We stayed here on a detour to Pinhao, on the recommendations of a friend. Absolutely loved it.

We arrived by train from Lisbon (via Porto) and could see the hotel from the train station. We tried to lug our suitcases, but eventually decided to send one person to the hotel to get help. The porters were very helpful and carried all of our stuff to the reception. Check in was very easy.

We spent the afternoon taking it easy and enjoying a dip in the hotel pool. The grounds were lovely, with lots of flowers in bloom. Our room had a balcony overlooking the pool and the river.

Before dinner, we paid for a port tasting in the hotel's cellars. It was quite educational as we were only going to Porto after Pinhao.

We dined on the terrace at night, enjoying the summer breeze. The food was reasonably good but not spectacular. We also paid to sample port after watching the waiter remove the neck with port tongs.

This was a lovely place to stay, and I wish we had more time to enjoy the surroundings.

Nice hotel, great scenic view of the river and the iron bridge.

Restaurant food is ok but not spectacular, make sure you avoid the dining room and always eat out on the terrace, where there is a cool summer night breeze and a great view of the river.

My wife and I had one night here while touring Portugal by car. The upper Douro is very scenic and this hotel has an excellent location. Our room was fine with a balcony overlooking the river; the food was good; there are attractive gardens and a pool. This could be a very good hotel, if properly managed.

The signposts to the hotel started about 50 km away, but were absent at two critical junctions near the hotel. Eventually we found it by guesswork (it is next to the town's station).

Upon arrival we parked in the large signposted car-park and unloaded our suitcases following the signs to reception. Nothing told us that it was over 100 metres away along a steep service road and actually in the next building - there should be a sign telling you to unload in the temporary parking area by reception. As a result we arrived hot and tired. The hotel is in several buildings linked by bridges, all on multiple levels, with a confusing layout and numbering system, and not enough lifts. That's ok if you don't mind getting lost and climbing lots of stairs. Next day we had trouble finding the breakfast room (it is near the wine shop which *is* well signposted).

The food was good, but dinner was spoiled by three things. First they have chosen as their dining room one with no external windows. Since nearly everywhere else in the hotel has wonderful views of the river or valley, this is a great shame. Entering this dark cave on a sunny evening was a shock, and the lights were almost too dim for us to read the menus - next time I'll take a flashlight with me. Secondly the peace of the room was spoiled by a very loud tour group (which was mostly English, I am ashamed to say). I guess that's a risk with hotels over a certain size, but nobody attempted to site them away from the other tables or otherwise reduce the disturbance they made. Finally when the bill came they tried to overcharge for our wine: they blustered about the wine shop having changed the prices without telling them, but it should not have taken a long argument before I was able to persuade them that the price printed on the wine-list is the price that the customer should be charged.

For this reason when we checked out I examined the bill carefully and found they they again tried to over-charge us - this time by giving us the bill for the wrong room. This was probably simple incompetence.

The Vintage House is a peaceful retreat in a beautiful setting. Wonderful food, inviting common areas, excellent service. Quiet, romantic, classic. Highly recommended as a part of any Portugal intinerary.