Quinta Das Lagrimas

I liked hearing the water running outside my room. With the window open, it made a nice sound to fall asleep to. The building is historic, with lovely gardens and attentive staff, but I agree with others that it feels more like 3 stars than 5. My room was nothing special, smelled of mould, and needed renovation. The gym and indoor pool were very basic and seemed neglected. Breakfast was decent, nothing remarkable. I don’t regret staying, but expected more for the price and a 5-star rating.

The staff were lovely throughout, from check-in and checkout to helping with reservations. The gardens are stunning, there’s a lovely outdoor pool, and breakfast in the garden dining area was nice. We were welcomed in the room with local liquor and traditional Portuguese pastries. Lunch on our first day and the Sunday brunch buffet were very good, and the pool service was excellent. There’s also a Michelin-starred restaurant, though we didn’t eat there, so I can’t review it. We were in Suite #1 in June 2026, a basement-level room, and paid $833 for two nights. In my opinion, this 5-star hotel doesn’t quite meet that standard. The suite was incredibly dark and had a musty, damp smell, as if there’d been a water issue before. The bed was comfortable, but the pillows were flat and lumpy. There was no luggage rack, iron and ironing board, or electric kettle in the room, unlike the other hotels we stayed at, mostly 4-star places. The building’s stairs and step-ups make it difficult for anyone with mobility issues. Breakfast was inconsistent: the scrambled eggs often weren’t replenished, and I only found the GF area on the second and last day. Coffee was lukewarm on day one and perfect on day two. At $200 a night these things wouldn’t bother me much, but at more than $400 I expect consistency. We’ve stayed at other SLH hotels and expected more. I’d probably return at 200EU or less per night, and ask for an upper room. I’d rate it 3.5 out of 5, but gave it 4 overall because of the wonderful staff, ideal location, and lovely grounds and facilities.

During our three weeks in Portugal, this was the best hotel we stayed in. We especially enjoyed the gardens, and the location was great. The service was extremely good, and the food was great too. We ate at both the main restaurant and the regular one. We loved Coimbra, and this hotel was one of the main reasons.

The way the accommodation wing could be entered from outside felt insecure: the door was unlocked and random people came in. During our weekend there, some areas were out of bounds because of a car promotion and an electronic music festival. The gardens were overgrown and the walking trails in very poor shape. On arrival the hotel looked imposing, but the room we got was a large, modern hotel room that didn’t fit the style advertised. I’ll tell my travel agent not to use it again.