Quinta de Casaldronho Wine Hotel

Yes, the setting is pretty and the hotel is rather elegant at first glance. But that is clearly not enough to make one forget the rest. The hotel is located in the Douro Valley, but it must be pointed out that we are actually in the middle of electrical pylons. The view from the hotel is mainly of the vineyards. It is not unpleasant, but it is clearly not what we imagined given the presentation and the standing displayed by the establishment. And unfortunately, the problems did not stop there. We simply wanted to enjoy the pool quietly, read, and work on our computers. A family present on site, with two children about 5 and 10 years old, turned the pool into a real playground: cannonballs repeatedly, screaming, shoes thrown into the water, children spitting in the pool, and, to top it off, the family dog put into the pool. Having a dog ourselves, it had nevertheless been clearly specified to us during check-in that dogs were allowed around the pool, but only under the umbrella located next to the lounge chairs. There are also signs clearly indicating the prohibition on diving. We are therefore perfectly aware of the establishment's rules and have respected them. The problem was absolutely not the presence of a dog or children, but the totally inappropriate and dangerous behavior of this family. We nevertheless showed patience and reported the situation several times to the manager. During the first exchange, the father of the family even went so far as to threaten my partner and pretend he wanted to punch him, in front of the hotel manager. Despite this, we returned to the pool after the management's intervention. The situation has absolutely not changed. The downpours continued and we ended up soaked, as did our personal belongings. We then alerted management again. The situation finally degenerated verbally and the entire family became aggressive toward my spouse, including throat-slitting gestures in front of management. Management had to intervene to separate the people. At this stage, we obviously no longer felt safe and decided to leave the hotel in the middle of the afternoon. The most shocking thing for us remains the management of the establishment. We had reported a situation that was degenerating several times, including physical threats. Despite this, we did not feel protected as guests. The hotel agreed to refund our stay, but indicated to us that this situation was not their responsibility. We simply asked for our pool purchases to be covered—a bottle of water, a Coke, a beer, and two salads, or about €30—as well as a minimum of consideration given the situation. This was refused to us. The establishment refused to help us find another hotel even though we had to leave urgently in the middle of the day, claiming once again that it was not their fault. And finally, the room was far from impeccable for an establishment that positions itself as high-end: a stain in the bathtub and a broken shower head. A hotel of this caliber is not just a pretty building, a nice pool, and a few beautiful photos. It must also be capable of ensuring its guests a minimum of tranquility and security, and above all, of correctly managing a conflict situation when it is reported to them. Very big disappointment. We had come looking for a moment of calm and relaxation in a high-end establishment; we ultimately had to leave in a hurry after being confronted with an aggressive and particularly anxiety-inducing situation. A pleasant setting, perhaps, but an overall experience very far from the caliber and service that one can expect from a hotel of this category.

Excellent service. Amazing views. Amazing breakfast and dinner. The sea bass, veal, or pork cheek. Loved the croissants and breakfast loafs. The cocktails were great as well. Recommend a caipirinha by the pool.

We had a nice big room with great bathroom (room 7). The staff is very friendly and helpful. Breakfast is good and the menu for dinner offers plenty of tasty choices. For dessert we can highly recommend the Panacotta. We had the one with caramel sauce and we rarely had such a delicious dessert. We would also recommend Lamego as a trip. Nice historic center. Visit the Castelo de Lamego, the Lamego Cathedral with courtyard garden. The highlight was the Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios.