Hotel Rural Casa Dos Viscondes da Varzea

Excellent accommodations, wonderful personnel and great food! The owner, Maria, was very friendly and adapted the stay for all our needs. The pool was refreshing, room service every day and food was always delicious. I highly recommend!

My family and I (53M, 50F, 17F & 13F) took the cooking class with Maria; We were immediately welcome with warm arms & given food/drinks before getting a brief overview of the historic property. Then, we all participated in hands on preparation of our three course meal (very kid friendly w/ a pizza appetizer and pork dinner etc). Afterward, we were given the option to relax on the property (pet their horses, lounge on the deck or eat more food). Overall, the experience is a 5/5 and the views are gorgeous! Very family friendly and worth the cost for the three hours.

My group of six stayed at this magnificent home whose owner hosted us with grace and generosity. The dinner we ate was the best on our northern Portugal journey. We are only sorry we booked one night. We will return for longer next time, for it is a place to revisit.

This property was a good place for us to rest mid-vacation. It was not tourist season, so it was very quiet with very few guest. THe food was wonderful as was the staff. The hotel itself was a little on the older side and there is little to do around the estate or area. You will need transportation to go into the Duoro Valley.

Extremely friendly, hospitable and entertaining host Maria. The estate is just beautiful - the surrounds, interior decor, upholstery and every detail. Excellent food and service One of the best hotels we have had in Portugal.

Highly recommend! This was easily the most special experience my family had in our recent trip to Portugal. Countess Maria makes you feel like family and gave an excellent cooking class that felt involved but not too demanding - the results were delicious. Her and her family’s story is incredibly interesting, and you feel like you are interacting with a piece of the local history. Very charming property that was so cozy in the winter with many fires going.

Lovely location and just beautiful -- but the bed was super hard and the pillows lumpy. Seriously -- if they would improve these, I could recommend it. I'd go for a meal and walk around. Nice breakfast, nice big bathtub....but the bed....

We only had one night in this beautiful and delightful place but wished we could have had more. The location in it's own wine estate in the hills is absolutely gorgeous. The hotel building and facilities feel like staying in some kind of quirky and fascinating stately home. Every shared area is filled with beautiful furniture and collections of fascinating toys and objets d'art. The rooms are capacious and well equipped. The buffet supper was massive, featuring a huge variety of dishes for all 3 courses. Something for every taste. The breakfast on the terrace overlooking the vineyards was likewise Fabulous. Our hosts too were lovely, extremely helpful and welcoming. The pool is great, if rather cold and with the surrounds perhaps in need of a little tidying up. But otherwise couldn't fault a single thing.

This property has so much potential, but… At first glance, this property is in a stunning setting. 500 acres of orchard, Vineyard, and historic buildings create an atmosphere that feels like it could be four-star. It’s not. This property is short 4 employees that could take it from a three star to at least a 3 1/2 star. 1. It needs another maintenance person who isn’t just keeping things working, but fixes and upgrades the aging facility: moldy grout in the showers, drooping shower faucets, and broken toilet seats. 2. It needs a groundskeeper who is eliminating all the weeds and grooming the gardens and walkways. The historic nature is great, but untamed it looks messy and feels like the staff can’t be bothered with the details… 3. …which rings true in the food, which is served upon reservation for dinner as $45 fixed price but lacks creativity or presentation. For the $, far better food is available nearby and many places have better presentation and variety. A true chef would add the elegance and quality that takes the food from home cooking to fine dining. 5. A Gardner who is taking advantage of the abundance of fruits and vegetables growing around the property. So much wasted food and looks unkept. The staff is not professional, and therefore more casual in their nature. It’s charming on the surface, but not 4-star. Lastly: these are the worst mattresses I have ever slept on. 1 star hostels have better! TLDRBeautiful venue in need of investment.