Casa da Calçada

This hotel is truly exceptional. Everything about our stay was outstanding — the atmosphere, the location, the beautiful design, the quality of the bedding and toiletries, the spa, the food, the impeccable cleanliness, and of course, the stunning views. We stayed in the Balcony Suite, which was absolutely wonderful. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, and the overall experience exceeded our expectations. A special mention must go to the excellent restaurant staff, who were consistently attentive and professional, as well as to the housekeeping team, who did an outstanding job throughout our stay. A truly special hotel.

Much to our surprise, at least half of the reception staff did not provide the level of service we would expect from a hotel of this caliber. During our six-night stay, we entered and left the hotel several times a day, and on many occasions members of the reception team did not smile, acknowledge us, or even look up to say hello. Some of our requests were also met with responses that felt unhelpful and unnecessarily dismissive. For example, we asked for a larger bathrobe and were simply told, “We don’t have any; all our robes are the same size.” Only after we insisted and asked again was a larger robe suddenly found, and the issue was easily resolved. This is just one example; there were several similar instances during our stay. That said, other members of the reception team were excellent — warm, attentive, and willing to go above and beyond to help us. The hotel itself is absolutely wonderful, which makes this inconsistency in the reception service all the more surprising. At a hotel of this standard, we would expect the quality of the front-desk experience to match the exceptional quality of everything else.

Perfection

Nothing

Perfect location and high quality facilities and staff. Expensive but worth as everything was perfect

The property feels historic and still has some of the original pieces inside the entrance. The rooms were lovely, comfortable and the bathroom was spa like. The outdoor pool area was in a separate area near the spa, with access to the bar nearby. The spa offered an indoor pool and saunas for use, free for guests which was relaxing. The key feature to this property however, was the Michelin star restaurant on site. Largo do Paço was hands down, the best thing I’ve ever tried. We did the 15 course tasting experience. And an experience it was. From plating to service and even getting one course served in the kitchen watching the chef prepare was amazing. The flavors packed into a single bite of food were indescribable!

Getting there! Arriving by vehicle is rather stressful as you have to navigate no entrance signs which the streets were packed with tourists. So you feel like you’re driving on a sidewalk. However the property reassured us this was the correct route and as you drive the people would, and did move, but that was stressful!