My girlfriend and I visited Casas de Lapa at the end of the season in 2010. We would come back anytime and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone we met.
The hotel was beautifully appointed, with lovely stone walls and furnishings. The meals were excellent, with acompanying wine and ambience. There were two meal options each night, usually a meat and a fish dish, and vegetarian options were always available as well. We loved the food and the surroundings. Buffet breakfast was a particular highlight, with no need to rush as it was available until midday. Excellent way to acknolwedge a restful and romantic retreat.
We stayed a week and hired a car to visit the area, the staff could not have been more friendly and helpful in advising where to go and how to get there. Andrea was partcicularly good to us throughout our stay for which we thank her. The surrounding area is striking and beautiful in a way I had not expected from Portugal, having previously only visited the Algarve. The area is obviously waking up to its potential but has a way to go to cater for all tastes - if you like the party lifestyle it will be a bit quiet for you. Great for walking, fresh air, interesting sights and castles (a bit of a drive). You defnitely need a hire car for this area. Not ideal for shopping or those wanting a city break, but then there are plenty of places to go for that.
A great relaxing retreat. We stayed in Room 8, and had no problem getting here from oporto airport with the help of the directions and a map. Streets are a bit tight, but very manageable.
Enjoy!

If you're a design buff on a road trip through Portugal, this is the place for you. Clinging on to a sheer mounain face (which Mr Lisbonite navigated with ease whilst I squeaked with fear in the passenger seat like the wimp that I am) and with amazing views, this hotel has a design-loving owner that has ensured that every single detail here has been thought of. Design chairs nestle next to baskets of organic wool blankets from flocks on the next mountain. Bright red lampshades illuminate handmade tables set with cutipol needle cutlery. A cosy place (the fireplace in the sitting room is set every night) with a beautiful view over the mountains from the terraced pool, it's a great place to spend a couple of days doing nothing but reading. The deputy manager Andreia was charm and hospitality itself and the first set meal was very impressive with a wonderful variety of local foods (excellent soup followed by stewed meat to die for). The meal on the second night was sadly disappointing (steak and undercooked chips - hardly the local food we were hoping for), which is what lost this place the fifth star. Breakfast was excellent and varied (try the homemade yogurt) and the wine was all from the family farm, as was the olive oil. We'd certainly go back. It's a lovely romantic little mountain retreat, really worth the detour.

We absolutely loved our 3 day stay at Casas da Lapas. Our friends recommended it to us and we now recommend it to you. You can relax by the lovely pool and have a yummy coffee/chocolate/carmel sundae, or hike in the forest all day, earning lots of virtue points, and then relax by the pool and have a sundae. The owners, Marie and her husband, are so gracious--she is a chemistry professor and he is a civil engineer who grew up in this little town. He, along with one of their staff, led us on an incredible hike through the forest including finding a prehistoric cave and a shepherd with his flock of sheep. They have built Casas da Lapa with grace, love, and care. It is tucked into the mountain, in a very traditional granite house, but decorated in the most contemporary, elegant fashion. The drive to Casas da Lapa requires some skill on one lane roads but we did not meet another car, on the way up or way down. The food is simple and delicious. The staff could not be more helpful or kind. Be sure to stay more than one night.

My husband and I stayed 2 nights at Casas da Lapa and we just loveded the experience. We ususaly do some weekend escapes in Portugal so we can say we know lot's of country houses but, no other was as tasteful and charming as Casas da Lapa! All aspects of the house are 5 *: the "house keeper" - Dona Lusitana - is lovely , very polite and helpful (we arrived very late but we had tea and cookies waiting for us in the room...); the rooms are spacious (we stayed at room n. 3) and very weel decorated; the food is very good and tasteful (at leasdt he breakfast and the pool snacks cause we didn't dinner there. We went to Museu do Pão restaurant wich we advise) and the pool and the surroundings are not very spacious but there is a deck with sun beds that can be used for some quiet time alone.
Overal - loved, will go back and recommend the stay to everybody!