Quinta Vale de Sousa - Douro Valley

No geral a estadia correu muito bem.... o único senão foi a pouca variedade a nivel dos pequenos almoços

The property is beautiful and the drive to get there is full of stunning views. The staff were extremely friendly and attentive. The room we stayed at had a very nice terrace. Honorable mentions: super pet friendly and the pool was heated.

The previous guests at the room we stayed at had a baby with them and they left the windows all full of baby handprints, we felt this could have been more throughly cleaned. Also, the dishwasher had unwashed dishes from the previous guests. Just some details we think need to be improved. We were a bit let down by the breakfast, it has a lot of room for improvement, it isn’t buffet style and has very limited options.

Quinta dos Românticos is in the hilltop town of Canelas, about 10km/15 minute drive from Peso de Regua, up a very windy road with several hairpin turns. While the drive up and down took a little getting used to, the location is beautiful, amidst vineyards and fruit and olive trees. The venue itself is lovely; neat, clean, nicely decorated, beautiful rooms and grounds, very nice pool overlooking a vineyard. It's very quiet, with the occasional exception of barking dogs nearby. Continental breakfast is provided: breads, rolls, croissants, pastries, yogurt, meat and cheese slices, fruit, coffee, orange juice. We ate dinner on site one night and enjoyed it. The staff was friendly and helpful. They made us feel very welcome and gave our dog a lot of love. We had the opportunity to interact with the owner's wonderful young granddaughters several times and that was a highlight of our visit. We would absolutely stay here again.

There's a lovely spa onsite with a steam room and sauna, but it didn't seem to be in use, and we weren't given any information about it. To be fair though, we never asked. We hope to be able to make use of it on a future visit.

What a pleasant surprise when we arrived. It is certainly off the beaten path but many places in the Douro Valley seem to be. The description of this place on the website does not hold a candle to what we experienced. The welcoming staff(Christiana, Ines and Philippe) were present when we arrived. We had drinks served by Christiana, while our room was being prepared. We learnt more about the hotel, the history and the area. Philippe, the very talented and budding chef, amazed us with a fantastic dinner. Do opt for this if you are staying here. We were also provided with breakfast which was included with the stay. The infinity pool was welcoming as well to cool off after a warm Summer day. We were able to relax for the day after being in the city for the last week. The area was very quiet and safe.

The bed was very comfortable, the aircon worked well, elements of the meals were excellent. Ines (waitress) was very nice.

No welcome, front door locked, staff very unhappy to see us arriving (I’m going to have a mental breakdown we’re the first words of the person who ‘greeted’ us). No information given to us about the hotel, the area, meals, the ‘spa’ which I don’t think even exists. No information about the winery. No menu at dinner, just told vaguely what was on offer, no wine list or price list. The owners were milling about but seemed to have zero interest in their guests. No evidence of a manager. We were told breakfast at 9, we asked for 8.30 - this seemed to be a big ordeal. Breakfast was a continental breakfast despite website saying more. No water or glasses in rooms. Dogs barking all night. I felt totally uncomfortable for the entire duration of my stay. This was my worst experience of hospitality in Portugal even though it was expensive. I felt bad for the staff and the chef (who is obviously talented) but I do not recommend this hotel.

the grounds and pool were very comfortable, quiet for the most part, and very lovely. pool was heated and awesome. the staff ensured we were comfortable using the grounds and pool area - came running to get us cushions, etc. nice to have a restaurant on site. dining room was pretty. staff sold us a bottle or two of wine - no problem- to sit outside and sip. bedroom sizes were really good in the 2 bedroom apartment.

the apartment was new but a bit oddly configured and stocked. kitchen didn’t have some necessities and configuration was tricky (ie drawers opening and jamming up against stove handles, that type of thing). living room seating did not comfortably hold 4 adults. largest bedroom had an ensuite bathroom which was great- but- walls were glass- so if you prefer privacy from your roommate while toileting you wouldn’t have any. for us that wasn’t great, for other couples, perhaps it doesn’t matter. we noticed there weren’t mattress covers on the beds - can be a hygiene issue. the location - top of the mountain - had 3 ‘cafes’ which weren’t designed for tourists. so really nothing at the top of the mountain for us other than the Quinta. I think unique to our stay, the owner had family staying there and there was little separation between their family and us in common areas- sometimes made common space sharing a bit awkward.

The service was good. The young Chef was very good and listened to our wishes. His dinners were very good. The hotel was very clean and quiet.

It would be nice to have some fruit at the breakfast. There was not even orange juice the last morning. The interior design was confusing. The hotel looks nice and local from outside (with azulejos), but inside was a mix of IKEA, Hollywood and nice local items.

We loved Quita dos Romanticos. We were so warmly welcome by Ines, Catriana and Philip. They looked after us beautifully and went out of their way to cook veggie for us.

Our only criticism was to see false grass being used!