Pestana Palacio do Freixo, Pousada & National Monument - The Leading Hotels of the World

An utterly perfect stay in every possible way. The property itself is not in the City Centre - but that is an advantage in that it is very quiet and peaceful with lots of greenery around - much nicer than staying central with noise.. If you want a proper relaxing break, this is definitely the right hotel. We particularly enjoyed the friendliness and helpfulness of all the staff, in particular the complimentary shuttle service - often we were the only passengers and the drivers always turned up bang on time and in a friendly and cheerful manner which really made our stay feel very special. In addition, we absolutely loved the outdoor pool (which although not heated, was already very pleasantly warm at the start of May!). The pool area is really something very spectacular - swimming whilst seeing the Douro River and boats passing by with jetskis was absolutely wonderful. The breakfast at this hotel is definitely the best hotel breakfast we have ever experienced... and we have stayed in some quite special places over the years. The chefs here are extraordinary - We also stayed for dinner and were blown away by how succulent the octopus was - I have never had such tender, well cooked, delicious octopus in my life! Food 10 out of 10, service 10 out of 10 - and as for the pool, make the most of it and make sure to try the outdoor pool out - the pontoon looking across the river is also very relaxing. We hope to come back - HUGE thanks to EVERYONE for all your hard work!

This is an attractive hotel a reasonable distance from central Porto. We liked it for the pool area which was quite beautiful and relaxing with a view over the river and one of the bridges. The Luis bridge/old town is a good 45 minute walk away but a fairly easy and cheap Uber (4-7 euro usually). There is not a huge amount immediately nearby but there is a nice riverside walk leading to a few cafe/bars and a good pizzeria. The staff were very good and helpful. Room size was decent in a superior double with room for an extra rollout bed for our child and still space to move about and sit on the sofa. Our 4th floor room had a lovely river view. Breakfast could be very overcrowded at times which was the only real negative.

Small gym. Breakfast just ok

Beautiful hotel with charming views of sunset on the river. Food is excellent. A little far from city centre and only one shuttle a day.

The place was amazing. Excellent spot just on the river, beautiful building an pool area. Only thing that let it down was the service round pool was poor an took ages to get a drink.

Beautiful hotel like a castle with modern rooms infinity clean pool with magnificent view over the river and the bridge friendly staff and delicious food

Gorgeous property lovely amenities. Must take uber to city but it's quiet and on the Duomo. Picture perfect and spa was great.

Unbelievably luxurious stay in this 300 year old building. This was a full 5 star experience for a very reasonable price. I don’t ever stay in hotels this fancy because I don’t want to spend that much and I’m usually not in the hotel, but this was quite a good deal so I took it and it was marvelous. I would have liked to be closer to town, but honestly the view was awesome and Ubers got there in less than 5 minutes ever time. I wish I could have stayed longer. The breakfast, the spa, the work out room, the staff, and the room were all top notch. The property is gorgeous especially if you. want a classic European manor house kind of vibe. Even tho the building is old, the technology was excellent, ordering room service, the WiFi, and the in room system on the tv was all fast and fantastic. I was not aware of this family of hotels but I’m a fan and I’ll look to stay at more of their properties soon!

We chose in hotel because of the pool and free parking. When we arrived we were greeted at the door and offered a glass of complimentary port wine. Our stay was great. Room was clean, comfortable and quiet. The complimentary breakfast was delicious and plentiful. The pool was excellent. We had beautiful dinner at the restaurant across the street. We walked over to the nearest public beach and stumbled upon a local snack shop. (5 minute walk to the left of the hotel on the walkway- not walking towards Porto) Had some beers and snacks. Delicious. We enjoyed our stay.

The property is very splendid impressive , the staff are consistently well trained and approachable. However we were disappointed with the lack of pressure from the shower, air conditioning worked on winter mode I.e. came on twice a day. The outside pool was under repair, and we found the service to be rather slow.

O quarto é fantástico (amplo, com ótimo enxoval, carpete limpo) e tem uma vista fantástica para o rio Douro. O café da manhã (o que se chama aqui de pequeno almoço) é realmente um pequeno almoço. A qualidade dos alimentos é altíssima. Além do buffet selecionado com os melhores alimentos, há a opção de solicitação de ovos (omelete, ovos estrelados), waffles e outras opções. O atendimento é ótimo. Tudo muito organizado e profissionalmente coordenado para que a experiência do hóspede seja maravilhosa, inclusive, com uma seleção de músicas impecáveis que são tocadas no salão do café da manhã.

I liked the staff, efficient and professional. I did not like the sand in the walking paths of the garden, the raggedy rugs that lead to the hotel rooms, the furniture that needs reupholstery, the darkness in my room. I couldn’t see what was inside my suitcase.

