Hotel Quinta do Paço

The rural hotel is lovely and elegantly decorated, and the staff are polite and kind. The pillows were extremely uncomfortable, though, and breakfast could have offered more variety.

The spacious rooms were clean, and ours had a little balcony overlooking the view. A beautiful boutique hotel, with the feeling of living in a piece of the past.

Paço, the hotel dog, wanders around the outside area and is lovely, never bothering anyone. The cutest thing, though I’m biased because I love animals. We stayed one night, and the accommodation was good for the price. The surroundings are beautiful, green and peaceful. Dinner and breakfast were both good. The pool area was disappointing: the pool is large but too cold, and the thick grass was uncomfortable.

The wine and Port they chose for us came from local producers, matched what we expected for quality and price, and they asked us to taste them. A pleasant surprise, as you don't see that much anymore. Dinner started about an hour later than the information said, but the kitchen was quick once it got going. The food was delicious, even the dishes that seemed like they might be plain, and everything was nicely arranged. The staff seemed experienced and understood what we wanted, although we couldn’t explain it well because neither side had all the right words. The waiters and we definitely had a language barrier, but they were patient, understanding and keen to work with us. That made the stay feel oddly personal and connecting. I was there on a motorbike trip across Portugal, and the place felt like visiting distant relatives more than checking into a hotel, for better or worse. The clean rooms were adequate, but could use some renovation. I’d have preferred a walk-in shower to a bathtub, especially one with no natural light. It felt like being given the spare room at your grandparents’ house. Breakfast was supposed to be available from 7:30 am, but there didn’t seem to be anyone around until about 9. It felt like a relative had set things up before leaving for work and expected you to figure it out. Their coffee is tasty, but in the morning there was only a self-service machine that made very foamy instant coffee. With no one around to order anything else, that’s what we drank. By the time I saw an employee, we had to get on with the day’s travels. I didn’t feel like going out of my way to find someone either. If nobody answers a loud bom dia, or good morning, there’s probably no one there. It was a pleasant stay and easy to recommend if you like a relaxed, family-like atmosphere and don’t need to be at the hotel for most of the day.