Douro Castelo Signature Hotel & Spa

Logo na chegada, fomos recebidos por uma equipe extremamente simpática e acolhedora. A hospitalidade dos funcionários foi um dos pontos altos da estadia. Desde o check-in até o check-out, o atendimento foi sempre cordial e prestativo, o que fez com que nos sentíssemos bem-vindos desde o primeiro momento. Esse cuidado com o hóspede é algo que faz uma diferença significativa na experiência geral e contribui para que o hotel ganhe pontos em termos de serviço. Quanto às instalações, as primeiras impressões foram boas, mas ao explorar mais profundamente, algumas expectativas não foram totalmente atendidas. A área da piscina, por exemplo, era visualmente agradável, mas menor do que esperávamos. As fotos promocionais do hotel, infelizmente, não refletiam com precisão o tamanho real da piscina. Embora o espaço seja bem cuidado e confortável, ele pode ficar um pouco apertado em horários de maior movimento, especialmente se o hotel estiver cheio. A piscina interior, no entanto, foi uma surpresa agradável. Apesar de também ser de tamanho modesto, o ambiente era relaxante e bem decorado, proporcionando uma boa alternativa para dias de tempo instável ou simplesmente para quem prefere uma experiência mais tranquila. Os quartos seguiram a mesma linha: confortáveis, mas menores do que aparentavam nas fotos. Apesar disso, a cama merece destaque positivo. O colchão era firme, mas confortável, e garantiu boas noites de sono durante a estadia. A limpeza dos quartos também estava impecável, algo que considero essencial em qualquer hotel. Contudo, senti que a decoração dos quartos poderia ser um pouco mais moderna ou acolhedora, algo que refletisse melhor o espírito acolhedor que a equipe do hotel transmite. O pequeno-almoço, servido todas as manhãs, foi uma experiência agradável, mas com algumas limitações. Embora os alimentos oferecidos fossem frescos e saborosos, a variedade deixou um pouco a desejar. Havia opções básicas, como pães, frutas e alguns itens quentes, mas uma maior diversidade teria sido bem-vinda. Para estadias curtas, isso não é um grande problema, mas em uma estadia mais prolongada, a falta de opções pode se tornar repetitiva. A localização do hotel é um dos seus pontos mais fortes. Situado em uma zona tranquila, mas de fácil acesso aos principais pontos turísticos da região, o Hotel Vista Mar oferece a combinação perfeita de sossego e conveniência. Além disso, há várias opções de restaurantes e lojas nas proximidades, o que torna a experiência ainda mais agradável para quem gosta de explorar a área sem se afastar muito do hotel.

I've posted elsewhere that we stayed at wonderful hotels in Portugal. The "stories" were about reaching them and trying to park at them. The Douro Castelo experience was our worst! We used GPS to find the hotel. Made the mistake of making the last turn! The hotel was only feet from the last intersection. [A red "carpet" reached from the door to the intersection, but we missed it.] We drove past the entrance on a gradually narrowing street. Narrowing more! Pulled in mirrors. Scraped the car on a house [with only inches of clearance on the driver's side.] Ultimately both cars returned to the lower center of Lamego and parked in lots. We transferred to the hotel by Uber. We enjoyed our stay--once we got there. But arriving was a trama--and an expensive one at that.

Excellent service from the reception staff - very effectively helped us with all our needs except parking. Booked through Agoda and thought on site parking was provided. Apparently not. They only have three parking spaces. Park on the roads around the hotel was the advice - grab whatever space we saw as it was festival time so parking was a problem. Just as well we were only there for Sat and Sun nights. It’s also expensive to park in the week apparently. Thé breakfast was excellent - lots of choice - plenty of fresh fruit, seeds, bread meats cheeses and pastries, and marvellous plain creamy yoghurt. The hot element - scrambled egg and bacon was cold however. Wonderful views from the restaurant. There was bar food and a full restaurant service available but no English version of the menus and expensive (a set price of 75 euro per person). We were not tempted to try it.

Charming hotel in Portuguese wine country. The big advantage to this hotel (over the wine quintas and some other lovely looking hotels on the outskirts) is that this place is right in the middle of town - within easy walking distance of the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and other historic sights. So, when you've finished going port wine tasting all day (very nearby, but you really need a car for the gorgeous drive along the Douro and up and down the hills to tasting sites and quintas) you have a beautiful, historic town to walk around. The stand at the Castelo Signature was amazing - can't say enough about how helpful they were. VERY affordable, even the room we got with a terrace overlooking the town and the Sanctuary. Rooms lovely, not luxurious but very nice. Bathrobes and slippers. They have an on-site little cafe/bar, with an outdoor area as well by the pool. There's a spa area that looked nice when we were shown it, but we were too busy wine-tasting to use it. The free breakfast is amazing; they made us omelets and there were great pasties, breads, meats, cheeses, fruits, etc. The BEST thing about this hotel is arguably the restaurant, which I wold not be surprised to earn a Michelin star one day. My husband had the veal kebab and rice; I had a shrimp risotto that was spectacular. Incredibly, with this gourmet meal, including dessert and a bottle of one of the nicer wins, was just 76 Euros. One last thing - Lamego is an overlooked gem in the region. People stay at quintas, which are nice but limiting, or maybe in Paso de Regua or Pinhao (absolutely nothing to do, nowhere special to eat). Or they day-trip from Porto. Lamego is worth a trip on its own, and you then can be more leisurely about your wine-tasting expeditions. I firmly believe the Douro valley will be Tuscany in a decade, and Lamego will be at the center of it.

