Went during off season since we were in Europe for a wedding anyway. This was our vacay thereafter and I'm so glad we made it just in time to go and get out before the catastrophe that is Portugal right now (in terms of airport at least- LIS was nightmare fuel then, and from IG, looks like it's only gotten mega tons worse). I'd consider the resort a depiction of dystopian surrealism. First we get to the resort and the lobby is under construction. There's barely anyone staying at the resort which already made it feel like a scene straight out of The Shining. We were first given a mediocre room but was upgraded - we didn't complain but they must've known how absolutely destructive the construction noise was. Awful. Why they didn't put us in the nicer room from the get is beyond me, since such a small portion of the resort was filled. We heard zero construction after this move while in the room. The room itself is amazing. Roomy, lovely bathroom and a spacious outdoor patio looking over the pool area. There were two Michelin star restaurants here but we only visited Midori. It was a great experience but eerie in that, again, it felt like we were in some dream where we were one of the last people on earth. Strange. We had most of our fun outside in sintra and cascais. The resort needs a serious facelift - the entrance from the outside and all the common areas really look so aged out. I'm sure it's nice during the summer but I still wouldn't pick here to come back to unless there's been some heavy face lifting done. read more

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Why I won't stay here again: The state of the resort has deteriorated significantly (see pictures), and management doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Tony's Tip: there's an "overflow" room for the daily breakfast buffet to the left of the stairs. It's adults-only and will keep you away from the chaos of the main room. This is the first 1-star Yelp review of mine in more than one hundred I've written. I see that the large majority of glowing reviews are from a number of years ago. Whatever its condition then, this ain't the same resort those people were staying at. We attended a wedding in the town of Sintra this past Summer. In choosing a hotel, my wife opted for this Ritz-Carlton property that was viewed as the highest end hotel in the "area." I put area in quotes because in reality, it was a 15-20 minute drive into and out of the center of Sintra, and it could take at least a half hour if you hit daytime tourist bus traffic. After our first day of commuting during a 4-night stay, we immediately regretted our decision. But it would get worse. While the vista is nice, I don't think I'd call it stunning. Perhaps we've been to too many other great places in various settings over the years. For us, the grounds and views fell short of the "wow" factor. Check-in was prompt, and the front desk people were nice, particularly one woman who made a couple of restaurant recommendations, including calling on our behalf. That was probably the high point of the stay. Once in our room, it presented more like a Marriott than a Ritz. Dated (circa 2005), with many imperfections. Beyond that, however, as we explored the hotel, we were taken aback by how much the resort was in disrepair. For starters, our own balcony had four vertical railings that had rotted out, leaving sharp dangerous edges (especially risky if you had children staying with you). Outside stairs leading to a common seating area had countless stained and broken tiles, leaving you to question the safety of using the stairs at all. The handle to a main door leading outside near the spa was completely gone, forcing you to put your finger into a sharp opening to pull that door open to reenter. Plus, windows in a lounge area near the front entrance had been compromised, leaving the panes cloudy. I could go on, but I stopped documenting this disaster once it was clear that management was content to leave things in deteriorating condition. I mentioned the breakfast buffet. It was okay - certainly fell short of the better European buffets we've experienced at resorts of this supposed caliber. We had trouble one morning getting someone to bring us a simple pot of coffee and cream as we watched them deliver to other tables. Took three requests. Beyond that, the main dining room is far from relaxing. This is a destination resort for many families, and you know what that's like in the morning. We discovered the "escape" room on our second morning and ate there during the rest of our stay. In sum, the Penta Longa Resort was a big disappointment. It's not cheap, and when a place is carrying the Ritz-Carlton brand, that has historically come with a broadly understood high standard of luxury. My wife will be the first to say that Marriott has blurred the lines between R-C properties and the rest of its brands, and not for the better. My suggestion to those planning to visit Sintra is to stay in the town itself. There are one or two properties that should deliver at a higher level than this place, and it will be much more convenient for you as well. read more

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Great Resort to the Par of any Ritz Carlton Property , service and attention to details are superb . There a couple Michelin star rated restaurants on the property . The pool and spa are wow . Joao the food / Bev manager is incredible with guests and goes the extra mile to keep everyone happy . Property is unreal beautiful, not to far but just so private . Everything is perfect read more

