Stayed at Penha Longa recently and found, in the all, a very pleasurable experience.

We were there for four days in total at a conference. The conference facilities were excellent.

We didn't play golf nor walk into Sintra. We did find, however, the hotel to be far away from anywhere which some may like, some may not. For my part, I think that whilst the hotel no doubt plays on the benefits of this, they also cash in on the fact that nothing is close.

Wifi is free (albeit restricted) in the bar area, however, venture away from there (including your room) and the only option you have is to pay €18 per 24 hours for access (or €6 for an hour!). I found this quite disgraceful.

Also the cost of even drinking a bottle of water in your room is €3!! A pint of Superbock at the bar is €9. I did have a pint after fainting!

The room itself was fantastic and I had no reason to complain about the cleansiness or operation of the hotel staff - all were fantastic and met our every need.

The food was very good where the conference was concerned. At one point I ordered room service and I must admit €18 for a small pizza which was inedible was a bit much.

That was my experience but I hope it is not repeated for others - the parts of the hotel that I did not experience I feel I really missed out on and would love to go back and prove myself wrong at some point.

I accompanied my husband to Penha Longa for a conference in October 2011. Accustomed to the quality and service level of other Ritz properties this one felt somehow lacking.

The golf course was fine. I wouldn't say the conditioning was stellar by any stretch but it was an enjoyable day out on the course as a solo player. The constant whining from the formula one racetrack wasn't pleasant but I tried to drown that out.

The noise from the nearby racetrack however could be heard everywhere and even the thought of opening our patio door was impossible during the day. Catching a quick cat nap between touristy things for me was equally impossible due to the noise from the track (even with the patio door closed).

The bed was at all close to the standard of comfort I am used to at finer hotels, and was lacking in pillows certainly.

My final negative as such is that while a beautiful facility (and it is beautiful as a destination unto itself), It is a distance from everything in Sintra or Cascais. As a walker and explorer it was not possible to walk to any destination other than the golf course.... I would stay in Sintra proper if I ever were to return to the area.

Now the positives. While there are some negatives, the housekeeping staff were lovely and excellent throughout our stay. The younger of the conceirges was excellent. The older gentleman was well....seemingly annoyed at any request to call a car/taxi or sightseeing recommendations.

The staff at the front desk were all lovely, and the staff in the Italian restaurant also excellent.

While I normally indulge in spa facilities, I just didn't feel compelled to at this hotel. Just a feeling.

I could see this destination as a family getaway however. Activities for the kids while mum and dad golf and such. Not my cup of tea as I like to explore.

I spent 6 days during Christmas (2011) at this outstanding resort property. The hotel was 1st class with 3 outstanding restaurants and the golf course was world class, very difficult with panoramic views of the Atlantic and the former Formula One track at Estoril. The hotel and resort employees were all very friendly and knowledgeable. And the spa is also outstanding. I highly recommend to those who want a challenging golf experience, great food and excellent access to nearby locations such as Cascais and Lisbon. And it's only a 30 minute taxi ride from the Lisbon airport.

We stayed for a week as a family in July 2011 - older children and little ones too. We had a lovely time - it was just very, very windy - they said it was more windy than usual - almost gale-like some days. Our babies did get ill from (we believe) using the indoor pool - think this is par for the course with toddlers though. However, when we had to find a doctor at the weekend for the said ill toddler, the staff were excellent and drove me to the local brand new private hospital where we had to wait all of 5 minutes to see a doctor, who spoke good English. The chap then drove us to the pharmacist to get the antibiotics which cost just a couple of euros - and got them for us as I don't speak Portuguese - fabulous service.

Would have liked the outdoor pool to be heated - it was too cold for me. The food in the restaurants was excellent but we weren't so keen on the 'specials' evenings such as the meal in the old monastery - you always think you ought to go so as not to miss out but I'm always disappointed with them - must remember not to go to any anymore.

All in all, great.