Hotel Medieval de Penedono

3rd December 2024: this hotel's restaurant offers lunchtime simple menus of the day during the week for 12 euros. So we had lunch there as part of trying our local eateries. A single dish of the day makes the daily offer of that particular menu. The weekly dishes are all advertised in advance on a blackboard at the entrance of the hotel. That day it was a pork loin stew which was delicious. The menu included a couvert of local bread with a two little pots of black olives tapenade and some aioli spread. Then a pumpkin and carrot soup, the main dish, a generous glass of regional house wine, perfectly adequate. I seem to remember that desert was not included but coffee was. Service was friendly and welcoming, we were even offered to have extra of the main dish which we accepted as the stew was very tasty and tender. The dinning area is spacious, light and the seats very comfortable. A very enjoyable lunch.

Penedono is something real special. The castle perched up on the rocks providing 360 degree views of the surrounding landscapes is spectacular and during our visit it was completely empty. As for the hotel; João and Claudia are awesome hosts. Their hospitality and professionalism is outstanding. The rooms are very tidy, and modern. Our dog Harper was welcomed with open arms and big smiles which, is unique for Portugal. The restaurant is a must! The menu offers a great selection of fine dining cuisine and the quality and presentation was spot on. The wine list boasts a good selection of local wines to suit any budget. We were provided with bikes to use and offered access to the pool and tennis courts which we did not use because we drove to a local lake and spent the day swimming and relaxing in the sun. We enjoyed this hotel so much we decided to stay and extra night. I can’t recommend this place more. Perfect!

We cycled to Penedono and had a very good hotel experience. A fridge in our room would have been good. Spacious shower. The staff made a special effort. Most spoke some English and made the best of what they had. Good breakfast, not a buffet. Good location right next to the castle.

Stands In front of an old beautiful castle, very well decorated, clean and cozy. The staff is great, everything is new. The restaurant is great, serving a large variety of local food. By far the best hotel we’ve been so far in our Portugal trip.

We booked this place after reading the great reviews on booking.com. If you like to get a sense of a small Portuguese town with character - this is the perfect spot for you! João and their staff are the most welcoming people we have met during our 3-week Portugal and Spain trip. The hotel is relatively new and very clean and comfortable. Food at the hotel restaurant is very tasty. We strongly recommend this place to everyone who visit the area!||||Like other visitors pointed out, a few more hooks in the bathroom would be good.

We were on a motorcycling holiday (10 of us). We had a great time at the hotel. Isabel, Sofia, Bruno and João especially looked after us. The menu was extensive and all food we had was excellent. ||The rooms were clean, the showers big and location perfect for us. We how to go back!

Stayed for a night during summer last year. This is an old Portuguese palace which has been renovated by the local municipality and is being run by a very nice man João and his family. ||The rooms are small but neat. We had a room on the ground floor, that opened out onto a small garden as we had our dog with us. While entering and exiting the hotel, we had to use a side entrance, as understandably dogs were not allowed in the dining area, and we had to go through this to access our room. ||Amenities were extremely basic and the extra bed provided in the room was extremely tiny and very uncomfortable. ||The restaurant was lovely, a noisy but lively place and the food was good. From what we understood, João’s wife - I think Paula -is the head chef and she is excellent. That night we had the most delicious apple crumble with ice cream for dessert. ||While sitting in the little patio outside we met with João’s son Paulo and he very kindly took time to tell us about the history of Penedono, the medieval festivals etc and showed us a beautiful drone video of Penedono in winter after a snowfall....like a winter wonderland. ||Breakfast the next morning, was not a buffet, but you were served everything you normally get at a regular continental breakfast- even freshly squeezed orange juice. The little chocolate brownies were to die for! ||There is ample parking place owned by the hotel around. The hotel is very centrally located in the little town, right at the foot of the castle. If you are early, you can take a walk into the grounds of the castle and climb up a bit to get some lovely views of the town. ||

Stayed here many times before it was renovated. The place is beautiful now! Well done, comfy bedrooms, delicious food , good Gin and Tonics at the bar(H and B). Staff was amazing. Priced well. They booked us with our doggies! Will stay again. Easy to access other points in the Douro.