From the outside, the Terra Nostra Garden looks nothing to boast about, but once within, you find yourself in an Art Deco "Ocean Liner" of a hotel, beautifully restored and well maintained.

The rooms and public spaces are pretty stylish for a 3 star hotel. Had it air con etc it would certainly be rated higher, and would deserve it. Indoor pool, reading rooms and bar were all attractive.

Treat the botanic gardens as a part of the Terr Nostra Gardens experience. I am no botanist but was spellbound by them, and swam in the thermal pool every morning, and spent hours wandering amongst the lanes and canals of the gardens.

The light and airy hotel restaurant is, IMO, pretty good. Whilst the breakfast buffet, serving the usual fare, was perfectly adequate, the evening a la carte menu was very good, and the wine list better than one might expect. The hotel provided the best meals we had in the village. At lunch times, the occassional coachload of tourists dine in the hotel as part of a Garden-seeing trip.

Guests were typically 50- 70 -something Scandanavians - You might see a child or two, but this isn't a hotel for those seeking nightlife!

We found the young-ish staff very friendly and eager to please.

Off road parking is quite limited, perhaps twenty cars - BUT the hotel is in the heart of the village, and taxis are cheap (about 14 Euros an hour; with an English speaking driver) so really car hire is not necessary. One can easily hike straight from the hotel.

Pay a little extra for a room at the back of the hotel, in the new wing. You will have more to see,( they overlook the gardens) and less road noise.

Be aware that the end of July is festival time. The village gets busy with returning ex pats and their families, there is a circus and funfair, some religious processions, and lots of loud fireworks. none of this spoiled anything for us, but it does change the character of the village for a few days.

Have just returned from this hotel. Built in the 30's it retains the atmosphere of that time.

The Staff were pleasant and helpful. The restaurant and service excellent. The hotel is set in the most beautiful gardens and here is free entry to guests, the thermal pool does make you feel good, don't be put off by the colour, wouldn't recommend a white swimsuit!
The rooms over looking the garden side are worth paying a little extra for. Sunday lunchtime is great for people watching the restaurant was packed. The main age group of visitors was senior, walkers and those taking the waters. The indoor swimming pool was warm and very clean. The room we had was large with two big beds the shower was powerful and hot. On the day of departure we had to leave at 4am, breakfast was in our room when we returned in the evening, a large thermos of coffee and every variety of bread and cakes that they serve on the buffet breakfast, our alarm call was spot on 3am. If you are happy with an older style hotel you will enjoy the Terra Nostra.

What a romantic setting!! Terra Nostra Garden Hotel is inserted in an exotic botanical park, and with the Furnas thermal hot springs flowing into the gigantic outdoor pool, it's completely different than anything I have experienced. The food there is terrific too!!

The Terra Nostra hotel was cozy. The gardens in the back were amazing and breathaking. The location is good for a few nights though I would not recommend staying for an extended period unless you are looking for a sleepy secluded town experience. The hotel food at Terra Nostra was sub-par and I would recommend heading to the town to find other venues. The beds were a bit lumpy and there was a funky smell in the lobby over the course of our stay. However, the hotel redeamed itself a bit with it's well preserved art deco decorations and furniture. The bar was amazing and the old fashioned drink menu is not worth missing. If you visit the gardens make sure you stop there on your way back.