Hotel Rural Vale Do Rio

We booked this hotel for one night as a treat for a bit of R&R after our city break in Porto. We arrived a little early, about 2.30 and the room wasn't ready yet. After checking in, we went for a little walk round the grounds and by the time we returned the room was ready. We had booked the private pool suite, as we were celebrating a birthday, and it did not disappoint! It is definitely one of the most luxurious, high tech rooms we have stayed in. Everything was spotlessly clean, the room was nice and spacious, it had all sorts of high end features(like ireless phone charging pads and a google speaker) and all the usual features were finished to a high standard. The terrace was lovely and although people could see us (depending on the angle) it still felt very private. The pool was lovely, it was quite warm (it was July) but still refreshing enough, especially when sitting in the shade. It was lovely to sit in the pool and take in the view of the beautiful trees. It was so still and peaceful, the only sound was the odd bird or the ringing of a nearby church bell. We went for dinner in the hotel restaurant. The service was great, the menu was a little limited but the food was tasty. I can't eat gluten and they had a good understanding of this. In the morning at breakfast there was gluten free bread, cake and biscuits. It would have been good if they were covered, to avoid cross contamination, as they were next to the normal toaster but it was still good to be catered for. After we checked out of our room we laid by the main pool. There are lots of loungers and it was nice to use the pool, sauna and hot tub. Also, we were able to shower and change in the spa which was handy. Overall a great stay and we would definitely return.