Bussaco Palace Hotel

Beautiful place, beautiful architecture, and stunning surroundings — it could be the crown jewel of Portugal, drawing visitors from across Europe. If only the management cared.||The hotel is crying out for repair. Cracks in the walls, torn wallpaper, and paint on doors and windows that hasn’t been refreshed in decades — it flakes off like sand. The bathroom fixtures are leaking, and the bathroom door in our room was broken and wouldn’t close. Curtains were stained, and ants crawled everywhere in the room.|There was no fridge, tea/coffee maker, or minibar. Just a single bottle of water. The Wi-Fi in the room was too slow to even open a messenger app.||The decor is terribly outdated. Yes, it’s a historical hotel, but authenticity and comfort aren’t mutually exclusive.||Breakfast was poor, with almost no variety. Tasteless scrambled eggs, basic sausages, some yogurt, and a few pieces of fruit. The most enjoyable part was the strawberries. That’s it. We arrived mid-service, and there was exactly one piece of toast and two pancakes left — never replenished. Honestly, I’ve had better breakfasts in 3-star hotels. Comparing it to a real 5-star breakfast would be too embarrassing for Bussaco.||The restaurant is just as disappointing. Overpriced, mediocre food. Wine only sold by the bottle, with prices through the roof. The first page of the wine list featured bottles at 2,000–3,000 euros. You can imagine what the rest looked like. Dinner for two, without appetizers, alcohol, or anything special, cost nearly 100 euros. And it wasn’t even filling. Pricing like that would be understandable if the food were good — but it wasn’t.||I guess I expected a high-end experience with exquisite service that would make me feel like I was staying in a real palace. Instead, it was a total disaster. They pose as a luxury 5-star hotel, selling 3,500-euro bottles of wine while guests sit next to a window with a gaping hole, “sealed” with a napkin. (I’m not joking, I’ll attach photos.)||The building itself is gorgeous, but the management should be fired on the spot. It’s obvious they don’t care. Basic cleanliness and functional amenities shouldn’t even need to be mentioned in a hotel of this level.||Overall: I loved the place because I love history. But I’m angry and disappointed I chose it for my birthday and stayed longer than one night.

Had a wonderful stay at the Bussaco Palace. The property and palace is incredible and service was top notch. Amenities were as expected for a property of this age. We would definitely recommend this as a place to stay. The experience from driving up the mountain, through the forest and into the property is fun just in itself! We grabbed lunch in Luso and walked the town making it a perfect visit to the area.

Incredibly lovely and full of history, with beautiful details everywhere you look. Our room was very nice, and the only reason I took off one star is because I woke up in pain from the mattress. Oh, and there was a long wait to get a drink in the bar or coffee at the restaurant in the morning, but it was otherwise flawless. I would definitely come back, but I’d bring plenty of pain pills for the back issues.

The palace is breathtaking from the outside. While it is listed as a five- star hotel it pales with other palace type hotels. It was fun staying there and I don’t have complaints about the money or food, although the buffet breakfast could be a bit higher quality. I like to eat salad with my breakfast and the leaves were rusty. ||The bedroom looks quite lovely upon entering but upon closer examination, there is wood rot along the windows. The bathroom is big but very old. It needs to be updated. The bathroom always smelled musty and mildew. The bathroom definitely needs to be updated. ||If I was in charge of this hotel, I would update rooms, dust curio cabinets, have real flowers/plants in the entry and not artificial arrangements. ||Since it is 5-star, I would provide a chocolate on the pillow at night, provide more than one bottle of water for two guests. A few small washcloths in the bathroom would be nice. The trash an is rusty and needs to be replaced. ||The staff seems friendly and wants to do well but it just seems worn and not well taken care of,

I felt privileged to stay in a palace hotel for a fairly reasonable cost, and reveled in the gorgeous period details inside and out. We originally booked a room in the lowest price category, but it was cramped and moldy-smelling, so we upgraded on the second night and had a delightful experience. While there is no wifi in the sleeping rooms, the service in the beautiful main level lounge was great, so everyone congregated there in the evenings, which I found sort of charming. To me, the breakfast was outstanding, with more variety of cheese, baked goods and fruit than most hotels on our trip, and I appreciated many nice touches on the buffet such as bubbly (for those who wanted to start the day with mimosas) and hot water for tea-drinkers. The service at dinner was very attentive but the limited menu seemed pricey. Our bathroom was clean and everything worked just fine, and the reception staff was very accommodating. I liked having an "antique" experience and appreciated that old parts of this facility have been conserved (including the lift that might date from 1960 or so), giving me a trip into the past. Of course, not everyone values the older innards of aged buildings, and some prefer them to be vintage on the outside but totally new on the inside -- so decide what experience you want. We hiked some paths in the national forest around the hotel which were lovely even on a drizzly day.

