Pousada Vila Real de Santo António — Hotel in Vila Real de Santo António

A fancy scam. Unfortunately and disappointingly we had to cancel our reservation after the first night. Despite booking a superior room we were given a standard room which is in another building rather than the one advertised. The hotel doesn’t mention anywhere that there are two buildings. We where then walked across the square to a not so nice building. We enquired this with the receptionist and she said that our room is in fact a superior room. We enquired then why our original room was changed on our booking card (see pictures attached) and she said that this is due to “room changes”. She advised us to speak with the manager tomorrow because the hotel is fully booked. The next day we asked the receptionist to speak with the manager but she told us that she is not here and she doesn’t know when she will arrive. She insisted our room is a superior room but couldn’t tell us which rooms are superior and which are classic or standard. Eventually the manager arrived and she told us that our room is a superior room. We again explained to her that the pictures do not match the room we where given nor do the room dimensions specified in the description. When asked why our room was changed she said that this was due to maintenance - different than what the first receptionist told us. We asked if we can see the room but she said that is not possible. Instead she walked us to a room she can offer us which was a classic room and a bit bigger than ours but still not a superior room. Again the first receptionist said that the hotel was fully booked yet another room was available. When we explained this to her and asked her to tell us which rooms in the hotel are superior, which are classic and which are standard she said she doesn’t know but she was adamant that our room is superior. The same sort of information was given by the receptionist who, after confronting her, said that she’s new there and she doesn’t know. We had to wait 1 hour until she was sorting with the actually general manager. It turned out that despite the receptionist telling us that she is the manager she was the assistant manager. At no point we were offered an apology but we were lied constantly despite us pointing out their inconsistencies and discrepancies. Luckily we cancelled with our travel agency the remainder of our stay and raised an official complaint in order for us to be refunded for the first night.

A big disgrace and horrible start to our holiday. Even more upsetting when we chose to come here because of the “charm” of the hotel only to be welcomed to a room where you can see the toilet from the bed - not even a bed side table would fit...

The hotel has a fantastic location, and the rooms overlooking the square (we stayed in 202) are definitely the best choice if you don’t mind a little occasional noise when events or exhibitions are being set up. By contrast, the rooms with balconies don’t offer much of a view and are quite overlooked.

The staff are genuinely lovely—always ready with helpful recommendations if you take the time to engage with them, though never pushy. The room design seems to be going for a trendy, minimalist feel, but it can come across a bit budget-chain. Storage is limited: no wardrobe, just a hanging rail, and one of the bedside tables didn’t have drawers. The industrial-style lamps above the bed look stylish but aren’t the most practical—I managed to bump my head on them more than once.

The pool area is on the small side, and the pool itself isn’t heated. There’s also a rooftop “plunge pool” (more like a jacuzzi in size), but it lacks shade and the seating isn’t especially comfortable.

Breakfast is served in a compact dining area, though you can also spill out into the lounge or outside seating. The selection was a little repetitive: scrambled eggs, bacon (not the best), small sausages, and—unusually—baked sweet potatoes every day. On the plus side, the fresh orange juice was excellent, as were the natural yoghurt, fruit, and pastries. On our first morning we had delicious baked tomatoes, but sadly they never reappeared. There are also cereals and seeds, though served with the tiniest spoons imaginable.

Outside of breakfast, the food was a pleasant surprise. We shared a fantastic pizza one lunchtime, and on our final evening enjoyed a really good meal on the terrace.

As for location, while the town itself is fairly quiet, the hotel is perfectly placed for exploring. The ferry to Spain and the train station are both within walking distance. Alvero is a charming day trip, Praia Verde offers a beautiful beach, and Monte Gordo has a livelier atmosphere—both easily reached by Uber at...

If I could give the service ten stars I would. In fact, all of it deserves ten stars.

I have to start with Marianna, the absolutely wonderful front desk lady who made us feel SO special from the beginning. We were a last minute booking, and she went above and beyond to get us a room, make sure it was ready quickly, and because we happened to mention we got married recently, she arranged for a beautiful surprise in our room. I could tell she really loved her job, and she was the most helpful and kind person we could have hoped for.

Our room and this hotel was absolutely stunning. The choice of two pools, the brand new scandi style room which was absolutely spotless, the pizzeria (the pizzas are amazing) and the location was fantastic. Not to mention breakfast, which we loved. Felt like a really special boutique hotel.

All of the staff were fantastic, but I hope someone can recognise Marianna for the kindness she showed us. Thank you!

We are now members and will choose Pestana as our number one choice when we are...