Pestana Douro Riverside - Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Lifestyle

From the minute we arrived, we felt the luxury! We received a lovely warm greeting at reception and then headed to our beautiful room with the most stunning views across the Douro. It's so lovely to learn about the history of the hotel/building - do take the time to read a little into it, you'll then appreciate the decor including all the lovely bottles in reception. All staff including reception, bar (shout out João 🫡 in the bar who was so lovely and took such great care of us) - the food and drink in bar are really nice, would recommend the burger!🍔 Restaurant - The food (evening meal) is really good, presented well and top notch quality. The breakfast choice is great with something for everyone .. a great selection and again, lovely quality produce. If I had to suggest small improvements; I would ask for slightly firmer pillows (though I know this personal taste) and preferably an anti-slip mat in the shower. Pool and rooftop is incredible! And those views... oh my! Location wise - loved it!!! Yes, it is a bit out of the busy area such as Ribeira/Gaia - BUT I absolutely see this as a good thing! Escape the hustle and hustle after a busy day walking and exploring and completely relax once you arrive back here in the total peace and quiet. We took bolt taxis from hotel to Ribeira/Luis 1 bridge area at approx €5 per trip (one way.) This place ticks all the boxes and somehow miraculously is suited for all including families with children, also romantic for couples.. also great for work etc. it really does please everyone. 10/10!

I am a big fan of Pestana, mainly because of the open hearted, welcoming atitude of the staff. I love how I'm always made to feel special, how the reception team always seems to somehow know exactly who I am and my room number, as if my family and I were the only people staying at the hotel! It's in the details, the port wine bottle and traditional Portuguese sweets in the room on arrival, the way the cleaners tidy up but make sense of any alterations we made and make things better and easier for guests... and did I mention the breakfast staff? Always keen to help, always attentive. Special mention to Ivaldina who always knew how to make my 3yo smile. I had the best time! I had originally booked a Junior suite, but I found the room too small for the three of us, as we were staying a full week - but the hotel helped us upgrade to a suite immediately, which was very helpful. The bed is also the best bed ever, I which I could take it home with me. Porto is my hometown, so it vould have been difficult to feel we were on holiday, but at Pestana Douro, you can't avoid relaxing. Thank you.

Just returned from a week at the Pestana Douro Riverside. We had a wonderful time, the views from the poolside and restaurant were stunning. The staff were so friendly and attentive especially the restaurant staff including Juliana, Wellington and Matheus to name a few. The reception staff were also helpful and we were offered free drinks on arrival and help taking the bags to the room. The reception area is beautiful the decor in the hotel is gorgeous. We slept liked logs, the beds were super comfortable, the air conditioning kept us cool and the blackout curtains were appreciated. We got macarons in our room on the first day and free replacement soft drinks in the mini bar. The outdoor swimming pool was not too deep nor too crowded or noisy and there was never a battle for a sun lounger. It was definitely busier by the pool late afternoon as it was warmer weather wise and day trippers returned from exploring. We also enjoyed the cool calm of the indoor pool which we often had to ourselves. There was also a gym next to the indoor pool. In the evenings we sat out listening to the guitar player and enjoying the views with drinks from the bar after a busy day. There was a great barman who made a delicious hot chocolate. There was also a table football and snooker table to enjoy. We loved the Pestana Douro Riverside as the staff made us feel special and it had a real personal feel.

Five-star prices, average four-star experience. This hotel is a tourist trap. It charges luxury five-star prices but delivers an experience that is closer to an average four-star hotel. - The room showed visible scratches, signs of wear and a poorly maintained floor that looked neither clean nor worthy of a five-star hotel. - Breakfast was disappointing. The quality of the ingredients was poor and the service was even worse. Staff routinely ignored guests and lacked professionalism. I asked five different employees about the eggs: four assured me they were coming, while the fifth finally admitted there were no eggs left after almost half an hour waiting. - The hotel refused to lend us two beach towels. For the prices charged, this level of quality and service is unacceptable.