The hotel looks like a medieval castle but was actually built in the late 1800's. There is a wow factor when you approach the hotel. And some of the common areas are impressive like the dining room. The young gentleman at the reception was very kind and helpful. And the surrounding forest is beautiful. But the positives stop there. The problem is that the hotel is falling apart. Wallpaper is peeling everywhere.||The bathroom and bathtub were dirty. The bathtub plug did not work, so only showers. The toilet doesn't flush properly so paper and even worse remained floating in the bowl . Someone among the cleaning staff must have seen this. But it is not fixed. The owners just don't seem to care. The bed was very small for two adults.||The staff in the restaurant has problems. They run nervously here and there, argue with each other so guests can hear, throw the plates on the table and run away again. We actually had a good laugh about it all comparing it to Fawlty Towers, but considering the price and the low quality of the food, it's not acceptable. ||Go here, look at the hotel and the forest, but then leave and stay and eat somewhere else.

Stunning hotel in the middle of a beautiful forest. Impeccable service and food. Beds could be better, but other than a bit of old hotel clanking, we slept well. It's a very peaceful place.

As others have said, the rooms are not really 5* and certainly our bathroom could have done with some updating. However, the palace and public rooms are stunning as are the surroundings and definitely are 5*.||From the moment we arrived to when we left (we stayed two nights), all the staff we encountered were very polite, professional and helpful. We appreciated the potted history and quick guide to the hotel given to us by the receptionist. ||Food in the dining room was delicious - only complaint was that the starter and main course were so good and so copious, I couldn't manage a dessert! Some of the prices on the wine list were eye-watering but we had excellent local white and red wine from the cheaper end which were reasonably priced for a restaurant of this calibre.

I was pleasantly surprised by our stay at the Bussaco Palace; I think the reviews who didn't have a good experience didn't do their homework prior to planning their stay and arrival. We came for one night (I wouldn't recommend more), and we definitely didn't eat dinner at the hotel (based on other people's reviews) -- we found an amazing restaurant in the nearby town of Luso. We arrived in the early evening, and upon check-in we got a brief history and tour of the hotel and escorted to our room. The staff were friendly and very informative. Of course the room is dated, that's to be expected of a palace over 100 years old, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised how large the bathroom in the room was. After we settled in and showered, we went out for dinner. We came back and had a night-cap drink in the common area prior to heading to our room and off to bed. We slept fine and when we awoke we came downstairs for breakfast which was a fairly decent buffet spread in an amazing ornate room overlooking the back lawn. After breakfast we hiked around the property for about an hour prior to departing. I paid about $150, and for 2 people with breakfast included, we felt it was a great deal for such an amazing experience (how often do you get to stay in a palace?!). The palace is beautiful with incredible details both inside and outside, and the property it sits on is equally as impressive with some amazing ponds and gardens to walk around. I can't imagine staying more than 1 day, I'd personally get bored, but to swing by in the afternoon/evening and leave the next day is the perfect way to experience this amazing place -- I'd do it again in the future of making my way through Portugal.

Every time we visited Portugal, we would visit the Bussaco Palace. Beautiful architecture. Lovely garden. There are trails, restaurant and hotel too.

Drove through Portugal and decided to make a detour to show my wife where mom took me 50 years ago. Told that to a staff member he said no to seeing hotel lobby, that I could pay to see the convent instead. Here's the trip to purgatory for the heartless staff member.