From the moment we arrived at the front door, we had nothing but exceptional service. Nune at the front desk noticed us on the street, helped us in, oriented us to the surroundings, provided advice and a detailed map, helped us figure out how to operate the heating/ac system, and made us feel very welcome. The hotel is nothing less than amazing. It's located within castle walls, is fully remodeled and has a fantastic mix of ancient and modern, there's a hot tub in the room made of a wine cask! The service is impeccable. Truly impeccable. The food is gourmet. After being in Portugal for a week, I was craving a big huge salad and the chef made one to order. It was filled with veggies and fruit and had a light fantastic dressing. It wasn't on the menu - they just did it to please. It was wonderful. It's front desk is a huge slab of granite, the bar is cozy and modern, and the breakfast buffet is extensive and sizable. All food fresh and tasty. The amenities were first class. The location is convenient (other than the narrow streets of the city in general :), there's parking especially for hotel guests (on the street with a designated space), and the bedding is high quality. I'm sorry I can't remember the chef's name or the bartender/servers but they were all really great. Nune seems to work there every day and he makes sure things are perfect. The owner is often on sight to be sure all is well. I really can't say enough good things about this hotel. By the way - be sure to climb the 700 step, Stairway to Heaven, for a spectacular view of Lamego!

The hotel is quite well located within Lamego, very close to the castle and city centre. The hotel open in the summer of 2921, so it was still quite new at the time of my stay (December 2021). The room was nicely equipped and the bed was very comfortable. The breakfast was okay (due to covid there was no buffet). Also it could have a bit more variety,in terms of cheese and meat (only had basic cheese and ham, which in Portugal is a bit of a pity, taking into account the great variety there is). The rooms are not big, but the size was not an issue for me. It fit my needs perfectly. The service was amazing! Very friendly and attentive, it was one of the best service I've experienced so far in hotels. The staff was all very friendly and welcoming. I did not use the spa, so I can't comment on its services. You can park the car in the hotel's garage, but please note depending on how full it is and how big your car is, it can be tricky take the car out. It is also a good place to have as a starting point to visit the area (which was what I did). The hotel also has a restaurant (Signature Restaurante) and the food was delicious with an amazing service. If you are staying here, definitely give it a try. It is not cheap but the quality and service make it worth it. I definitely recommend coming here!

Beautiful hotel, newly built, about a year or so old. Pool, nice restaurant, ideal for a nice dinner. Good location. Close to the three main sights in Lamego. The santuary, the cathedral and the castle. Comfortable rooms. We booked one with balcony and nice views, worth it. Nespresso machine in room, safety deposit box, bath robes, and slippers. We stayed three nights and on our first morning, we were not told about the availability of eggs at breakfast. We asked management and they were apologetic. The following two mornings, they had buffet style with scrambled eggs, bacon and mushrooms. Of course, fresh fruit, breads, cheeses and presunto/ham. Staff and management were friendly and serviceable. Our only complain, which we informed management about was, that they turn the air conditioner off in the middle of the night. My husband woke up sweating around 4am, one of the nights and I was woke up, warm. I called reception and a little after we felt cool air coming out from the a/c ventilators. Overall, we had an enjoyable stay.

Gezellig modern hotel in het centrum van Lamego. De kamers met klein balkon zijn zeker een aanrader vanwege het uitzicht op het leuke stadje. Koffiezetapparaat op de kamer dus in de ochtend is het heerlijk wakker worden op het zonnige balkon. In het centrum gelegen en toch heel rustig. Op loopafstand is er veel te zien en te beleven. Internationaal ontbijt. In het restaurant grote porties van goede Portugese gerechten. Uitgebreide mooie wijnkaart. Het hotel heeft een fijne moderne Portugese sfeer.

Um pequeno hotel mesmo no centro de Lamego. Perto de tudo o que há para ver na cidade e de toda a oferta gastronómica que a região tem para oferecer. Quartos confortáveis, com oferta de condições para fazer café e chá. Camas confortáveis. O hotel tem um piscina exterior (que não experimentámos) e uma interior, inserida no conceito do SPA. Uma boa opção para relaxar ao final da tarde. Pequeno almoço com bastante variedade e, dado a sala de refeições (e restaurante) estar no último andar do hotel, proporciona uma vista sobre toda a cidade.