Hotels near Douro Valley, Gouvaes Do Douro

This was a luxury one-night stay during our two-week Interrailing holiday. It’s pretty expensive - a great bedroom with an awesome view, but for some reason you have to take your nespresso pods to a communal machine to make coffee (which wasn’t explained to us at check in). Outdoor Tim’s Terrace bar was a fab place to sit and read and the oddly-shaped swimming pool was nice. The winery tour was underwhelming, easily bettered by one we recently did near Stroud (Woodchester) because there really isn’t that much to see. Our guide, Patricia, was enthusiastic and knowledgable with excellent English. Food at dinner was exceptionally good, and the many inexperienced staff coped ok. On another guest’s recommendation we opted for the accompanying mid-range wine flight - and were surprised to have four tiny glasses poured before the meal had even arrived. Our request for a small top up of white to accompany our starter was met with incredulity. At €26 each, given the wine only came from next door, this felt super costly. Breakfast was every bit as delicious as we’d hoped for. For some reason the hotel is reluctant to assist guests with station pick up, and I don’t know why. Arriving by train into Pinhao must be routine, but emails beforehand suggested we don’t bother and just drive. To be fair, reception did willingly book a return taxi. I suspect the local taxis are run as a cartel - we saw Mr Big in action “pirata, pirata” - and Quinta de la Rossa is not in his good books. So look, we had a great time overall, it was a bit of luxury and we don’t regret going. But it was a very, very expensive stay, and at that price I’d hoped for perfection, which we didn’t get.

Stopped here for lunch on a day trip from Porto. It was part of our itinerary for the day and after our boat trip our driver brought us here for lunch. We had the most fantastic 2 hours with beautiful views and amazing food. The staff were so friendly and at no stage did we feel rushed. It was so quiet and the views were amazing. A nice place to stop and chill for a few hours and I'm sure to stay would be fabulous. Maybe next time!

#1 & only recommended stay in the Douro Valley (in my opinion)! Hopefully that got your attention because no further search on where to stay in the valley is needed. Mark my words, this will be one of the BEST and most memorable parts of your trip. Where do I even start? The casa itself is a MASTERPIECE, a true piece of art (the story of how it got built is also charming but you’ll have to book your stay to find out!). The rooms are all surrounded by ceiling high windows with the magnificent view of the valley. The staff is top notch and the most caring/welcoming we’ve ever encountered (and we have traveled a lot). The food is impeccable and simply the most delicious we had during our stay. An added bonus is that the owners of this casa also own a tour company called: The Douro Exclusive. This tour along with the casa is family owned/run which makes it that much more special. The family are natives to the surrounding areas of the valley and Portugal — the amount of history and knowledge they know about it all is extremely impressive. Even if you aren’t staying at the casa, book your tour with Douro Exclusive to have the most amazing, authentic and genuine day than any other tour could offer. Words and reviews are simply not enough for this stay and tour but we would like to end this note with gratitude and absolute love for our entire experience and stay. We truly felt so special and at home. This should 100% be considered a 5-star stay. If you are truly seeking that authentic and genuine experience — please do yourself a favor and pick CASA DO ARCO. You will not regret it!