The building (and the personnel) were very welcoming. You have to drive for a couple miles from the main road to reach it (the way is properly indicated) and once in the village the hotel stands out before you. Parking is free but outside. Breakfast OK for a three star hotel, better than many in that category, and we were serviced with a smile (the lady even managed to fry me an egg which was not an option). Price more than fair. The small village is very well restored and maintained and quite picturesque. There is an excellent restaurant nearby (5 minute walk) called Cova do Lobo.

Heating needed time to attain a proper level for our taste (some like it hot!) maybe because the room was so large and with three windows, and weather was rather chilly. I like to dine in hotels with character, such as this one, and was disappointed not to have a cozy restaurant inside. But in all fairness, for the price and character of the place I cannot complain- it certainly met our expectations.

Really excellent hotel in a beautiful village. The amenities were really nice and the breakfast had a nice selection. The gentleman who checked us in was very helpful and kind to our group. The other staff, including the breakfast ladies, were also very nice.

The bed could have been more comfortable, but other than that, no complaints at all.

The bedroom was big, comfortable, it had a nice view and was clean. The staff at the reception were excellent! Breakfast choice was very good.

I had little time to go back to my room (it was at the end of the building), so I asked a waitress with short white hair, at breakfast if I could borrow a tea spoon for 1 day, so I could bring it to the the trekking. I was shocked by her loud and aggressive answer: “If you steal this tea spoon, and do not bring it back, you will go to prison!” I did not immediately reply as it was nearly 9 AM and the guide and the group were ready to go. I did not have 5 minutes to spare. But, I consider this reply extremely discriminatory (I am German/Brazilian), and I felt utterly insulted. I have never ever expected such an answer from a hotel staff.

This rural hotel looks like it has recently been totally renovated, so it adds an old palace charm to high standard modern amenities, like a design passage way between the main building/reception area and the building where the rooms are. The gardens are beautiful and very well kept - there is a rose garden, a hortensia's garden, a wall-garden and the gardens around the open air swimming pool. There is also a tennis court by the swimming pool, all very nicely done. The situation is very peaceful and quiet, overlooking the mountains and farms. The rooms are very spacious and some of them have a nice terrace with access to the gardens. The breakfast was really good, all with freshly made products from the region - cheese, ham, marmelade - and home made bread. We stayed happily for two nights and could have stayed longer to unwind! Bonus: the Mondego river walkways are a half hour drive away, a nice walking trail of 16kms.

The hotel doesn't offer a restaurant, only a bar with some simple snacks/sandwiches. There is a fairly good restaurant in the village, within walking distance though. The location is very remote and hard to get to - only by car - and there is not much to do, so make sure what you want is peace and quiet!

Though hard to find and in the middle of nowhere the hotel is situated in a lovely quiet hamlet called Linhares high up on top of a hill. The peace and tranquility are tangible, especially at night when walking through the narrow streets past the old little houses and around the castle. We also heard numerous cuckoo singing who quite clearly like living in the area away from human beings ! (who can blame them !). There is only one restaurant in the hamlet which apparently is very good but we didn't try it in the end - we opted to drive back down the hill to get food. There is a lovely swimming pool and tennis courts at the hotel and the views from the rooms are superb. Breakfast was excellent with both hot and cold choices as well as numerous local cakes along with fresh fruits. The views from the breakfast room were also magnificent. Parking is available outside the hotel in the central square where the local wild cats will sit and relax underneath your car whilst you unload. Staff were very helpful.

Getting to other food outlets/restaurants requires a fairly long car journey back down the hill and beyond !.

The originality of the two older buildings. There was a good choice of breakfast. The location was peaceful, and there were a couple of restaurants nearby for dinner. The room was furnished beautifully and really clean.

The long walk between both buildings, including taking 2 lifts the walk along the linking corridor from reception to room, was 4.5 minutes. Although the room was serviced daily, the water wasn't replenished.

Breakfast was well above average for hotels in Portugal. The location and aspect was one of the best features. I am sorry we could not stay longer. Given the quality, I though the value was quite good.

At first we had difficulty getting to the swimming pool, as, even though it was near our rooms, all the nearest doors were locked and we had to go almost back to reception to access it.

The location in the center of a charming old village with great views on the surrounding mountains and the plain below. The architecture of the building ( an old mansion). Clean and comfortable rooms with A/C. Swimming pool and tennis court on the premises.

The orange juice at the breakfast was almost tasteless. Should be replaced by a higher quality juice. Room was not well isolated. One could hear the neighbours at night.

Incredible colonial hotel in a beautiful medieval mountain village. Extremely comfortable, super clean, excellent buffet breakfast with coffee including cappuccino. Our 4th floor room offered stupendous views of the valley. Lots of pillows & hot water.

No advance check-in - 4pm sharp. Ditto for the 8am breakfast when dining room doors were unlocked. My only complaint was the hand held shower in the bathtub. Would have preferred a wall mounted attachment.

Very clean; nice breakfast

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