Beautiful Palace Hotel. We got to tour this hotel due to the same palace hotel chain that we stay. This hotel located in the National Park which required the park entrance fees. The compound is big and included the park. Many attraction. But I would said if you do not enjoy the park, you feel boring here because no close restaurant near by. The palace has beautiful gothic look outwardly. The garden is a bonus tho complement the palace. The interior is well decorated with edges and azulejo time and mural. Each room corner is a photo opportunity. I would said this place is a good place to get married and have photo. The upstairs and downstairs rooms is back old century look. It has many historical furniture and it nice to enjoy your time here. Don't forget to visit the patio and have the breakfast there.

This place is a big disappointment ! For starters, no air conditioning and they had one fan. We sweat all night. No ice. No room Service . Nothing but hiking to do here. Very Expensive dinner that was very underwhelming ; I had sirloin steak that had the consistency of a hockey puck & she had a 3 inch prawn for $41z that she finished in 3 bites . Waiter service was the worst I've ever seen. No American channels or Netflix on the TV. Will never return and will never recommend. Very disappointing Came here as a honeymoon spot ...left bored and hot and hungry

I have to say that I totally enjoyed my stay here, despite the other negative reviews this place has. While researching for hotels, I came upon this place. A real, ex-palace, built by the last king of Portugal!! My inner princess demanded to stay here. The price, to our surprise, was a rather modest €105 including breakfast. Our experience is actually a mixbag of ratings. The hotel is located inside a national park, and we drive up a small, winding road uphill, passing many hikers, until we reach the ground. The grounds and the exterior is simply gorgeous, built in the lavishly ornamental Manueline or Portuguese late Gothic style - 5 stars Our room has a balcony, which really reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. The interior does show some age: peeled wallpaper, unvarnished wood, tarnished mirror, uneven floor boards - so that's a 2. On the other hand, regarding what matters most in the room: it's spacious, the mattress is new, not saggy and in fact we had our best sleep, the shower is hot and powerful, linen is clean - worth a 4 I couldn't get wifi in most part of my room, though when available it's very fast. (1) And curiously, this place, deep in the national forest, is a hotbed of pokemons and pokestops... Breakfast is a lovely surprise, a wonderful spread in the ornate banquet hall. Perfectly soft boiled eggs with orangey yolks inside a hen-shaped warmer, artisan bread and cake, home made yogurt in mason jars, Portuguese cheeses, presunto (Portuguese prosciutto) with melon, poached apple, sparkling wine (which I mixed with fresh orange juice for a mimosa). We want seconds and thirds of everything! 6 stars!! As you can see, it's rather hard to sum up my experience with a single rating. My conclusion is, it depends on the visitor. If you expect a hotel with convenient wifi, gym, spa and restaurants and shops nearby, you'll totally hate this. However, we totally enjoy strolling the garden after breakfast and in the evening, and I somehow enjoy a few days of a more laid back pace, reading a book in the evening instead of playing on the phone. Come to think of it, I haven't seen family with kids, or teenagers, among the guests. I guess I am getting old. All I can say is, In the morning, when I open the window, see the verdant forest in the far, the manicured garden down below, breath in the fresh air and hear all the birds chirping, I am about to break into songs like a Disney princess.

Please read the other reviews of this place in order to fully understand this paradox of a palace before you book a room here. It is, indeed, beautiful and historical--a unique experience--but it's so run down that you'll struggle with what it was, what it is, and what it could be. Just like the Bom Jesus do Monte hotels (Hotel do Templo, specifically), you'll try to forgive a lot of the bad and you'll want to be positive about the opportunity, but the neglect and discomfort wear you down and, ultimately, you have nowhere else to go anyway; once you're here, you're here. I won't go into every detail because I think that's well-covered ground, but just know that this is a stunning building that's actually teetering on the brink of collapse while the once-stately grounds offer only glimpses of a better time. As an avid gardener, I really wanted the plants to be properly cared for. I was able to take some nice pics from generous angles in order to impress the folks back home, but I can't lie on Yelp. So we ended up spending huge amounts of money on truly worthless meals in an attempt to make the best of our stay and we overtipped the staff because they looked downtrodden and apathetic. Oh well.