Amazing views. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They helped us design a perfect day of sightseeing in Porto

Beautiful hotel. Received a room upgrade and a bottle of Port. Room was spacious and very clean.

Værelset var stort og meget rent. Rengøring var hver dag og de kommer om aften og vil gøre din seng klar til sovetid og der er te til afslapning før sovetid. Morgenmad var rigelig okay. Stor valgmuligheder og man kan også bestille special retter såsom omelet, osv. Restaurant om aftenen kunne være bedre. Maden smager godt. Men service kunne være hurtigere og kan måske får AC eller en blæser da det var så varmt at sidde der på trods at vinduerne var åbnet.

Quarto impecável ! Equipe maravilhosa ! Tudo tão perfeito!! Acho que foi o melhor hotel que já fiquei, e olha que já viajei a Europa e EUA quase toda. Parabéns !!!

Beautiful grounds. Great views. Clean rooms. Professional staff and great breakfast!

Rooms were spotless, beds were comfortable. Breakfasts were ample and absolutely wonderful. Bar and dining room were high quality. All the public spaces in the Palacio were beautiful and truly stand out. All staff could not have been nicer; they are wonderful m

Chambre impeccable Personnel charmant

It is a great hotel. It is clean and quiet, with a great breakfast, nice rooms, and professional staff. The best thing about it is the building itself and the surroundings. It's hard to believe such a beautiful place exists.

Overbooked and under staffed. Exterior Architecture is beautiful, some of the interior especially the rooms are very outdated. Stay in the main part of the hotel may be a bit better. The shower was disappointing, low pressure and hard to get your whole body under the head. No conditioner provided.

This is an attractive hotel a reasonable distance from central Porto. We liked it for the pool area which was quite beautiful and relaxing with a view over the river and one of the bridges. The Luis bridge/old town is a good 45 minute walk away but a fairly easy and cheap Uber (4-7 euro usually). There is not a huge amount immediately nearby but there is a nice riverside walk leading to a few cafe/bars and a good pizzeria. The staff were very good and helpful. Room size was decent in a superior double with room for an extra rollout bed for our child and still space to move about and sit on the sofa. Our 4th floor room had a lovely river view. Breakfast could be very overcrowded at times which was the only real negative.

Loved staying at this very beautiful and elegant hotel. Only area of minor discontent was darkness of the room and being on the first floor proximity to outside (literally 1 foot away,) so had to keep curtains drawn for any semblance of privacy.

Läget mycket bra. Rummet kändes lite sunkigt då det luktade blöt källare ( fuktigt). Superfin frukost.

O quarto é fantástico (amplo, com ótimo enxoval, carpete limpo) e tem uma vista fantástica para o rio Douro. O café da manhã (o que se chama aqui de pequeno almoço) é realmente um pequeno almoço. A qualidade dos alimentos é altíssima. Além do buffet selecionado com os melhores alimentos, há a opção de solicitação de ovos (omelete, ovos estrelados), waffles e outras opções. O atendimento é ótimo. Tudo muito organizado e profissionalmente coordenado para que a experiência do hóspede seja maravilhosa, inclusive, com uma seleção de músicas impecáveis que são tocadas no salão do café da manhã.

The main part of the hotel is amazing. The annex a bit dingy. Very friendly staff and next to great walking by the river.

The property is beautiful. However, the shower tub is a bit dangerous, as it is too high to get in and out.

We had a good stay. We were upgraded to a suite which gave us more space however the location of our room was near a street and parking garage which got noisy overnight. We enjoyed the walk and views along the river. Just over 3km from city centre to walk. The breakfast was excellent staff were friendly and helpful. My only critique is that the mattress was very firm. We noticed on our last day an option to put a cover over the mattress to make it softer. Look in the top of the closet and ask staff to remake your bed when you arrive.

We were impressed by the decor in the palace and the reception service . However it went downhill from there -a warm stuffy room and not able to turn aircon to cool( still on their winter settings) ;a tepid, poor stream shower over a bath and slippery as anything with no supports. We let reception know and they did send up non slip mat for the bath and a stool; at least next morning the water was also hot if only a trickle. The manager offered us a new lovely suite which we gratefully accepted; along with a small gift and port / chocolate. However aircon still hot and we slept with open windows to get fresh air - lucky no mosquitoes. The Breakfast was delicious and a big spread. However there was no atmosphere ( maybe the hotel was too quiet) . Tried the spa the next day - steam and sauna lovely but not hot enough; pool too cool for an indoor pool. Maybe the eco measures need to be reviewed- at these prices comfort should be the prime driver. The location is also not walkable to anything much . Overall our worst and most expensive stay in 2 weeks in Portugal-disappointing

El hotel y las vistas son hermosos. El personal muy atento y cortes. Pero deben mejorar las almohadas (son extremamente duras) y la climatizacion de las habitaciones.

