The hotel was stunning and in a quiet location just outside the city centre. Breakfast options were ok and the spa treatments were excellent.

The inside pool is currently closed for renovation - we were disappointed that this was not advised in advance as spa experience is not the same without. There was mould in the tiles and edges of the bathroom and the bath in an executive room was disappointingly small. There is a persistent weird smell in the downstairs area between the main building and the bedrooms. Coffee at breakfast is terrible - save yourself and order in town with a pastel de Nata!

This hotel is beautiful, a palace with a gorgeous pool on the Douro River. Both the indoor and outdoor pools were warm, holiday water! A 25 minute walk along the river to the Dom Luis bridge. We also stayed in a hotel near the bridge so it was lovely to have the 2 different experiences. The restaurant in this hotel is superb, we ate their 2 nights in a row and I rarely do this, I usually prefer to eat out but I had to go back tot his restaurant as it was so good. The breakfast is superb also.

The staff weren't overly helpful. The restaurant staff though were superb as was the concierge. More the girls behind the desk were pretty average which is a shame as this hotel is magnificent.

We liked the combination of historic palace with the rooms in the adjacent restored factory building, all very tasteful. The staff were very friendly and professional, the rooms were very spacious , the food was nice and the breakfast buffet was just excellent. The palace itself is just outstanding, given its age it looks very well maintained; as it was winter we could not use the outdoor area but the location with the park-like garden and the outdoor infinity edge pool right by the river is very special; if you want to go for a river walk you can access a walking trail right from the hotel.

The room was a bit gloomy due to the somewhat "discrete" lighting. As it was raining and windy it would be nice if the walkway from one building to the other could be also covered on the side.

Breakfast was excellent and plentiful but they had to ask what a white coffee was? The outside space is lovely. The toilets were screened by frosted glass so that was amusing. Shuttle was used once so that was also good to get into the town.

The pillows were awful for all of us. They left arrival cake which was inedible for two days in our room. There was no shampoo except in shower dispenser but two conditioners on the sink. They stated 25 euro per person for any expenses during stay but on leaving I was told they had taken 500 ! which of course was refunded. The bar staff were incredibly slow and then one emptied a tray onto the floor and covered my daughter in drinks meaning she had to change with no apology from the waiter and my friend had to scoop up lemon and ice from carpet before a waiter arrived with a broom with no cloths for the rest of us, this was not what I expect from a five star which we frequent on holidays.

Spectacular setting, building and decor Historical content as good as you can get Views unparalleled

1. TV did not work and no reply from reception 2. Bath took 20 minutes to fill and shower rather slippery 3. Shower has shower gel and shampoo but no conditioner, the bath has conditioner but no shower gel and shampoo!! 4. Normal movies have to be paid for - really surprising and penny pinching 5. No berries for breakfast - standard fare in all 5 star hotels I stay at 6. No plain yogurt only strawberry flavoured. Not exactly gourmet !!

Everything about this gem of a hotel, From the incredible staff, fantastic food, beautiful building and the shuttle bus service in and out of Porto. Thank you Rita for the cans of Sumol delivered to my room in a champagne bucket. That was a wonderful surprise. Also a big thank you to Fabio and Rui for driving me to and from the hotel. Barbara and Sofia in the Spa, Sebastian in the bar, and many more of the kind and attentive staff for looking after me. The Director of the Hotel you have an incredible team, and you’re doing a remarkable job - this hotel is in great hands. Very well done.

Nothing, it’s all good.

A SPACIOUS ROOM WITH A FIRST RATE VISTA SITUATED ON THE TOP FLOOR OF ANNEX. THE BED WAS HUGE AND THE LINEN WAS TOP CLASS. THE BATHROOM WAS WELL EQUIPPED AND STOCKED WITH TOP QUALITY TOWELS. BUT A LITTLE DATED FOR A FIVE STAR. THE LIVINGROOM WAS WELL FURNISHED. BREAFAST AT THE HOTEL WAS PLENTIFUL AND GOOD. THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD SERVED DURING THE DAY WAS ALSO TOP RATE.

THE ROOM COLOUR SCHEME WAS VERY DOUR AND VERY LOW KEY. ROOM LIGHTING WAS NOT THE BEST. THIS ALSO GOES FOR THE AREAS OUTSIDE THE ROOM.

This place is wonderful. Besides being so beautiful aesthetically, they have really thought of everything. The indoor spa is perfect and relaxing. It’s an easy Uber into Porto or a lovely walk in the river if it’s a nice day. The office staff Carolina, Ines and Fabio made us feel so taken care of. Fabio filled us in on everything hotel wise. We wanted to see a Fado show and have dinner, Carolina and Ines arranged the whole thing for us. The food at the restaurant is also delicious although a bit over priced, the breakfast is the best we’d had in all of Europe so far. We absolutely loved this place and would pick it again if in Porto.

Pequeno almoço Restaurante do hotel

Spa sem jacuzzi

The location and especially the view are stunning! Beautiful sunsets and views over the Douro. The palace where the lobby, the restaurants and bars are is amazing, feels like a jump in time.

Rooms are not too big and there were some minor issues, however the management went far beyond expectations to cope with everything. Kudos to Pestana’s team. Need a Uber to get to the city centre, but the calm location offsets for this.