Villa dos Poetas Guest House Sintra

We were able to check in early, and the staff brought a pack and play for our baby. The pool was well kept and fun to use, and we liked having our own outdoor area. Breakfast had lots of options at a reasonable price. It's close to the bus station, though a bit of a walk from the city center. We stayed here while visiting Sintra and would recommend it, and stay again.

Private parking was an easy bonus in Sintra, and it's a short walk to the old Town and Train station. This is a cool, nicely furnished boutique guest house, with really friendly, helpful staff, a pool, and interesting old grounds. One small note, hot water is available, but it can take a while to reach the bathroom.

The semi-basement Studio was damp throughout, with mold smell on the mattress, pillows, sheets, blankets, and everything else. Humidity was 83%, as the picture showed. There were spider webs, too, and it didn't look like the room had been cleaned carefully, which felt especially concerning during a pandemic. We asked for an upstairs room, but were told they were all booked. With no other place to stay, we had to sleep there. It was the worst night I've had, and I couldn't sleep because of the smell and dampness. In the morning, we asked for our money back. The owner called us “too sensitive” and said this was part of the experience, then refunded only one night. At 125 euros/night, that was a very expensive night in a basement. If it had been warmer, we'd have slept outside in the garden, which looked nice. We had booked two nights with breakfast through booking.com, but on arrival were told we'd booked a Studio with a kitchenette, and that breakfast wasn't provided for studios because guests could buy groceries and cook. That was fine until we saw the room. The owner said the smell was old, but it was mold. We couldn't even review the other rooms, which might not be like this, but stay away from the Studios if you don't want the same experience, especially if you have a kid like we did.

The hosts at Villa dos Poetas were so warm and generous, and the grounds were beautiful. I had trouble finding the entrance with my rental car's GPS, but once we arrived, I was taken by the place. Sintra itself is spectacular, and the city was an easy walk away. I wish I'd booked more than one night. If I return to Sintra, I hope to stay here again.