Hotel Casa Holstein Quinta Sao Sebastiao

We stayed at this beautiful hotel, a former palace, for three nights in early November and was just amazed with our stay. It is an easy downhill walk from the train station and close to all the sites in Sintra. It has very nice amenities, including a lovely pool and sunbathing area, a shaded pool lounge area, incredible grounds, including gardens, a chapel, an al-fresco dining deck and a comfy lobby. We found the staff to be very accommodating, friendly and everyone spoke English. The breakfast was top-notch with made to order omelets and a host of other items to choose from. Our room was very large and had two bathrooms and two bedrooms. The second bedroom was neatly hidden away behind a secret bookcase and included a writing desk. The king bed in the master was very comfy and the master bath had a soaker tub. The second bath had a great shower and there was a mini-fridge with drinks and snacks, along with complimentary coffee, tea and water in the room. There is plenty of parking, but in order to park your vehicle, go to the front gate, not the side, green gate. Overall, a very wonderful experience. The place was clean, tidy and well taken care of for an old structure, which comes with its quirks, but none bothered us. With the chapel on the grounds, they can likely host large parties and weddings.

We spent 5 nights at Casa Holstein and it was truly a wonderful place. Based on what most from the US would be comfortable paying for a hotel, I would consider Casa Holstein a bargin for a luxury stay.

Bottom line: Avoid. This is not a 4-star hotel. The level of the rooms and service are far from meeting expectations. The rooms are old wooden and squeaky, we could hear every step (and other things) from the upper floor. We couldn’t sleep at night due to the noise. The reception was rarely available, and we were stuck at the gate when we arrived as no one answered the bell.

Stunning grounds, amazing friendly and cordial staff, location is steep but very walkable and close to everything in town. We enjoyed our stay so much we extended another night. I will come back with my family next time. Such a peaceful and beautiful space. Thank you to everyone who made our stay unforgettable 🌺 Mariel

This property is located very well- though as other reviews suggest locating the parking is difficult. Manisha who was on duty when we drove in was most helpful and got us in without problems. The hotel is charming and our room was very nice. The breakfast is very good - the outdoor chairs could do with replacement. It is a charming, meandering old world property. We want you to thank Manisha at the reception again for being ever so helpful and being a fund of information. It is easy to get transportation from just outside the hotel to almost anywhere in Sintra. And the old town and the restaurants are a small walk.

A gem of an hotel if you are visiting Sintra. Quiet, classy with a really good vibe.

An incredible experience beginning to end. They had some construction that meant we needed to use a secondary entrance but it was clearly explained in an e-mail so there were no issues. Plenty of parking included in the price. My wife and I were warmly greeted by Rui who gave us an overview of the property and helpful hints about getting in and out of town and also to the local attractions. Cannot say enough about his helpfulness and professionalism. The grounds were beautiful with property to walk around and enjoy. It felt so private and secluded as though you were tucked away in the countryside, but actually only a short walk from the thick of Sintra. The room was clean and well appointed, with a lovely view of the courtyard with the property looking up with the palace in view as well. A couple hundred meters from shops and food in Sintra, and a short walk to city center. Breakfast was included and we even met the property’s peacock who came around to join us for breakfast! If and when I come back to Sintra, I will not be looking for alternate lodging, this was an absolute hit. I cannot recommend highly enough. Oh and they even give you a couple pastries in the room on arrival with a couple small bottles of wine (for a nominal fee) to enjoy on any of the lovely outdoor spaces. Only regret is we had very limited time in Sintra on our visit as we were travelling around Portugal. Thank you for everything to Rui and the rest of the staff.

Sadly the images on their website do not match the reality. This is not a hotel as such but a match of small and medium sized rooms straggling down a hillside, and long sets of steps have to be used to access most places (The unheated pool is separate UP 40 steps BUT it does have a fabulous view!) Problems started as our taxi dropped us at the top of a "no entry" lane, and there is only a TINY sign showing the hotel is there! You then have to buzz, or call to gain entry with a secret number. If you arrive by car there is a separate entrance BUT on a rather tight bend. Our room was reserved months in advance but was tiny and had an always in the shade, unusable terrace. Friends who booked after us got a room with TWO bathrooms for the same price! Breakfasts are served in a claustrophobically small room with ancient wooden seats with no padding. After that there is no food available and no drinks bar except an honesty one so the place is like a cemetary. An American might find it quaint and charming but we felt like we were in a set for a film about Jane Austin. Only the location scores good points but the site and nearby National Castle are so steep you need to book an Uber.