Rio do Prado

We were so looking forward to this experience and staying at this eco lodge. We booked three rooms months before for two nights. An error was made on their part which can happen but it is how it is dealt with that makes all the difference. There was little if any accountability and as all the hotels were booked in the area and our intention was not to move hotels. They recommended a new hotel on the beach which wasn’t on the beach . We would think that they would offer a glass of wine, a bottle or something for their reservation error although there was no mention. The staff was unhelpful and few spoke English. The grounds are beautiful and the concept is innovative yet not a cozy at all. There are few amenities and poor lighting for reading. The hotel states it good for reduced mobility and yet very inaccessible for limited mobility as the ground is uneven, beds on a platform and steps. The restaurant had music for dinner which was lovely but the dinner was expensive and not good at all. Trying to hard with no taste. A total disappointment service, food, amenities and experience.

It’s a great concept with high potential. Maybe it was nice when it was new 10 years ago but maintenance is poor. Also the restaurant is really slow, food is OK. Don’t do the tasting menu - it was slow, cold and more like an afterthought for the staff. Some items OK but most just bland and over cold. Maybe the kitchen had a bad day the night we are there, but boy it felt like the tasting menu was just a way to offload some stuff they didn’t sell. I know it’s harsh but sadly true. Needless to say I would.not recommend to now. But if they renovate or at least fix what is annoyingly broken - like doors won’t close, floor board popping out etc. Then it would be acceptable. It felt like they just didn’t care.

A great stop not far from Lissabon and even closer to Obidos Castle (and fantastic Bom Sucesso Beach). Great relaxed vibe, pool, rooms and restuarant. Very modern/correct for 2023 but without the lecture. A good balance. Breakfast was amazing and we decieded that it might be a bit expensive but still okay value.

Loved this place. So unique and peaceful. If you like organic architecture this is amazingly curious and fascinating. Suites are large and comfortable. Can’t wait to come back!

for those who want to relax and listen to the noise of nature.

It was difficult to find. No sign on not easily identifiable place. We came to the parking lot, did not recognize it as a hotel and spend an hour navigating narrow streets and calling to hotel until finally managed to came back. Person on the phone was extremely patient and helpful. Property was unusual but stylish. Room was rather dilapidated, Shower and toilet in two different places. Toilet door did not close fully and had a hole where the lock supposed to be. Two sinks located in the room between shower and toilet were misaligned and some water did not drain completely. And there was an unusual bathtub in the middle of the room, rather useless and trauma hazard. There was no window that can be open and the only way to let the fresh air was to open sliding front door. It can be secured from intrusion be propping with large wood slub provided as bedside table.

Difficult to know where to begin so let’s start with the good points - the Hotel(?) - they are at pains to tell you it’s an agritourismo ) - is in a good location if you have a car or bikes, in that it is handy for Obidos, the glorious lake and coast and Peniche (which is a must visit especially Berlengas). The rooms (“suites”) are large and the shower was great. Now the bad news - it seems that this accommodation has been designed with no attempt to consider the customer’s viewpoint. First when you arrive they ask you to book a time for breakfast (and repeated this during our stay). We politely refused on the basis that a self serve buffet (more on that later) should be able to accommodate 20 odd rooms, and we dont know what time we want to eat breakfast when we are on holiday. Second - the rooms. Well call me old fashioned but I like a toilet which has a door you can close - these rooms have a flimsy blind which doesnt reach the floor. “We like it better” the receptionist told us - well WE certainly would like some privacy in that department. Next - comfortable bed in middle of room has no bedside reading light - a really simple and obvious detail overlooked. Next - there is no hot water tap in the sink (due to the design of the plumbing, a long story but you can get tepid at best) - which doesnt really work if you want hot water fro shaving. They tell you it’s “eco” but hard to see how other than the recycled pipes and uneven floorboards - there is a/c in the rooms, plastic pots of butter and disposable coffee cups at breakfast and outdoor fire pits. Ah breakfast - a poor selection of pastries, variable fruit offering (one day 6 different types, another day 2). One variety of cheese on same plate as ham and some very unappetising eggs in a warm container with bacon. Yoghurt and nuts and - some very good home made jams which were not refilled and one day were completely missing because….”we make the jam today” - so tough if you wanted some that day. Also - inexcusably - on the third day we were there (Tuesday) the croissants and rolls were absolutely stale and were from the previous day. The breakfast is staffed by one person who struggled to clear tables which were strewn with dirty dishes. This is not a cheap place to stay - we (our fault) had booked a plunge pool suite for 480 euros a night which turned out to be two separate rooms separated by said pool (un inviting and full of insects). We didnt need the second room - although we did use it for the toilet!!! (See above) When I asked about the spa “we think it’s better to just have the master suite (10 euros a night more than ours) have use of the spa” Housekeeping was rudimentary, sometimes not replenishing towels, never picking up a bathrobe left over the bath for example. There is a small uninviting looking pool which we didnt use as we were out at the lake or coast but it seemed popular for families with small children - warning there are

...it's a disaster. First, if you're going to label yourself "eco-chic all suite hotel" (Google listing) you have to aspire to more in the way of genuine eco-credentials than the one solar panel I could find in the scruffy grounds. Perhaps there's a ground-source heat pump powering everything, rainwater harvesting, and amazing use of renewables and if so I'm mistaken, but I just couldn't for the life of me understand the application of "eco" to anything. It takes minimalist to a new level, with bare concrete walls and floors presentation and an artful attempt to appear "recycled" in the knocked-together look of the furniture, but it just comes across as scruffy (a personal opinion, obviously). And the definition of a "suite" is a set of inter-connecting rooms: here the accommodation is in glass-fronted concrete bunkers set around the estate paths, all open-plan with the only inter-connectedness being a small (under-powered) shower room and a separate loo. This leaves a fairly large, well...room. By no adequate description a "suite". Cleanliness left a lot to be desired (see pics of ventilation cover - admittedly the extractor fan to this doesn't work anyway) and the window in the roof above the grass-topping to the bunker-room - come on guys, just clean the windows! The patio at the front of the room (see pic) is about as unwelcoming as it is possible for a presentation to be: just ghastly. Upsides?: well, couldn't fault the breakfasts which have a great deal of choice and decent-quality, albeit without expected options in this price-range such as made-to-order omelettes, etc. And the location is good for the coastline beyond the Obidos lagoon, and for lovely Obidos itself. Staff were indifferent and appeared inexperienced, certainly showed not the slightest interest in making your stay special...which at €500 for two nights, room and breakfast-only it ought to be. The last reviews were posted in late 2019; Covid obviously has a lot to do with the ability of hospitality providers to cope so maybe that's a reason, albeit not an excuse (although plenty of other hotels are going above and beyond), and maybe things have just gone downhill since, but frankly this place has been an awful experience and one we were pleased to evacuate from as soon as was possible.

Perfect location for a quick getaway to relax and disconnect!