Hotel São Bento Da Porta Aberta

“The Best Hotel we have ever stayed in Portugal”

We stayed twice in the last month. Why? Because it is in an ideal location for exploring the two national parks but mainly because it is managed superbly. The condition and maintenance of the building and furnishings is exemplary. The staff are well trained, well dressed courteous, friendly and pro… more

We stayed twice in the last month. Why? Because it is in an ideal location for exploring the two national parks but mainly because it is managed superbly. The condition and maintenance of the building and furnishings is exemplary. The staff are well trained, well dressed courteous, friendly and professional. The restaurant, which we used 4 times is very affordable and the quality, quantity and choices are excellent. Breakfast was just as good with plenty of choice including hot items. Cleanliness in the rooms and public areas were also excellent. Free parking, excellent wifi and some English channels on the TV which is a rarity.I review, having owned my own hotel and having being in the hotel trade much of my life. This hotel is comparable if not better than the Pousadas and Paradores of the Iberian peninsular and should be rated 5 star.

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“A lovely hotel, pity we were only staying one night”

Sao Bento da Porta Aberta is a lovely hotel with a spacious room and all required facilities; our dinner there was also excellent. Our room overlooked the Church, sadly we had torrential rain whilst we were there.

“Good for Peneda-Geres, but dining is lacking”

We stayed one night after a day of exploring beautiful Peneda-Geres. Coming from the Lindoso area, our GPS took us to two different dirt roads as routes to Rio Caldo; one more rugged than the other. Thankfully we had a “real” map and figured out the best way on paved roads. This is one thing to … more

We stayed one night after a day of exploring beautiful Peneda-Geres. Coming from the Lindoso area, our GPS took us to two different dirt roads as routes to Rio Caldo; one more rugged than the other. Thankfully we had a “real” map and figured out the best way on paved roads. This is one thing to look at before your visit. There were no dining options within walking distance of the hotel at the hour we arrived. The hotel restaurant was open, but a bit too formal for our tastes. A casual lighter meal would have been a nice option in the lounge area. We ordered the ‘Fish meal for Two’ which could feed a family of five. It would have been courteous to mention the size of the meal after we had ordered two salads and a bread basket. The meal was very good, but half was probably thrown away. Hotel is very unique and the surroundings are beautiful. We had a huge room with balcony and separate sitting area. This would be perfect for a family or extended stay. Everything was clean and comfortable. Breakfast was dreadfully basic in a stark cafeteria setting, nothing noteworthy. Parking right outside the hotel is convenient as well as location to cathedral and outdoor activities. This hotel is a good value, has lots of rural charm, but the dining experiences take away some points.

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“hotel very nice but restaurant experience quite disappointing ”

rating would be higher if not for problems in the restaurant. the hotel itself is lovely. desk staff very personable and helpful. we stayed in the king bed suite. separate bedroom, two balconies, lovely large bathroom, strong AC. the wi-fi was quite poor, cutting out regularly. nice view of the chu… more

rating would be higher if not for problems in the restaurant. the hotel itself is lovely. desk staff very personable and helpful. we stayed in the king bed suite. separate bedroom, two balconies, lovely large bathroom, strong AC. the wi-fi was quite poor, cutting out regularly. nice view of the church and the valley across the road. area very quiet starting at dusk. but be aware that on Sunday evening it seems that a large quantity of people come to that church for mass. traffic became an issue. at least on our Sunday. we enjoyed the convenience & variety at breakfast. but dinner at the restaurant was full of problems. we were told we needed a reservation so we made one for 7p. when we arrived on time, the door was still locked. once we we let in, the two staff on the floor appeared to be just setting up for the evening. once seated, there were 3 parties inside, 2 of us, 2 gentlemen from UK, and a party of 17 (!) clearly from a tour group. this large party became the focus of the floor staff to our detriment. when we did get attention, the server was surly, barely interested in answering menu questions. and once the food arrived, were given the wrong dish not once but twice. rather than wait for the correct entrée to be produced, i ate what was served, a veal dish similar to a tenderloin steak. the salad and vegetables served with the meal were very tasty and the veal wrapped in bacon was good for the first couple of bites but once you got into the meat, it was clear that it was barely cooked. i know veal shouldn't be cooked beyond medium rare but this was barely warm. very disappointing. and trying to get any help while the two staff gave almost all their attention to the table of 17 was really frustrating for us and the other gentlemen hoping for a nice meal. management needs a better plan to handle large parties. maybe restrict other diners until large party has departed.

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