The Lince Santa Clara

muito simpaticos e profissionais

O hotel é lindíssimo tendo em conta que era um convento/mosteiro e foi recuperado mantendo a traça de granito, e decoraram o interior com madeira. Uma combinação perfeita. Além disso, encontra-se num alto com uma paisagem lindíssima, de onde se pode ver toda a cidade de Vila do Conde, a Nau Quinhentista e o rio Ave. O serviço de alta qualidade, sempre com colaboradores disponíveis para nos ajudar ou esclarecer de alguma questão. Fizeram um upgrade ao quarto e estavam sempre a mimar-nos. O pequeno almoço muito variado, e com alimentos de muito boa qualidade, numa sala igualmente soberba. Sempre que fazíamos uma sugestão ou um pedido, era imediatamente atendido.

I spent a weekend at The Lince Santa Clara and it was an exceptional experience. The hotel is stunning, set in a beautifully restored convent and has a luxury decoration. My room was comfortable and beautiful. Breakfast was outstanding with high-quality buffet and à la carte options with plenty of variety. I also had dinner at the Oculto Restaurant, which was also a great experience. The spa area with an indoor pool, relaxing spaces, sauna, and steam bath is amazing. The staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive. Highly recommended!

The quality and beauty of the restoration of the hotel is amazing. The rooms are gorgeous, as good or better than Four Seasons. The spa facilities are excellent (although a hot tub would be a welcome addition). The staff is extremely well trained and attentive. The breakfast was amazing. Really a beautiful and peaceful place to stay.

Ignore any negative comments on this hotel, it is fabulous. All the staff were helpful and friendly. The rooms are lovely and have everything you need. Breakfast is probably the best I have had in Portugal. The outdoor pool is small but has lovely views. Sun loungers are really comfortable. We had a fantastic meal in Oculto - expensive but a wonderful experience. The only downside on this hotel is it is expensive but we felt it was worth the cost.

As soon as I saw The Lince in photographs I knew it was my kind of hotel. I loved its style, and once there it did not disappoint. It's stylish and 'mostly' serene. When the hotel was quiet breakfast was a divine elevated 5* experience. But when busy it kind of fell apart. Dinner was just okay, the food barely hot. What I found mostly irritating is the "muzak" that seems to be played everywhere in Portugal. "Chill Pop" or "Chill Covers" which is bland interpretations sung by anonymous female session singers covering Queen, Madonna, Michael Jackson, etc, and turning their songs into dreary lounge music. And it's on repeat all day every day. And I found it especially odd to have it played outdoors in the spa area. Silence is luxury. Someone else's music is not. We all have phones and iPods with our own music. If we want music we can play our own. Also, The Lince is a former monastery. And it still has a monastery vibe. Can it not be silence by day, and Portuguese music at night? Fortunately inside the spa there was no music. And I really enjoyed the spa a lot. It appears most people stay for 1 or 2 nights. The hotel deserves to be given more time than that. Although the area of Vila do Conde is lacking in appeal, it has some decent restaurants (that also play the same Chill Pop / Covers as the hotel) 🙄 It's also worth being aware getting to Porto is around a 45 to 50 Euro taxi ride, so a return is around 100 Euros each time. But it's also positioned closer to Braga and Guimarães if they are part of your itinerary. You're also about a 2 hour drive from the Douro Valley if that's also something you want to see. So, overall I did love the hotel and it will remain a favourite. But a few tweaks would have made it bliss.