The Vintage House - Douro

Beautiful hotel in a wonderful location. Every room had a view. Facilities are a bit dated and our room had a big stain on the carpet. Reception staff were not very knowledgeable but the restaurant staff were great!

First thing to say is this hotel is in a stunning location. Room had fantastic views and was clean and ready when we arrived at 4pm by train. Those were the highlights. This is a 5 star hotel and cost almost £300 a night. It’s simply not worth the money. Echoing previous reviews, the rooms are tired and pretty small, balcony doors are cracked and peeling, toilet makes a very weird noise when flushed, shower wasn’t great, no bathroom mirror, bar a shaving mirror - away from the sink. This in and of itself is not the end of the world but other stuff also wasn’t great. We arrived at 4pm and asked for an iron and ironing board - we had dinner booked at 7pm. No ironing boards spare despite the staffs best efforts to find one. Eventually at 6.30pm they found one in the kitchen which I am guessing they were pressing table cloths with. Bar had 8 cocktails but the two we asked for could not be made due to missing ingredients. Again the staff did their best to find a work around but it just wasn’t good enough. Breakfast location is lovely but hot food was often cold and staff were a bit hit and miss - some were great and one older chap was a miserable g!t. Pool is much smaller than it looks - €8 for a barely drinkable small glass of Rose and €4.50 for a coke is a bit rich even with the views. Overall this feels like a hotel living on past glories. The staff try but just seem weary and tired - much like the hotel. The management can’t keep sweating this asset. I was stupid enough to ignore a number of the reviews and whilst I loved Douro and Pinhao, this hotel was a poor choice. Don’t make the same mistake.

I first came across Vintage House 7 years ago when on a rally in Portugal and Spain and instantly thought this is a hotel I would like to revisit. It claims to be 5 star but I would say it's not quite but still impressive in many ways. It's a bit of a bygone age hotel with a lot of dignity. The rooms with there fabulous views are very comfortable even though in need of a bit of care. The bathrooms are let down by surprisingly an absence of a bidet and a full size mirror(just a shaving mirror) Breakfast on the terrace is a delightful experience. In a small hotel circa 50 rooms not once did I see the GM and I was there for 4 days. In Portugal the people are very charming and helpful again for a 5* hotel I would expect the staff to be more hospitable and charming. I felt there was a degree of arrogance which I haven't experienced in any other hotel in portugal I can compare the vintage house to an old pair of shoes maybe not looking pristine but so comfortable to wear

The vintage house is a typical hotel for those who are in search of an immersive experience in a small village in the Douro. All needed luxuries are there. The ones that do not match with this kind of world aren’t. For instance, no spa, no weird food, no nasty music. Excellent rooms facing the Douro, exceptional and sophisticated, though very regional food in the restaurant, lovely bar with excellent drinks and snacks. Excellent breakfast, very attentive staff. And many attractions nearby: three excellent port shippers quintas, the train station just a few hundred meters away, an excellent sausage house nearby…… well: if you are not fond of this real world Lucury rural experience, stay away. There are some artificial social netwark like experiences waiting for you in the region!

The location of The Vintage House is perfect as there are excellent walkable quality restaurants and Quinta's nearby. The view of the river is excellent and to sit on the balcony and watch the boats pass by is mesmerising. Not a deal breaker if you are considering staying here as the positive comments I mention outweigh the negatives BUT the hotel really could do with upping its game with some maintenance housekeeping to reflect the rates for staying here. For example, the pool loungers (albeit comfortable) could do with a varnish and maybe tightening up the screws as some of them are a bit rickety. Also some of the paintwork could do with a refresh and also some of the furnishings in the bedrooms have seen better days. The staff on reception, the bar and restaurant were hit and miss with their customer service skills. I wouldn't say they were unfriendly but certainly not friendly or approachable. However, the breakfast crew were considerably better. It was also a special birthday whilst we were staying here and despite my email no acknowledgement was made - a simple gesture of a card would have sufficed as it's those little gestures that mean a lot. If we were to visit Pinhao again I would be happy to stay here again and it would be nice to be able to give the hotel an "Excellent"!