Palácio da Lousã Boutique Hotel

We went in winter and were always warm and comfortable. The rooms and service were great, and the staff were amazing. Breakfast was fantastic, though dinner wasn’t so good. If you have a car, the Xisto villages are only minutes away.

The best part of the hotel for me was the three nicely furnished rooms just above the lobby, where you can read or study. They were lovely and warm, unlike the other spaces. Lousã itself has potential, with older buildings in varying condition, and I’d like to come back for hiking in the forested mountains nearby. We came for two nights in a rainy January, mainly to give our dog a different place to walk without getting too wet. Bringing a pet costs 40€/night, but the policy is generous: dogs can go anywhere in the hotel except the pool area. He enjoyed lying beside our table in the restaurant one evening, walking the corridors, and exploring the gardens, as well as the town just outside the lobby. For us, the bed was very comfortable and the hotel quiet, so we slept really well. The room had plenty of space but not enough useful furniture. There was room along the bed wall for two large nightstands, but instead there were two small round tables, with no space for personal items because of the phone and lamp base. The old wood floorboards creaked, there was just one tiny window, and the room had the usual winter chill of old Portuguese buildings. The shower head was underwhelming. Breakfast lived up to the high standards of hotels in Portugal. Dinner at the hotel was disappointing in both food and service, though there’s a charming gastrobar a few minutes’ walk up the road. Spa services weren’t available while we were there, so we tried the pool and sauna. They were okay, but the pool is only 1 meter deep, and I wouldn’t return just for that.

My parents had an excellent two-night stay in August. Their rooms were clean, had everything they needed for a relaxing break, and looked out toward the Lousa mountain. The staff were friendly, and breakfast was tasty with plenty of choice.

Breakfast was enjoyable, but dinner at the restaurant was the biggest disappointment. The food was plain and seemed to lack even salt. We asked for boiled potatoes and got fries, and the €11 charge for bread with olive oil felt excessive, especially since it came from the breakfast buffet. When I gave feedback on the food, the staff didn’t respond. Guests also didn’t recommend dinner while we were there. There are much better places in the village for food and value, so I wouldn’t recommend the restaurant. The hotel itself is very nice, with attentive staff. We arrived during a heat wave, and it seemed they weren’t quite set up for summer, but they quickly arranged sun umbrellas for the pool when we asked. I stayed in the newer section, where the room was spacious and nice. It’s not a new hotel and that shows, but they do their best to maintain it.