Pousada do Castelo de Óbidos — Hotel in Óbidos

Below, in my original review, you can see how much we used to love this place. Now, to be brutally frank, it is being managed really badly. The staff didn't stand a chance of delivering the level of service they obviously aspired to. For example, wine and water bottles were kept off the tables, requiring a waiter to notice you were empty and come top you up. This is not unusual but with just 2 waiting staff covering a full restaurant, it left glasses mostly empty and diners mostly thirsty. We resorted to serving ourselves our own water but the bottle was subsequently confiscated and replaced on the side table. I mean FFS, realise when it's a bridge too far for you to keep up standards, and accept that bottles on the table are preferable to parched clientele! Having been asked to come late, at 8:30, because they were busy, we then sat for over an hour before our meals were served and when they came, they arrived so haphazardly that we literally were not able to eat together, with 2 of our party of 5 almost finished before the final 2 received their food. All I can assume is that the kitchen was as understaffed as the front of house. As for the food, it's really not what it once was. Some weird combinations, that didn't work particularly well and executed with the finesse of a struggling low-mid range seafront restaurant. A table of 8 Americans next to us suffered similarly and you shoulda heard some of the jokes they were cracking about the place as they left - ouch!! The last time we ate here we were a bit disappointed too, but thought we'd try one more time, out of nostalgia, as it truly used to be one of our favourite restaurants in all of Europe. But no more - we are done with the place now. The phenomenal setting deserves better and for the price, so do we!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: This used to be in the Michelin Guide. No idea why it isn't now. I've eaten in many MG recommended places that can't hold a candle to this venue. The food is very good, the service is formal but friendly - but the setting is absolutely incredible! You're eating in a medieval hall, with views out across endless olive groves. I can't help wondering how many people have dined here, in this very room, in the past 1000-1500 years! What plots hatched? What allegiances formed? Come desert, my son likes to let everyone else order then he says to the waiter, "Surprise me." and that's when the waiter remembers him from a year ago (and the year before). What turns up is always well received, not least because it's usually some kind of...

A medieval experience with a touch of glamour!

We stayed at the hotel for 2 nights during the anual medieval festival and we were so grateful to the staff for all the effort they made during our stay.

Despite the town being densely occupied, we felt very at home and extra care was taken to explain the history of the hotel, Óbidos and its lush surrounds. We had adequate personal space and breathtaking views from the castle walls and our tower.

The hotel is rich in history: here every picture, window frame, and knights armor tells a story!

We stayed in the D. Denis tower that overlooked the beautiful old town. The medieval music was audible from the festival and it seems that we did in-fact, transport back in time. The interior decor of the tower was practical i.e. small shower and washroom facilities, and didn’t take away the medieval effect of the tower. The stairs to the canopied bed were a challenge to climb but, it is true to the era and its historical architecture. The tasteful decoration of the bedroom area with small lounge made us feel like royalty! The bed was comfortable and the frame with velvet drapery gave a wonderful “ olde world”charm.

Breakfasts were not crowded and traditional pastries of the area were served as well as a selection of local meats and some fruits. A wonderful cake was available daily, whose recipe dates back a few hundred years. The gentleman who served us during the stay can be commended on his excellent service and effort to attend to our needs and enlighten us on the origins of “ginga”.

We had dinner at the castle restaurant one evening and the famous “window” really did boast a wonderful view of the local farmlands and distant church. The menu offered various local dishes and a wonderful wine list was available. All produce is fresh and local sourced.

This hotel has managed to transcend its guests into the medieval era and offer a certain nostalgia, whilst successfully adding modern day luxuries.

I can recommend a stay here at any time...

We visited Obidos for a night and that coincided with the medieval fair. The castle is one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.

Not sure whether it was because of the fair, the nearest parking was outside of the walled city (I was under the impression that the grounds behind the castle had parking, but that was the very location of the fair). So make sure you pack light and leave your other bags within the car. There have been reports of break-ins, but thankfully our luggage was safe. Needless to say, the castle is up on a hill and requires a bit of walking/climbing.

We had booked ourselves a room in the castle, but when we received an upgrade offer, we opted for that and stayed in a cottage adjacent to the castle. The cottage offered more space but took away the "experience" of staying within a castle. However, the cottage is over two centuries old and was used by attendants when the castle was occupied by the royalty.

Our cottage had 2 entrances, one into the premises of the castle and the other onto one of the roads. The cottage had a big living room area which had a sofa and a bed for our daughter. The bedroom had a big bed. The bathroom was well appointed with all modern facilities.

The breakfast was of good quality and was served in a big room within the castle and had wonderful sweeping views of the adjacent towns.

One can walk the walls of the city with entrances from various places, however, if the one hour walk is too long for you or you fear unrailed walks, then you can walk the walls of the castle. There is an entrance from the breakfast area.

The staff were polite and courteous.

The pricing is a bit high, but guess that's the price you pay to stay in a 7 century...