What a great experience to be able to stay in a national monument and be treated like royalty! Beautiful building, excellent staff, excellent breakfast.

Staff could be more pleasant and welcoming towards non white guests. It's obvious they behave differently towards non white individuals. The gentleman at the front didn't even bother to help me with bags or door when I was checking out and getting into a taxi.. didn't expect it from a Ronald owned hotel.

The place was amazing. Excellent spot just on the river, beautiful building an pool area. Only thing that let it down was the service round pool was poor an took ages to get a drink.

Fabulous hotel, friendly staff, beautiful grounds

Though the hotel was gorgeous, it somehow lacked the warmth of comfort we were expecting. Check-in was odd the way it was off to the side, and nobody really helped us with any of our questions. A concierge was not around, and any question we had was just quickly and somewhat apathetically answered. In fact, nobody even told us we could buy our train tickets to Lisbon online, which would have prevented a rush that resulted in my person boarding the train without me. The breakfast was wonderful, and we decided to make a dinner reservation for the hotel restaurant. There were only 2 other tables with people, yet we were told that we had to sit across from each other, even though there was a bench that so easily could have been pulled out so that we could have sat next to each other. The hostess said that it would get in the way if somebody sat there, yet there was nobody there. We were at the Epic Sana in Lisbon afterwards, and we returned to Porto for one extra day and stayed at the GA Palace. Those experiences were so much superior, and, when we returned to Porto for the last night, the concierge came running to us to give us all sorts of ideas for the last day. Honestly, we didn't even know that another part of Porto existed. Perhaps if we were there as part of a convention or were able to use the magnificent infinity pool (it was raining the whole time), our stay might have been perfect. The room was perfect, but the overall feeling just lacked warmth.

Our stay at this beautiful and historic hotel was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. We were delighted to receive a complimentary room upgrade, which made our experience even more special. The room itself was elegant, comfortable, and filled with thoughtful touches that showcased both charm and modern comfort. The food was outstanding—each meal felt carefully prepared and full of flavor, making dining here a true highlight. The amenities throughout the hotel were equally impressive, striking a perfect balance between history and luxury. Every detail, from the décor to the overall atmosphere, added to the sense of staying somewhere truly unique. We left feeling relaxed, cared for, and already planning a return. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable and luxurious experience in a historic setting.

The hotel offered a free shuttle bus into old town but there needs improvement. Several other guests and myself were not informed that a reservation was required and could not access the van. Also the driver on this past Tuesday did not inform the guests who had not made a reservation that another trip could be made after notification to front desk. On Wednesday the driver at 12noon was asked by other guests if they required a reservation while still at the hotel and informed them that they could call the hotel from Porto.

Property is beautiful but service was zero. Room was rarely made, food and drinks to the pool I had to carry myself (huge tray for 4 people), reception barely spoke English and did not greet us at all at arrival - left us waiting in a corner without word for 40 mins. I would not recommend

Stay was very nice, service was great once checked in and property is lovely. The only issue was at check in. Somehow even though there were 3 people at reception they had to call someone to check us in and we had to wait for that person for more than 20 minutes. We arrived well after the normal check in time, during the day.

The property is very splendid impressive , the staff are consistently well trained and approachable. However we were disappointed with the lack of pressure from the shower, air conditioning worked on winter mode I.e. came on twice a day. The outside pool was under repair, and we found the service to be rather slow.

Sehr ruhiges und nur 10 min vom Statzentrum entferntes Hotel. Sehr gepflegtes und wunderschoenes Palace. Top Personal

This is an attractive hotel a reasonable distance from central Porto. We liked it for the pool area which was quite beautiful and relaxing with a view over the river and one of the bridges. The Luis bridge/old town is a good 45 minute walk away but a fairly easy and cheap Uber (4-7 euro usually). There is not a huge amount immediately nearby but there is a nice riverside walk leading to a few cafe/bars and a good pizzeria. The staff were very good and helpful. Room size was decent in a superior double with room for an extra rollout bed for our child and still space to move about and sit on the sofa. Our 4th floor room had a lovely river view. Breakfast could be very overcrowded at times which was the only real negative.

This property is a little outside of the Porto city center which for us was perfect. It allowed us to get away from the crowds and enjoy a quiet afternoon around the pool before heading back into town for dinner. Uber rides are easy and quick to get back and forth from the restaurant and tourist hot spots and the quality of the accommodation and the breakfast make the travel inconvenience even more worthwhile.

The hotel is beautiful and very peaceful. It is located outside of Porto and it’s quite a distance to walk into the city. However, the hotel does operate a free shuttle bus once a day, but book a slot early as it tends to fill up. Alternatively, you can get an Uber for about 6 Euros into the town. The breakfast selection is very good and the food in the restaurant was of a really high standard.