Penha Longa Resort - Entrance - Hotels Near Me - Sintra, 11

In October 2024, my wife and I spent a week at the Penha Longa Resort in Sintra, Portugal. I'll start off by saying this was the BEST resort/hotel I have ever stayed at in my life. The location, service, cleanliness and overall hospitality was top-notch in every aspect of the phrase. The resort is nicely hidden off the beat and path. If you enjoy quiet, low-key environments, this is the hotel for you. It's far off the main road making it secluded and very private. The entire time I was there I did not hear any road noise, traffic, people or other noises of a typical city. This also means you'll need to rent a car to get around or depend on Ubers/Taxi. We primarily Uber'd everywhere. Expect to spend anywhere from 7 to 30 Euros (Lisbon), each way. The rooms were very clean and spacious. We had a nice balcony to walk out to with a small table and two chairs. It was great to spend time there in the morning and evening winding down with a fresh cup of coffee. Looking into the distance and seeing green trees and hills is a level of zen you usually can't find elsewhere. Our rooms were not only cleaned daily, but multiple times a day. This means we always had fresh towels and other amenities. Of course, if you prefer privacy, slap the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door handle and they'll gladly oblige. The dining was 5-Stars across the board. Every restaurant we visited on site had delicious, fresh food. We mostly ate out in the cities we visited, but the local cuisine on site did the trick for us on more than one occasion. A centrally located bar (with finger food) is near the main lobby. Great place to catch drinks and chat with friends, family or strangers! The star of the show was the people. The service I received here exceeded my expectations. They have the most friendly and helpful hospitality workers in the world. There wasn't a single time that I wasn't met with a smiling face and answers to my questions that were thorough. My interactions with the staff left me feeling that they truly care about me, my stay and my requests. Above & beyond in terms of customer service. This is a hard thing to find these days, but they've got it locked down. My overall impression is 5/5. I would absolutely recommend this resort to family & friends and hopefully will be able to make it back in the future. Thank you for a great stay! read more

Penha Longa Resort - Hotels Near Me - Sintra, 11

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Gorgeous resort, great location and great staff. My grown daughters and I stayed at Penha for a night on our way to Barcelona from the US. We arrived early after a long flight and a really nice drive along the coast to Cascais. The resort was easy to find. We were allowed to spend the day by the pool as we waited for our room. We ordered lunch and drinks by the pool and just relaxed. There are actually three pools which I didn't notice at first. The adult pool is gorgeous but the water was way too cold to enjoy. My daughter took a nice nap by the indoor pool. The resort offers sun care products which I found a huge plus. Our room was refreshing and comfortable and had a nice view. I wish we had time to fully explore the property as it is gorgeous and serene. We couldn't get reservations at our restaurant or choice so opted for room service which was perfect for our tires bodies and allowed us to order and share in an informal environment. The food was great. Perhaps the best we had in the four countries we traveled to. We did enjoy lunch in one of the property restaurants and then spent the day in Sintra - a quick Uber from the resort (easier than driving and parking). The staff were extremely helpful and held our belongings until our return and departure for our next stop. I would return a thousand times. read more

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Foodie and traveler from New Jersey , USA . Top notch service . Big, beautiful rooms. Golf course was windy and amazing . Food wise , all the food was excellent . The restaurants were all amazing and the breakfast was good too. At Arola, the steak sandwich was epic. The dinner there , the tasting menu for 62 euro was good, although the main seafood meal was just OK. Throughout the restaurant, the chicken wings were awesome, the crab salad and shrimp at b lounge was great. Biggest surprise was the 10 euro kids pasta I had at Aqua .. best pasta I had in a long time read more

Penha Longa Resort - Kids pasta . Worth getting - Hotels Near Me - Sintra, 11

The Church of the Lady of Health Chapel is a beautiful place for a wedding. My family attended a wedding there last week and I would have to say it was amazing. Here is an article that provides more details than I can: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2014/04/lisbons-phoenix-penha-longa-monastery/102890 The choir sounded amazing, there's a big room upstairs for the reception and the grounds outside are perfect for the cocktail party after the ceremony. read more

