Delfim Douro Hotel

“Beautiful views in quieter region of the valley”

This hotel has a magnificent position, far superior to many of the top hotels in the area and with it come perfect views. The rooms are very basic and nothing special but sufficiently comfortable and clean. The furniture is very cheap and basic, think Ikea-lite. The reason to stay here is the fa… more

This hotel has a magnificent position, far superior to many of the top hotels in the area and with it come perfect views. The rooms are very basic and nothing special but sufficiently comfortable and clean. The furniture is very cheap and basic, think Ikea-lite. The reason to stay here is the fabulous view- from the rooms, the dining space, the lobby, the pool. Unfortunately, the room's small balconies are nonfunctional at multiple levels. First, there is only a low level deck chair, and a single chair space. The eyeline is not ideal due to the chair type, and it's amazing that noone thought of a couple wishing to sit on the balcony at the same time, placing two small chairs with a higher seat level in the space. Having said that, we still loved being able to stand there and look in each direction and different light-of-day conditions. This is not as busy a section of the valley, making it a far more pleasant choice and you don't look directly into busy hill towns. Parking was ample and easy. The staff at the desk were lovely, but the staff at the restaurant were hit/miss and somewhat clueless. The basis for the 4 vs 5 score is that the restaurant is a 1 (or zero). We had the absolute worst meal we have ever had in Portugal or Spain, over many decades, at this restaurant. Overpriced and poor by all standards, it was hard to eat... or forget.

less

“Great views of the surrounding vineyards ”

We stayed here two nights in room 102 with a balcony overlooking the Douro River. The view was exceptional, and there was enough space for our luggage. The bathroom had a nice shower along with plenty of counter top space. We liked the included breakfast which had lots of local meats and cheeses fo… more

We stayed here two nights in room 102 with a balcony overlooking the Douro River. The view was exceptional, and there was enough space for our luggage. The bathroom had a nice shower along with plenty of counter top space. We liked the included breakfast which had lots of local meats and cheeses for us to sample. The room could have used more wall outlets since we had to unplug a lamp to charge our phones and we also found the walls to be a bit thin since we could hear the neighbors voices and TV. Another light by the corner chair would be appreciated since that corner was a bit dim when the curtains were closed.

less

“Some good and some not so good things about Delfim Douro Hotel.”

For the most part, we enjoyed our stay at Delfim Douro. The setting, view, indoor and outdoor common spaces are quite lovely. The staff were all very friendly. Breakfast had a lot of variety and quality was good. We had dinner at the restaurant one evening and the dishes were bland and prawns were … more

For the most part, we enjoyed our stay at Delfim Douro. The setting, view, indoor and outdoor common spaces are quite lovely. The staff were all very friendly. Breakfast had a lot of variety and quality was good. We had dinner at the restaurant one evening and the dishes were bland and prawns were mushy--not good at all. We had a room on the -3 (ground) floor with a patio and two chairs, which was nice. As others have mentioned, the open concept bathroom is terrible. Who likes that? What designer thinks that kind of intimacy is appealing? I missed the comments prior to making the reservation, otherwise we probably would have chosen to stay elsewhere. Also, there were some plug in air "fresheners" in the hall on our floor that were really atrocious, and we had to hold our noses to and from the elevator. A small thing, but unpleasant. All in all, we liked the hotel, and if they put some doors on the lieu, we would consider staying again.

less

“Beautiful view, lovely staff but the hotel quality is disappointing with charges for basics like coffee pods in the room”

Not a good start, hotel looks lovely on arrival, but the balconies with the amazing view are tiny with one deck chair, so our aim of watching the sun set together means taking the upright chair outside which is not ideal. Next, the walls are paper thin, I had to go to reception at midnight on our… more

Not a good start, hotel looks lovely on arrival, but the balconies with the amazing view are tiny with one deck chair, so our aim of watching the sun set together means taking the upright chair outside which is not ideal. Next, the walls are paper thin, I had to go to reception at midnight on our first evening to ask them to contact the person in the neighbouring room asking them to turn their television down as it was so loud we could not sleep. Having said that the request was swiftly dealt with, with kindness and courtesy. So 5 * to the staff. There is no wall between the bathroom and the bedroom only a glass panel with a see through blind over it, so when you switch on the light to use the bathroom it floods the bedroom with light waking the other person. The bedlinen is not what you would expect from a ‘four star hotel’, very thin, a shame as the bedrooms are spacious and comfortable otherwise. Then the rules… the pool does not open till 10 am so if you want to go out for the day, it is too late to be of use. Despite a spa being mentioned several times in the hotel description there is no spa…one is planned apparently. Very unfair on the lovely staff who have to detail the bad news. Finally, the welcome brochure is not welcoming, you discover you are charged €2 per coffee pod to make your own poor quality coffee in your room, with no milk and only two sugar sachets. In addition, the ‘rules’ say that you can only consume products purchased at the hotel premises, failure to comply results in a fine of 50 euros per person! As someone with a lactose allergy I often have to provide my own food to avoid being ill if there is not a clear allergens policy, so whilst we ate out whilst visiting vineyards and wine tasting, I took in protein bars and lactose free biscuits, so I am not looking forward to potentially being charged 100 euros at the end of our stay. The mini bar was empty with one complimentary bottle of water between two people and two biscuits, with no label/ allergy information. Ordering mini bar items from the room service incurs a €9 fee. Had the rules been detailed in the hotel promotion literature we would not have chosen this hotel, charging for coffee pods, €50 fines for eating your own food in your room, especially where there is no suitable alternative, no spa and restricted pool times are not our idea of a 4* hotel. The fruit at breakfast was good, with limited hot options and no allergen labels, the carton orange juice rather than fresh came as a shock though. BUT the staff are all friendly and very helpful and the view remains beautiful, hence the revised review to three stars.

less