Vinha Boutique Hotel

"I had the pleasure of staying at Vinha 2 nights — 27 June to celebrate my birthday and again 8 July to recover after completing a walk on the Camino de Santiago. The staff were exceptionally professional and accommodating and made both stays memorable. When I returned for my second stay they remembered me and welcomed me back. From the bellmen, to the front desk staff, to the team at the bar & restaurant, they all were attentive and friendly. Both times the rooms were excellent — clean, spacious and uniquely configured to provide comfort and luxury. Room 206 with a private terrace and 180 degree views of the river and landscape was particularly enjoyable. The location, while a bit out of the city center, is peaceful and tranquil and a perfect place to relax and unwind. I had the pleasure of having dinner at both restaurants and both were exceptional. I also had the opportunity to visit the spa on my return and my 4 treatments over 3 hours were among the very best I have experienced. The masseuse was professional, communicated openly and clearly to make sure the treatments were tailored to my needs, and was particularly well trained and skilled. I would highly recommend the Vinha Boutique Hotel and hope to come back someday soon."

"Recently returned from our honeymoon at Vinha Boutique Hotel and while our overall stay was enjoyable, we were so disappointed the complete ignorance of the Reservations team that we were celebrating such a big occasion. Having booked direct and had great email comms over the last year (all very clear that this was our honeymoon), there was not a single mention of this with any staff we encountered, no mention at check-in or anything done at all during our stay to make us feel special.   I flagged this with the Reservations team on our 2nd day to make it clear we were disappointed at the first impression and to give them the opportunity to set things right for the rest of our stay but sadly nothing was done. This is despite having ample time and opportunities to rectify things (e.g. we dined at the Michelin restaurant, booked a private water taxi to Porto, had spa treatments, etc.).   For a 'luxury hotel', we expected so much more and feel really let down with our experience. There's no denying it's a beautiful hotel and we enjoyed the stay, we wouldn't recommend if you want to be made to feel special or valued if you're choosing the hotel for a special occasion. They really need to do better."

"Very stylish-looking hotel on the bank of the Douro, but a few issues that make one question the 5* Leading Hotels of the World designation: 1. Leak in our bedroom. The hotel duty manager offered to move us, but that didn’t work in terms of our schedule. However, the fact the curtains were stained around the leak suggests it had been an issue for some time (or else the maid service is poor), but they still put us in the room in any case, perhaps in the hope it wouldn’t rain. 2. It’s a 5* hotel, but the answer to the request for more water in the room was no. Apparently water is added to the room in the morning and at turn down and in limited supply. They then, without comment, added two more bottles of water to the room, for which we were of course grateful. (I think the management need to educate the staff that the immediate answer to a question is not “no” but “let me see what I can do”, if indeed it is within the person’s control.) 3. When taking an order from the menu (at breakfast) if the house style is not to write down the order, it’s important it is correctly executed. Similarly, if a customer asks for something and the staff member agrees to do it, then it’s important to fulfil that request. 4. When doing turn down, don’t take towels away and fail to replace them. 5. Sketchy schedule for the shuttle into the city (1hr 15 mins walk away), with no return option, and the timings are approximate to say the least. 6. The most egregious bit is having to pay €10 to use the pool, plus an extra €5 for a swimming cap, each. To qualify as a 5* hotel I believe you need to provide certain facilities; to charge for them seems infra dig. It’s a pity; I feel with more focus on service it could be a great hotel, whereas it’s distinctly average. The pool charges are baffling. The Vinha * Michelin restaurant was excellent though and reasonably priced considering the quality (tasting menu €150)."