Parador Casa da Ínsua

Casa de Ínsua is a Baroque palace dating from the 18th century, which has now been included in the Paradores brand, currently operating as a boutique hotel.|The building itself and its annexes are very beautiful, including the gardens and the natural surroundings.|We came to attend an event taking place here and stayed in one of its rooms (#125) for two nights. The room was reasonably sized, especially the bathroom, which had, two sinks, a bidet, and a bathtub. The bath amenities were good, but there were no vanity kits. The room’s furniture was adequate but very simple. The queen bed was not very spacious and provided reasonable comfort. Slippers and bathrobes were available, but only upon request. There was no complimentary mineral water or coffee. Water was provided only after a complaint as an “exceptional courtesy.” Odd, since in all the hotels we usually stay at, these items are complimentary…|The breakfast buffet had a good variety and quality of products. We had some snacks at the restaurant, and here the staff was attentive.|Now to the extremely negative point that impacted the final rating. Upon check-in, we arrived carrying a suitcase and two garment bags. There were two of us, but one had a broken leg, immobilised and using a crutch. In short, only one of us could carry all the luggage, and several flights of stairs had to be climbed. We were accompanied to the room, but surprisingly, the staff member did not offer to help the only person carrying everything. It was an unfriendly and unwelcoming gesture that, right from the start, marred the stay.|In conclusion, a hotel of this kind cannot rely solely on its facilities – it must provide service.

We loved everything about this place. It's a historic building, lots of charm, but still the rooms are very clean and modern. There's a museum on site and beautiful gardens. The restaurant was also SO good! The service was impeccable and the food fantastic. If you stay for dinner you have to try the cheese and jams they make on site. The 2017 red we ordered was also one of the best wines I've ever had.

I'm speechless; how can I describe such a fantastic place? We had a medium suite in the main building and it was quite classy, extremely clean, modern and well appointed, yet historic. The Casa da Insua has that real castle/manor house feel, happily everything is first class and modern. The staff was attentive, professional and helpful. We had the half-board and I would say it represents a great value. The breakfast was fresh and huge; the evening meal was rather formal but still relaxed. The food was always 5 star and the menu extensive. The gardens and grounds are amazing! This edifice ha been here a long time and the extensive French and English gardens are perfectly manicured and mature. There are fruit orchards all around, along with grape vines and olive trees. They have sheep and make their own cheese. If you ever wanted to stay in a castle and be made to feel like royalty for a few days, then this may be your place.

Everything was excellent. A unique place to stay. It is a real castle with in-house museums. You stroll through the corridors and your mind cand comprehend the beauty of the details all around you. We got the wine tasting as well. Totally worth it.

We had a lovely stay here at Casa da Ínsua, A very interesting property, a rural retreat with lots of history and agricultural aspects, nice place to get away and enjoy a quiet time in the countryside of northern Portugal. This place is for relaxing and reflecting, not much to do except for explore the gardens and appreciate the scenic pastoral landscapes and enjoy some fine Portuguese food & wine. Will fondly remember this visit and would be glad to recommend to anyone who can appreciate a bit of historic hospitality!

Had a lovely stay at this charming parador. Amazing building(s) filled with history, charm and character. When you stayed there, you felt you were immersed in it. Beautiful gardens. The property itself is really stunning (you must also visit the chapel in the house). However I found the service a bit lacklustre. Staff were not particularly friendly or helpful, they did what they needed to but it wasn't like the service was amazing. We ate at the restaurant one evening and the food was very good. Breakfast was nice but I really don't enjoy fried eggs put out on a buffet. They were very willing to do fresh eggs though, you just had to ask for them. It was a lovely stay, the pool was officially "not open" so we weren't given towels for the pool although a day later we did see other people with the pool towels.

The antiquity of the estate; the furniture, paintings, gardens and history make this a perfect place to stay. The receptionists were.very helpful and gave us a guided tour of the mansion and up graded us to a beautiful room overlooking the gardens. We spent a delightful time meandering through the estate and picnicking by the pool. We would rate the parador as OUTSTANDING except that we experienced the worst dinner of our entire trip.

We accidentally ended up staying at this fantastic hotel after an invite to a wedding. Thank you Leslie and Antonio! The venue is laid out like a castle with lovely grounds and function spaces away from the elegantly furnished and spacious bedrooms. Located literally in the middle of no where, tranquility can easily be found, even when the wedding is on. The pool area is serene with lots of sun beds, parasols and tables, and rarely crowded. There’s a small babies pool too. Inside, there is the museum style historic rooms easily able to be explored. The restaurant, also currently being used as the bar is lavish and inviting. The food quality exceptional. Right outside the main gate is a small pub/cafe serving very cheap drinks and food with a very local atmosphere. Lots of local beers and wines on offer along with snacks and treats. Seating outside too for relaxing and admiring the hotel from the outside. The best plus on offer is the views, simply stunning and not to be missed, from pretty much each side of the grounds and hotel. Big thank you to the reception chap, who checked us in on 11/08. Very friendly, and helped us with our bags. Breakfast here is expensive but you get a pretty good choice with local cheese and meats and all the usual fare. When departing on your route out, the first Respol fuel station offers the best views a fuel station could provide, perfectly back towards this hotel, perfect views in reverse. Well worth a special stay for a night or two.