Cooking and Nature - Emotional Hotel
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Key Highlights
- ✓Exceptional Design:** The interior design is frequently described as unique, authentic, and exceptional, with natural materials and a cozy atmosphere throughout.
- ✓Length of Stay:** Some guests felt that a single overnight stay was insufficient to fully appreciate the hotel's offerings and its beautiful surroundings.
Expert Review: Cooking and Nature - Emotional Hotel
Cooking and Nature - Emotional Hotel: A Michelin Key Selected Escape in the Heart of Portugal
Nestled within the breathtaking Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park, the Cooking and Nature - Emotional Hotel in Alvados, Portugal, offers a uniquely designed and tranquil retreat. This Michelin Key Selected property is celebrated for its harmonious blend of modern aesthetics, deep connection with nature, and an emphasis on guest experience through its culinary and wellness offerings.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus among guests is overwhelmingly positive, with many describing it as an excellent and unique hotel concept. Visitors frequently praise its peaceful ambiance, beautiful surroundings, and the overall feeling of escape it provides. The sentiment leans towards a highly recommended destination for relaxation and recharging.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently rave about several standout features:
- Nature and Tranquility: The hotel's location amidst olive groves and mountains offers expansive views, quiet corners for reading, and a profound sense of calm.
- Exceptional Design: The interior design is frequently described as unique, authentic, and exceptional, with natural materials and a cozy atmosphere throughout.
- Immersive Experiences: The hotel lives up to its name by offering interactive cooking lessons with a modern Portuguese chef, where guests can even forage for ingredients in the garden. Yoga classes, massages, hiking trails, and free bicycles for exploring nearby caves are also popular activities.
- D'Aire Baths & Pools: The fabulous D'Aire baths (available October to May) with indoor pools at different temperatures, a relaxation room, and massage room, are a significant draw, alongside two outdoor swimming pools.
- Honesty Bar: The "honesty bar" concept provides guests with the freedom to enjoy drinks and snacks at any time, fostering a sense of being at home.
3. Room Quality
The hotel features 12 individually designed rooms, each inspired by a different emotion such as "Magic," "Passion," or "Saudade." Guests find the accommodations lovely, comfortable, and thoughtfully decorated with unique themes. Many rooms offer picturesque views of the surrounding landscape, and some boast special features like full wall-windows for stargazing or design baths with garden and mountain views. Rooms include free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, bathrobes, and private bathrooms.
4. Dining Experience
The dining experience is a highlight for many. Breakfast, often described as "unbeatable," "super tasty," and with "variety and quality," is included and served buffet style. The hotel's restaurant serves seasonal cuisine using regional products. For dinner, guests can choose a seasonal menu or participate in the interactive "Cooking Lesson" where they prepare their own meal under chef guidance. Light lunches are also available.
5. Service & Staff
The staff consistently receives high praise for being extremely friendly, helpful, and kind. Guests appreciate their attentiveness and willingness to go out of their way to enhance the stay, even organizing surprises for special occasions.
6. Location & Accessibility
The hotel is ideally situated within the Parque Natural Serras de Aire e Candeeiros, offering a remote feel without being completely isolated. It's an excellent base for nature lovers, with hiking trails in the immediate surroundings and free bicycles to explore the nearby Alvados caves. While offering an escape, it remains accessible to significant historical and religious sites:
- Monastery of Batalha: 17 km (11 miles) away
- Sanctuary of Fátima: 20 km (12 miles) away
- Monastery of Alcobaça: a 30-minute drive away
Lisbon and Porto international airports are approximately a 1.5-hour drive, with airport shuttle services available upon request.
7. Value & Pricing
The Cooking and Nature - Emotional Hotel is generally considered a boutique luxury experience. Rates start from approximately €160.00 EUR or $172, positioning it as a mid-to-high-range hotel ("$$" on Fodor's Travel Guide). Children up to 2 years old stay free when using an available cot or existing bed. For children aged 3-11, an extra bed costs €25 per night, and for guests 12 and over, an extra bed is €50 per night. Guests often feel the experience justifies the cost, given the unique concept, amenities, and high level of service.
8. Common Complaints
While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points have been noted:
- Dinner Availability: One guest experienced a lack of dinner options at the hotel on a particular evening, necessitating travel to a nearby town, which was not clearly communicated at booking.
- Pool Size/Temperature: The outdoor swimming pool has been described as small by one reviewer, and another noted it could be cold, with the indoor pool sometimes being closed. The D'Aire baths are available seasonally, from October to May.
- Length of Stay: Some guests felt that a single overnight stay was insufficient to fully appreciate the hotel's offerings and its beautiful surroundings.
