We absolutely loved the architecture - completely over the top. We felt as if we'd had been transported back in time a hundred years - which I adored and my wife found entirely creepy. The gardens, ornately carved public spaces, and the old-world dining room were highlights of our stay. The rooms were less exciting. Our "superior' room had wonderful... more

The place is beautiful. It's a historical building (not a castle) located in a "enchanted forrest". It was build in the end of the XIX century to be a hunting pavillion of the last portuguese king, BUT he was murdered in 1908 and his son was sent to UK (exiled) by a republican revolution in 1910... If you want a... more

The exterior of this palace was beautiful as were the grounds. When we tried to check in, the room wasn't ready and we had to wait 2 hours for it to be prepared. We were then given a shabby twin room when we had booked a double. The room was a huge disapointment and not in keeping with the amazing... more

Any lovers of neo architectural styles will love this eccentric palace and former Royal hunting lodge, which is stuck in a 1920s timewarp -- and is all the better for it. While the overall style is neo-Manueline, you'll find Art Nouveau, Art Deco, neo-Renaissance, and pre-Raphaelite touches that make it a wholly theatrical ensemble. The room itself was so-so. The... more

First of all, let me tell a little bit of history. The Bussaco was once a palace from the King of Portugal. Since the '20s has been used as an hotel. Years ago it was known as one of the finest hotels in the world, and probably was. The fact is since it has been administered the Almeida Hotels company,... more

My husband and I had so looked forward to staying at Bussaco as the travel guides I had used to research this former Portuguese Palace gave it a glowing report but this was unfortunately not the case when we visited.One nights accommodation was180 euros for a standard classic double (we were given 2 single beds).The room was located in the... more

The hotel and grounds are beautiful as all the guidebooks, reviews mentioned. We stayed here 2 nights though 1 night would have probably been enough. The 2-hour walks on the grounds were a fun way to explore - it was a nice diversion on our 10-day trip to Portugal. Our room itself wasn't anything special (exactly same as the small... more

My husband is interested in the Peninsular Wars -hence we booked this hotel in Bussaco. After reading reviews we thought it was going to be an expensive battle site visit!!However we had a wonderful time. Staff friendly and helpful -the minute we were spotted on arrival our cases were whisked away. We had the room used by Agatha Christie and... more

We planned a last minute trip to Portugal and had only 8 nights. We received a personal recommendation from a work colleague that we had to absolutely stay here, it was the high light of the trip. However, we were torn after reading the negative reviews, but decided a personal recommendation trumps anonymous reviews. We were very disappointed that we... more