We had only one night to stay and only wish it could have been longer. The Casa de Estoi is in the sleepy village of Estoi and sits right next door to the church. Its a nice location as a base for exploring the Eastern ALgarve towns. We found it clean, very warm and friendly with nice accommodations. The house and rooms are beautiful and historic. I felt like I was staying in a manor or home of some rich people !!! There is alot of history here and the staff especially the owner and his Aunt Carla are just so special. We had a great stay in one of the rooms upstairs with the balcony overlooking the pool. It was a very nice room and comfy after a long flight !! Breakfast was also very tasty and served in the smaller dining area with two other guests. ( there are two dining areas available ) Its an extended continental breakfast.. fresh fruits, meats, cheese, cereal, rolls, bread, etc..We loved it and would return tomorrow if we could. Highly recommend this gem in Estoi.

While the location in rural Estoi means you find a quiet place, which it indeed is, you will definitely need a car. There are no restaurants in Estoi worth mentioning, so you'll have to drive 6-10 km to find decent places to eat.

Thanks to it's location, the Hotel is very quiet. However, it doesn't really feel like a Hotel, rather more like someones home, into which you have been invited to stay. On arrival, Joao (the proprietor) showed us all the communal areas (breakfast room, lounge, bar area and the pool/relaxation area outside), which are open to use to all guests.

Our room with terrace (with stairs leading down to outside pool area) was large enough for two. The bath room was newly renovated and equipped and looks good, however, also, like to entire house, shows a lack of attention to detail. The bath room has a cheap plastic toilet seat and a shower curtain. Not a big deal, but the room would feel significantly more friendly if it had a proper toilet seat and a glass door instead of the curtain. Tall people like myself with find the bath room mirror hanging too low and the bed a tad too short.

The house and the room are clean, unless you are obsessed with cleanliness, in which case you'll find some dust here and there. In a historic house at a rural location like this, you should expect that though.

A great feature in the house is the breakfast area, where all guest sit around one big table and have breakfast together. If you speak the language of some of the other guests, you will love this. It's great to chat with other guests from around the globe at breakfast and meet nice and/or interesting people.

Both, Joao and Carla (who manage the house) are both very friendly and casual and will offer useful advise on what to see, where to go and where to eat.

This is not a fancy house, but it has an atmosphere and great charm. There are things to improve in the house and I think this is a house on the up.

The Casa de Estoi is simple and peaceful. The hotel is a nice place to relax, very quiet. However, it's also fairly basic. We arrived at about 8 on a Sunday and the owner had the cleaning lady open up for us. We spoke to him on the phone and he was able to arrange a taxi to take us to a local restaurant, as there doesn't seem to be any reasonable restaurants in walking distance. We didn't have a car with us and were probably a bit hampered by this as there is very little to do in Estoi.

Breakfast is a simple affair served from 9-11 at a communal table and consists of cake, cereal, yogurt, orange juice, bread, ham and cheese and jam. By the end of a four day stay it felt a little repetitive.

We had also booked an apartment that sleeps four, although we were only two of us. I think had we been four it could have been slightly problematic as the only other sleeping space apart from the double bed in the bedroom was a large sofa, that I think might turn into a double bed. So a family with two children might find it not quite what they were expecting.

Overall, we had a very pleasant and relaxing stay. The honesty bar is a nice touch and soft drinks are reasonably priced, although reflects the fact that the staff are not around much. The loungers around the plunge pool provide a pleasant place to enjoy the afternoon sun.

What a lovely place to stay! The house is a stunning country period property and the rooms furnished with beautiful dark wood and white linens. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the service was very personal but informal - it felt like staying at a friend's house really! The surrounding areas include a palace which is being refurbished, a roman country house, tiny villages and panoramic hilltop views. At just 20mins from the airport and the beaches, golf resorts and other tourist areas it is ideal for a short break....... All this and 25 degrees in October. Go there!