The property is stunning the staff are very accommodating. Close enough to the old town by taxi that makes this a great place to relax and still be able to get into town and enjoy the sites.

Beautiful hotel & a wonderful taste of luxury for us. The only issue was the location, which I hadn't researched properly before booking. The hotel offer a free service into the city late morning with a pick up early eve, otherwise it's taxi's. Be sure to download and use the uber app. it works well and makes taxi's much more affordable. The drivers and service we had were all v good.

Beautiful setting along the river. Lovely sitting areas & bar. Breakfast was delicious & plentiful. Very nice indoor pool/spa. Rooms are spacious & comfortable. Bathroom lighting could be improved & upgraded. While location is lovely you need to Uber to get into city center & all tourist sights. If you walk along the river, it takes about 50 minutes. The staff was very friendly & accommodating.

This is a beautiful property. What we liked was how quiet it is. It's a very short ride to the old city, and we appreciate the beautiful surroundings in the evenings.

Beautiful hotel , location is in a remote place .

Gorgeous historical home turned luxury hotel. Attentive staff; massive, high quality breakfast buffet; free shuttle to town (although it was always full or not going when we needed to. But Uber to town is 4-5 Euros (meter taxi was double, so do the Uber). Five minute drive to charming Porto’s historical city center. Fall in love with Porto and the Palacio do Freixo!

O quarto é fantástico (amplo, com ótimo enxoval, carpete limpo) e tem uma vista fantástica para o rio Douro. O café da manhã (o que se chama aqui de pequeno almoço) é realmente um pequeno almoço. A qualidade dos alimentos é altíssima. Além do buffet selecionado com os melhores alimentos, há a opção de solicitação de ovos (omelete, ovos estrelados), waffles e outras opções. O atendimento é ótimo. Tudo muito organizado e profissionalmente coordenado para que a experiência do hóspede seja maravilhosa, inclusive, com uma seleção de músicas impecáveis que são tocadas no salão do café da manhã.

The hotel is beautiful and very peaceful. It is located outside of Porto and it’s quite a distance to walk into the city. However, the hotel does operate a free shuttle bus once a day, but book a slot early as it tends to fill up. Alternatively, you can get an Uber for about 6 Euros into the town. The breakfast selection is very good and the food in the restaurant was of a really high standard.

Top tier property with exceptional staff and service. The restaurant was fantastic.

Though the hotel was gorgeous, it somehow lacked the warmth of comfort we were expecting. Check-in was odd the way it was off to the side, and nobody really helped us with any of our questions. A concierge was not around, and any question we had was just quickly and somewhat apathetically answered. In fact, nobody even told us we could buy our train tickets to Lisbon online, which would have prevented a rush that resulted in my person boarding the train without me. The breakfast was wonderful, and we decided to make a dinner reservation for the hotel restaurant. There were only 2 other tables with people, yet we were told that we had to sit across from each other, even though there was a bench that so easily could have been pulled out so that we could have sat next to each other. The hostess said that it would get in the way if somebody sat there, yet there was nobody there. We were at the Epic Sana in Lisbon afterwards, and we returned to Porto for one extra day and stayed at the GA Palace. Those experiences were so much superior, and, when we returned to Porto for the last night, the concierge came running to us to give us all sorts of ideas for the last day. Honestly, we didn't even know that another part of Porto existed. Perhaps if we were there as part of a convention or were able to use the magnificent infinity pool (it was raining the whole time), our stay might have been perfect. The room was perfect, but the overall feeling just lacked warmth.

Beautiful Hotel with wonderful service! The room was spacious, the spa treatments were fantastic, free shuttle service to the city centre was very practical and the breakfast was delicious. Had an absolutely amazing stay and hope to come back.

Staff at bar and kitchen are very friendly although the food are salty. Staff at housekeeping are a bit lost, forgot to clean the room or came very late when we called to split the bed into two. Breakfast is good. Overall, a pleasant stay.

Beautiful property in a lovely city that is a 4-5 star. However let down by its breakfasts and morning staff. Very poor quality breakfast buffet that often ‘ran out’ and we were only advised on our last day that there was actually a ‘hot’ menu we could order from. Seemed to have there better/different staff on the Friday who actually knew what they were doing. Shame as the hotel itself is stunning.

Hotel maravilhoso, excelente atendimento e o café da manhã delicioso

O café da manhã tinha filas de espera. Café sempre frio e muita demora no atendimento. A reposição tb não funcionava bem e os prantos “quentes” sempre gelados.

The property is very splendid impressive , the staff are consistently well trained and approachable. However we were disappointed with the lack of pressure from the shower, air conditioning worked on winter mode I.e. came on twice a day. The outside pool was under repair, and we found the service to be rather slow.