Pestana Palacio do Freixo

"A very comfortable stay. Great to have the shuttle service into town - book it early!"

"Pestana Palácio do Freixo is a really unique property. The building itself is beautiful and full of history, and staying there felt a little like staying in an old castle. The front desk staff and the butler who greets guests were exceptionally friendly, and everyone we encountered was pleasant and welcoming. I have a particularly sensitive sense of smell, and when I first walked into the hotel I noticed a slight odor of moisture. However, I quickly became accustomed to it and it didn’t bother me during the rest of our stay. The gym is small and has mostly light weights, but it was clean and well maintained. The biggest issue for us was the restaurant service. There were plenty of excellent self-service options at breakfast, but the table service was extremely slow. On one morning, the hostess noticed that it was my birthday, congratulated me, and made an effort to find us a nice table. She also gave me a menu, which I didn’t realize was available because it hadn’t been presented to me on our first morning. She and several other servers came through the room multiple times, but no one asked what we wanted to order. After waiting for some time, I finally waved the hostess over and ordered two omelets and a cappuccino for my wife. The cappuccino never arrived. Our dinner experience was even more disappointing. Three nights earlier, we had gone to the restaurant specifically to make a reservation. The person at the hostess desk took our information. When we arrived for dinner on the night of the reservation, however, we were told they didn’t have our reservation and weren’t sure they had a table available. Fortunately, they ultimately accommodated us. Once seated, things started reasonably well. We were given menus, our drink order was taken fairly quickly, and our wine arrived promptly. We were also asked whether we wanted bread. However, we had to remind two different servers because we received one of our appetizers before the bread ever arrived. When the bread finally came—about an hour into the meal—we were offered gluten-free bread, which I requested, but it never arrived. The amuse-bouche took approximately 40 minutes to arrive. It was also oddly presented: everyone else seemed to receive theirs on a tall white plate, while ours was served in a simple black bowl. I ordered a beet salad, octopus, risotto, and soup for the two of us. The server initially told us that it was too much food. We explained that we wanted the beet salad and octopus as appetizers and still wanted all of the dishes. He reiterated that the beet salad and octopus would be brought together. When the beet salad arrived, the server told us the octopus would be coming soon. After another 20 minutes, I asked about it and was told that it was ready and waiting. At that point, I couldn’t help but wonder how long the dish had been sitting before it was brought to our table. Once we finally received the first part of the meal, the entrees didn’t take particularly long. The problem was the amount of time and repeated follow-up required just to get the meal moving. For a hotel of this caliber, associated with a Michelin-level experience, the restaurant service was a significant disappointment. We had several excellent Michelin-rated dining experiences during our time in Porto, as well as a wonderful meal at a quaint mountainside restaurant when we visited the national park. None of those other restaurants had service problems remotely comparable to what we experienced here. Overall, I really enjoyed the property itself. The historic building, atmosphere, and friendly staff make Pestana Palácio do Freixo a memorable place to stay. Unfortunately, the restaurant service did not match the quality and character of the hotel, and that was the biggest disappointment of our stay."

"An absolutely delightful oasis and almost a museum in itself, away from the chaotic tourist center. The hotel excels at the rare combination of combining grandeur and elegance with warmth and hospitality. My only regret is not staying longer to both better enjoy the property, the amenities, and relax. Sometimes we just felt like reading the coffee table books in the stunning parlor lounge or swim in the infinity pool overlooking the Douro rather than sightsee! Breakfast was divine and the pool had excellent food and service. We appreciated our interactions with all hotel staff and sad to leave. They were great with kids. Big thanks to GM Diego and team for a truly memorable stay!!"