Pousada Palácio Queluz — Hotel in Sintra

I am making a point of visiting all the Pousadas in Portugal that Pestana has under its wing. I prefer the pet friendly stays as I like to travel with corgi but I will also explore the non pet friendly ones. So far this is my 4th Pousada (I have already been to Mosteiro de Amares, Pousada Palmela and Pousada Marvão).

The exterior of this tiny Pousada is visually stunning. The stone work details on the clock tower and windows arches transport you back in time to a a period where artisan craft craft in wood, stone and metal working were prized.

Unfortunately that’s all I have to stay when it comes to stand out features of this hotel and my stay. I am basis my review off the standard experience and expectations I now have based on my stays at other Pousadas in the Pestana group.

One big problem is that the hotel is just rooms … you get zero history of the place when you check in and it’s not even visually depicted anywhere or displayed in common areas and no “history lesson” leaflet is in the room like other Pousadas. Meh …

This hotel closed its restaurant permanently and therefore you don’t have access to ballroom or at least “experiencing” something other than the 2 corridors other hotel. BUT therein lay the opportunity. If you don’t do dinner, don’t have outside space, don’t provide any sort of activity other than breakfast and sleep …. Then you need to get clever to find what makes you special. Online it seems this place is pushing being a venue for functions rather than a hotel. In my opinion if that is the business model you can charge customers for “Pousada unique historical stay”. It should be a conference venue in that case.

Personally I wanted to stay here because of the clock tower. I would have loved to see it up close and personal. This is accessible to guests not by guide or through glass or a pictures. Since the hotel is tiny this could literally be a draw card. Something unique and special that the adjoining museum couldn’t offer. The Pousadas are around to treasure the Portuguese history and this felt very “not that”. If I didn’t already know this place housed the Royal Guards while resident at the Palace then I would be none the wiser when leaving.

The service … Pestana’s online booking chooses when it wants to work so a lot the perks of being an Elite member where not there. It feels really stupid to ask for these things after being disappointed on entering the room. Reception SHOULD ALWAYS ask for your Pestana membership card when checking in so they can make a plan without making the customer feel like an idiot for asking if the booking system is not pulling information through. I guess system errors should not be the fault of the hotel but reception should check.

The room is big but underwhelming. Great for aerobics but no view to be seen. The windows are high set and the room doesn’t capitalise on the space. In such a big room the TV took up the writing desk and I didn’t have place to open my laptop without knocking the TV screen and I ended up moving it to the floor. My room was turned over and it look as if I did it myself in a rush on the way to work. Have some pride people! Housekeeping is the face of the brand. Customers are here to rest and feel like they are having a royal experience. No chocolate on the pillow ? When you are in a superior room and budget cuts don’t allow even the smallest gesture then it’s time to rethink the business.

Breakfast spread was okay - very Pestana. Considering that no restaurant is on site for dinner this would have a wonderful time to introduce high tea as a unique experience ! Do something creative to draw people in. There are so many places close to the palace that at the price, a 50% discount on museum tickets, is just not going to cut it.

Please management - think of something. This is my 4th Pousada I’m visiting in Portugal and each one makes an effort pulling on local experiences and making unique moments and opportunities for their guests. This particular Pousada is right at the bottom for me and will most...

We got married here in August and WOW… I’m still floating! This was hands-down one of the most warm, hospitable experiences we’ve ever had. The staff? Unreal. Rute was a superstar, the kitchen and serving team treated us like royalty, and Gomes? That man deserves a trophy — he helped set up our hall with so much care you’d think it was his own wedding. Every tiny detail was handled with love. My guests felt safe, welcomed, pampered — the whole vibe was just chef’s kiss. Yes, we had a few hiccups during check-in, but honestly we forgot all about it the moment we stepped into our rooms because the rest of the weekend was pure magic. And our wedding day? I still get goosebumps. We had the most beautiful, fun, intimate wedding of my dreams! The team went above and beyond — I didn’t lift a single finger! The food came out hot, fresh, perfectly timed… and the dessert? I am still dreaming about that apple pie🤩

Thank you, Rute. Thank you, Gomes. Thank you to every single person who poured kindness and joy into our day. You helped make my dream day a reality. We’re already planning to come back for an “extra honeymoon” (lol) because how can we not? We appreciate you all so...

My wife and I were extremely disappointed with this hotel. We booked it through Newmarket Holidays as part of their “Pousadas of Portugal” and this was the poorest of the three we stayed in.||The brochure quotes Newmarket Holiday’s Product Manager saying this is one of his/her favourite hotels in Europe. The quote goes on to say, and I quote, “As it’s situated close to the Royal Palace, you’ll feel like royalty with its landscaped gardens and impeccable service.” The hotel is in fact situated on a public car park with camper vans and large rubbish bins as the view from the hotel windows. There is no outside area for hotel guests and to enter the Royal Palace gardens there is a charge of 10 euros!||The hotel does not have a restaurant and any near by are few and far between. Also the bar in the hotel was manned by the reception staff and the service was poor particularly if they had guests registering or asking questions of them.||I would not recommend this hotel or the location, it was the most disappointing start to...