Our stay in Bussaco is a story of "extremes". We had been given the hint to go to Bussaco by a person that we totally trusted and that had been there in the past, and had a wonderful experience. We were quite hyped by this, because the tales of the hotel, the palace, the gardens were rather strong and we couldn't wait to see the place ourselves. Well the palace and the interiors are simply stunning, it's like stepping back in the early 1900, frescoes, azulejus, beautiful original furniture... WOW. This is where probably we should have considered that they stay was not going to be like the one that we thought it would have been. Bussaco Hotel (and the restaurant), is really like stepping back in the past, so despite the fact that it has 5 stars you cannot expect the services that we are used now in a 5 stars hotel. And this is where all falls apart. The room that we were given was spacey, but very old furniture, quite bare, no curtains blocking the light from the windows. The bathroom looked extremely old, rusty water running off the taps (only at first, then it was clear), chipped wood and wallpaper, stained carpets, bathrobes that were stiff and torn, bedding that was good 30 years ago... Not a great impression. Common rooms are furbished like in the past, but most of the stuffed chairs were dirty and torn, the smell of "old" was everywhere. Wifi nonexistant unfortunately, the signal was good only at ground floor. Dinner at the restaurant was hideously expensive and plain terrible, probably the worst part of the stay. A shame because it's presented in a great hall, with silver forks and a beautiful atmosphere. All in all it's a tale of extremes, because on one side you are struck by the beauty and uniqueness of the place, on the other the very low standards that they offer. Staff was great with us, they helped us in cancelling 2 nights (we originally planned to stay 3 nights) and they have no responsibility into the bad part of our experience, the place is run by the hotel management but apparently works to the infrastructure is managed by the government, and the government doesn't allocate budget to this place apparently... Anyways, we did not like the experience, despite I can see some positives in staying in a place that once was the residence of a king.

It is a historical place and it might be good to stay for one night. It is located in the forest park. It has a lot of picturesque places with a lot of opportunities to hike. However, don't expect too much from it. It is a small hotel with about 60 rooms. My room No. 27, had no safe, no minibar and no Air conditioner. It was too hot to sleep. The old fashioned heater, which was turned on automatically, was working like crazy. There was no possibility to open a window. The TV had less than 10 channels and only one of them (BBC news) was in English. There was no pool or GYM. Even though it said on the hotel that it is 5 star, it is probably solid 2 stars. It has a restaurant and a bar. It seems that the hotel and restaurant with bar run by about 5 people so we saw them all the time during our stay. The same person was a waiter and a barman. This group of employees was not service oriented. Half of them did not speak a word in English. The other half could speak English, but didn't really want to. It took us a few hours to find a wine opener at about 6-8 pm. In the morning, I asked for a bottle of regular water from a receptionist since we got only one in the room and I was thirsty. She said "no" explaining that they only give one bottle per couple. So greedy! Would it kill them to give an extra bottle of water, especially considering the fact that they do not have facilities to buy it in the morning. After all, our room costed €183 per night. A bottle of water was a reasonable request. Everything was very old starting from the room key and ending with the plumbing. It smells like mold there. Our bathroom had a separate door to the hall and we had no possibility to lock that door because it didn't have a lock. So we were worried that someone from outside could enter our room from the bathroom at night. There are not so many choices where to eat. The restaurant is pricey. It looks good, but we didn't like anything what we ordered there (bread selection, cauliflower soup, roasted duck breast and a few deserts). They sell their local wines, which are not bad but overpriced. It is good to visit the palace for a change, but do not expect too much, and make sure you bring your own water, safe and night entertainment.

We completely agree with Lorenzo P's review below. This is far from a five-star hotel. Our experience started outside the grounds of Bussaco where we were met by a closed gate and a very unfriendly gatekeeper. We did not have a reservation as we wanted to look at the Palace before deciding whether or not to stay. If you do not have a reservation, there is a five Euro charge to enter the grounds. When we asked if we would be refunded the five dollars should we decide to stay we were told no. Welcome to the palace! The lady at the front desk was not much more courteous, however she did explain that the grounds are run by a separate company than the hotel and they must provide a list to allow for guests with reservations on the grounds at no charge. Five euro is not that big of a deal, but it is the principle of the thing! Beyond that, everything that Lorenzo says below we found to be true as well. However, we did not find the staff particularly helpful. We would recommend you pay your five dollars to see the grounds, have an overpriced drink and then find somewhere nicer to stay.