on how I eat and pushing conversation. The owner also treated the property like her own home. While I was changing for my spa treatment, she came in to do her makeup and looked me up and down. Her phone was always at full volume around the property. I could hear it during my massage, and she answered by shouting; at dinner, it rang again and she shouted into it there too. I ordered food for me and a guest, then got charged 45€ for a 4€ bottle of wine. The gate wouldn't open with my phone, so I had to ask to be let in and out. At midnight, in the rain, I needed to leave and the owner stopped replying, leaving me literally trapped inside. There was no apology or acknowledgement. I was also overcharged beyond the actual charges and lost another day of my vacation trying to get the money back. I won't give her another cent, and I highly recommend that you don't either. One more thing if you're planning around the location: it's 20 km from Lisbon, but the slow, winding road (which is beautiful) takes about 40 minutes, not 20. I expected to use Uber instead of renting a car for the first part of my trip, so that distance meant another cost I hadn't planned for. The place itself is lovely, but it doesn't live up to its promise.

I only needed a night here after missing my airport layover, and it turned out to be great. The hostess was thoughtful and welcoming, and I got exactly what I needed from the gym, sauna, and location. The service was great too. I'd recommend it to anyone!

We'd booked three nights for our honeymoon, but checked out after the first. The room felt extremely damp and smelled strongly of must. Even the futon cushions had a body odor smell. It looked lovely online and might be alright in summer, but in January it wasn't livable.

We had a lovely stay. Breakfast was first class, and they fulfilled every request. The biggest surprise was dinner: a perfectly prepared, five-star Indian meal that I hadn't expected at all. The pool, room, grounds, and facilities were all first class too. We came to Sintra for a short trip and decided to stay overnight, and it turned out to be such a welcome surprise. Thank you!