Villa D'Arcos

The dinner was a highlight, homemade with whole ingredients, and we loved it. The rooms and bathrooms were beautiful and clean, and the personal touch made the place adorable. Excellent in every respect.

The owner welcomed me warmly into a bright, spotless room after I was exhausted from walking 30 km from Porto and couldn't make it to the next hostel. Later, I had a wonderful home-cooked dinner. I'd seen some negative reviews saying it wasn't for budget-minded travelers, but I honestly don't understand them. My stay was lovely.

I wouldn't stay here again. Even though we'd already agreed to have dinner, the host kept pushing extra purchases like a massage, and there always seemed to be another charge waiting. Dinner was okay, but at 25€ without drinks I've had much better meals in Portugal and Spain. I knew from Google reviews that the wine cost extra, so I turned it down. I then saw her offer wine to other guests during dinner without telling them about the charge, which some reviewers said had caught them by surprise. It's hard to relax when it feels like every little thing costs more.

The room was clean, and the pool was nice, but the layout felt odd. The toilet was in a stall while the shower sat in the corner of the room, beside a huge street-facing window with only a sheer covering. I could see all the way to the street while showering. The tour company, Camino Ways, arranged this quaint stop on my Camino de Portuguese pilgrimage, with dinner and breakfast meant to be included. At dinner I asked for tap water but got bottled water, which I assumed was covered by the prepaid meal. It wasn't, and they charged me for the water and another item afterward. In the morning I couldn't finish my roll, so I took it along instead of wasting it. As I was checking out, the hostess caught up with me and charged another 2,50 euros. She said the previous night's charge was for dinner. I showed her the voucher proving it was prepaid, but she refunded none of it. I can't give more than three stars, and that's only because of the cleanliness and pool.