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Nice grounds, wonderful golf course but the rest of the place is lacking SERVICE. The staff is unattentive, rooms, not nearly Ritz Carlton quality. For the price per room, you just expect better service and quality accommodations. Every time I needed something, or the room malfunctioned it took forever to get assistance. Just really didn't feel comfortable. read more

This hotel/resort is heavenly! I lucked out and was able to visit for a work meeting and had the most amazing time! The grounds were beautiful, the rooms were huge and gorgeous and also super clean (though, this is what I would expect from a Ritz Carlton property). I was lucky enough to be here for a week and tried almost everything - the gym, the restaurants, all of the food I could get my hands on! Everything was very top notch. The gym is perfectly clean as well as huge, which is great as sometimes hotel gyms (even nice ones) are tiny and somewhat gross. The food and restaurants were amazing. If you have time, try them all! I don't remember everything I ate, but I enjoyed all of the food and especially the sushi spot (yum!). Get the local wines paired with your food if you can and you won't be sorry. The rooms were really comfortable with amazing amenities and if you are lucky enough to have a view of the grounds, you have truly scored. One of my colleagues and I spent some time exploring and also visiting the spa. The grounds are extensive and beautifully manicured - a great spot to wander and relax. The spa is also great, though it doesn't seem to be open at all times. I had a great massage and also a nail treatment. These were not inexpensive, but well worth the cost. Overall, I would stay at this spot again. It is a bit of a trek to downtown, but there are a variety of options to get there (including a very convenient train) and you are really able to get to anywhere you need with taxis. read more

It was our second time here for the New Year. It is a Ritz hotel, the expectations are high and they do manage to fulfill them. Super-attentive team(they did have some mess on our arrival, however, it was fixed in a matter of minutes), fascinating views from the rooms, both resort and golf side, breakfast is wonderful, the breakfast team is doing their best in a very professional way. The hotel territory is enormously big, the path around the hotel takes about 40 minutes walk through the golf course, hills, forest and ruins of the old monastery. However, there are some negatives. In our room the shower pressure was too low for me to be able to wash my hair. And there was some mold in the shower between the tiles. The bed has springs mattress and I had back pain from sleeping. Last time I had similar issue, was blaming that on overdoing golf, but now it seems that golf was not the reason. Overall, I still would like to return to this hotel, as the whole experience is still great, due to super attentive staff, amazing territory, great quality of services and overall experience from the stay. Thank you, Penha Longa! read more

Biggest plus of this hotel is its customer service. Second to none. Staff is excellent. Friendly and polite from the first minute. Always there when you need it, without getting on your nerves. We experienced quite a few unexpected very positive suprises in terms of customer attention. Absolute benchmark. In terms of location: A very beautiful resort, an oasis close to Lisboa. Rooms and overall ambiance comply expectations of a 5 star resort. Whether you like golf or not. Restaurants and all extras are expensive, above average even for a hotel of this category. Many rates don't include breakfast, make sure to include it or book upon arrival with discount, definitly worth it. read more

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What a great hotel for Europe! I felt right at home and it is beyond gorgeous! Definitely staying here the next time I come to to Sintra. read more

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This resort is definitely not a typical Ritz carlton. Nice property but poorly maintained with a staff that doesn't seem to care. The only thing the hotel is really good at is providing high prices. Stayed here for 8 days. Pools are not heated...and quite cold in September. Good luck ordering a beverage or snack at the pool...the servers weren't real interested in taking care of guests. Carpet in the rooms was dirty and stained, we had three different rooms. The restaurants are definitely the highlight of the property. LAB is their signature restaurant but the others are excellent as well. Played golf four days and was disappointed. A corporate group checked in and while you could play golf, the group reserved all the golf carts so you had to walk the course and it's very hilly. On my last day, the corporate group took over the driving range so you couldn't even warm up. The course/resort seemed to care more about corporate clients than regular paying guests. read more

Service and amenities on point as expected. Breakfast omelet station was very backed up and needed 20 minutes or more to produce. Special thanks to the welcome team and doormen who always stepped up and provided absolutely brilliant service. read more

My husband and I stayed here for 10 days for our anniversary. From the moment we got there until the end of our trip every staff member made sure our stay was remarkable. We had nice surprises in our room which were very thoughtful to make our anniversary stay special. All the specialty restaurants were amazing. The concierge did a wonderful job helping us organize many excursions to our favorite places. My husband and I even got to enjoy some spa time and tennis. The resort is beautiful in the beautiful hills near Sintra. The monastery is beautiful and on the same premise as the hotel. It truly was an amazing experience for both my husband and I. We will definitely be coming back. read more

