Casas Novas Countryside Hotel Spa & Events

I wanted to love this hotel its a beautiful old building in a convenient location and had lots of great facilities but we felt let down with the overall experience. Booked rooms with a view of the garden but got the back of the hotel with no view at all, and in one room the shutter was jammed shut so had no natural light whatsoever! Apart from the bar tender the staff in general seemed disinterested and not very friendly. Unfortunately despite the very reasonable room rates available, I don't think we will be returning.

The hotel is expensive and it doesn't feel like a 4-star hotel. Probably the only thing that gives it an extra star is because it has a spa. The spa is not bad, but it's also not good. It's very average. Only one of the jacuzzis was working and the other was turned off, which made people have to wait for a while before it could be used. The hotel restaurant is a bit pricey for the area where it is located. The octopus dish was extremely dry and I don't recommend it. The vegetarian dishes were quite good! However, it's better to find other traditional restaurants in the area where you will eat well and for much less money. The rooms were spacious, but they could be improved. There was no minibar in the room. The twin beds felt old. They were small and the mattresses were extremely hard. I don't think the phone in the room was ever cleaned! Something that is used by every guest on a daily basis and it was disgusting! The room had a nice large balcony with a relaxing view. The hotel staff was very nice and helpful. However, the hotel is very understaffed! You'll find the same person taking several positions at the same time. So, if you find the reception empty, it's because that person is either being a waiter at the restaurant or helping out at the bar or taking laundry away or cleaning the floor somewhere because someone spilled something. It's insane! I've never been in a hotel like this before... The spa desk never has anyone, so if you want to book treatments, you won't find a soul. If you are at the swimming pool, the bar by the pool is closed and you need to go upstairs to the restaurant. It urgently needs more workers! The bar officially provides light meals until 7 pm. However, at 3:15pm I was refused beef in the bread, because the person that was supposed to cook at the bar had left the hotel to go somewhere. The chef refused to cook because it was past 3pm. I'll try to avoid this hotel next time...

This is a wonderful place to be. Nothing to say, only that the team is so marvelous and the hotel is the place to be to live like a perfect Portuguese 👍❤️.

I was stunned by this hotel. Set in rural Portugal, near the Spanish border, this spa resort is beautiful. Very modern, clean, well equipped throughout, incredibly welcoming staff and superb food in the restaurant. ||||The hotel is the perfect mix of old and new as it is set on an old vineyard, with modern extensions which complement the original 1700's building. Outside the back side is a huge stone terrace which extends the whole width of the 1700's original building with views of the mountains and spa pool and beautiful gardens. The old part of the hotel is magnificent, but we also enjoyed the comfort of our modern room which had a huge terrace overlooking the valley. Everyone working there was friendly and efficient, and the owner spoke English perfectly. I would really recommend this place to anyone visiting northern Portugal. It made for a great relaxing break for my older parents in there 80’s to relax and enjoy the slower pace from Lisbon and before moving on to Porto on a 12 day vacation. ||||The attention to detail and 'nothing's a problem' attitude from everyone we come into contact with is just exceptional. The breakfast is plentiful and has a great selection. We were very happy with the breakfast which offered a large variety of fruit and breads, cheese, ham, several types of jam, as well as cereal and yogurt. The evening meals are so good that you can't stop eating!||||The manager/owner, Fernando, is the most gracious host that will attend to your every need, while assuring your quality experience is filled with lasting memories and a strong desire to return again. ||||In the evenings we dined in the hotel restaurant. Fernando was truly a phenomenal host, who made us feel welcome. On one of the evenings, he started us off with local sausages and cheese along with some local port from the local vineyard. He made excellent recommendations for our wines and did not disappoint with his selections. The food was delicious. We ate there every night for 4 nights, and everything kept meeting and exceeding our expectations. The beef is something that the region is known for, and it was delicious. Fernando also took us on a tour of the impressive 17th century wine making that uses filtration and gravity. The preservation of the original wine making is located in the lower area that is used for wedding receptions and large parties. The way it is incorporated into the new modern areas was impressive. I will be visiting Portugal in the future and will be re-visiting Fernando's Hotel Rural Casas Novas.||||We truly enjoyed our stayed here while we visited local vineyards, Chaves and Peneda-Geres National Park.

Didn't live up to 4 stars Good points Friendly reception Lovely location. Nice pools. Bad points One the lights in our bedroom wasn't working (bulb had blown). No indication on the phone of how to contact reception. I pressed all the buttons. Had to walk down myself. Light was also not working in the sitting room outside our bedroom. Room 401 was lovely and large, huge bathroom but very little light due to tiny windows. Bed was not comfortable due to cheap mattress where you could feel the springs. No duvet cover on duvet (see photo). In the sitting area a load of stuff on top of an area (see photo). Breakfast basic disgusting coffee from a machine. No fresh squeezed orange juice. Spa, showers not working in pool area or changing rooms. Only one sauna working.

Excellent place to stay. Wedding we attended was exceptional. Attention to detail was extraordinary.

Great hotel- lovely views and rooms, a little out of the way of towns/restaurants/shops but great leisure facilities and staff!

Lovely hotel, lovely staff! The swimming pool plus the spa make the difference for the one who wants to relax! What about the staff? They are amazing very attentive and friendly and ready to please! It was just spotless. I cannot wait to go back to north Portugal!