One of the finest five star and Ritz Carlton resorts on this planet! From food to staff, this place is immaculate! Perfect for families, couples, honeymooners, weddings....it's the perfect place for whatever you fancy! The grounds are stunning; a bit of heaven everywhere! The place is so grand, you can hibernate anywhere to enjoy your privacy and seclusion! The hotels is just stunning from meditation rooms, pools, spa, gym, kids area for kids only!, adults only pool, where do I stop?!? This IS THE BEST PLACE!!! I will be back. P.S. the housekeeping staff are the kindest humans you'll ever meet. It was a pleasure meeting them. I feel lucky to have had five great days to connect with them! read more

As luxurious, beautiful and historic as Penha Longa is, I am sad to say that if I knew then what I know now, I would NOT have had our wedding at Penha Longa. You can count on being made to feel like royalty, that is until you sign the contract. If you want your wedding to be a personal experience, if you want to organise it in a venue where you will feel like you are a part of it, like they CARE, then I would look elsewhere. Penha Longa unfortunately are as impersonal as they come. A number of factors contributed to me feeling an immediate disconnect from the place where one of the most important steps in my life took place: - The strictness to every single detail and inability to 'flex' because well, it's 'Penha Longa': o We were told I could use a room on the day to get ready. I didn't think this was too much to ask seeing as we were spending quite a lot of money on the event and also on the family suite we got for 2 nights. After they told us I could use a room, we found out that actually this wasn't the case anymore and that I could only have a conference room with no bathroom or running water unless I paid for an additional hotel room (my 'now husband' was staying in the suite to get dressed based on the information we received on the day we viewed the venue) - I had to pay for the conference room anyway. o The Photographer was told not to take pictures of us in the golf carts as 'we had not paid for them'. o Having to explain why we would like 'Late Check Out' or 'Early Check In' and being told this could only be confirmed on the day. - The 'just another number' treatment: o On the day of the wedding, the space was being used by another customer up until 2pm (the wedding took place at 4). o The day after the wedding, someone from the 'wedding team' saw us at reception, said hello and in just enough time for me to retrieve my card from 'check out' she was walking away with another couple about to view the venue for their own event - not even a 'How was it?', I understand there are other customers but if you're getting married at Penha Longa, you will be spending a lot of money so the least that could be said is 'Really glad it went well, I have to show this couple around this morning, are you expecting to leave in the next hour? If not, I would love to hear about how it all went, otherwise I will send you an email to follow up and get some feedback!'. o The moment the wedding was over, it was well and truly over! Example - When we went to the cake cutting in the courtyard, the guests left their bags at their tables only to find that when they went back into the 'dining area' all the tables were gone and their belongings had all been shoved into one table in the corner. o I lost my earring and as much as they say they looked for it, unfortunately, I highly doubt this was the case - the attitude when I told them about my earring was almost like it was pointless to even tell them. - The treatment of staff: o I observed a number of things, especially when the senior management teams weren't aware that I was the 'bride'. The day after the wedding, I went down to the church to look for my lost earring and I observed a member of staff being treated like 'trash' by senior management who shouted things like "If I see you get close to breaking some of my furniture again, you're gone!". Not exactly a 'luxurious' treatment of their staff and certainly explains my next point. o The members of staff that were responsible for catering and actually making the day happen were fantastic. Unfortunately, they appear to be so 'scared' of management and appear to have such inadequate training that they end up being pushed into incredibly uncomfortable positions (e.g. forcing us to cut the cake when we were in the middle of a conversation with someone because they wanted us to leave the dining area to clear up). Don't get me wrong, the day went well, the wine was flowing, the food was great and everything went as planned but, if you want to feel a personal touch, if you want to feel a connection to the place where you get married, I highly recommend looking for another venue. The way they treated us before and after the event kind of put a downer on how the whole thing went DURING it. We felt like just another number and more importantly, we were made to feel like the venue was 'too good for us'. Their attempt at being luxurious comes off as 'arrogant' instead, I just hope none of the guests felt that arrogance too. read more