Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park
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Hotel Details
Location
Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park · Bornes de Aguiar, Portugal
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Key Highlights
- ✓Attentive Service: The staff receives widespread acclaim for being "extremely friendly," "excellent," "welcoming," and "helpful".
Expert Review: Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park
Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park: A Retreat of Nature and Modern Design with Mixed Guest Experiences
Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park, a Michelin Key Selected property nestled in the serene landscapes of Bornes de Aguiar, Portugal, offers a unique blend of innovative architecture and natural tranquility. Guests are drawn to its stunning park setting, modern eco-houses and treehouses, and renowned thermal spa. However, while many find it an exceptional escape, recurring concerns about maintenance and perceived value for money temper the overall sentiment.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus for Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park leans positive, with ratings often in the "Very Good" to "Wonderful" range on various platforms (e.g., Booking.com 8.5, Trip.com 8.6, Expedia 9.2/10). Guests frequently describe the park as "magical," "breathtaking," and a "perfect place if you want a quiet place in the nature". The innovative design and friendly staff also receive high praise. However, a significant undercurrent of criticism regarding the upkeep of accommodations and the overall value for the price prevents a universally exceptional rating.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud several aspects of Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park:
- Stunning Natural Setting: The 20-hectare nature park, with its eight kilometers of winding paths, is the property's crowning jewel. It provides an immersive and peaceful environment perfect for walks, relaxation, and connecting with nature.
- Innovative Design: The "eco-houses" and "treehouses," designed by architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade, are celebrated for their modern, sustainable, and visually striking integration into the forest landscape. The 19th-century thermal spa, subtly updated by Pritzker winner Álvaro Siza Vieira, is also noted for its inspiring design and restful atmosphere.
- Exceptional Spa & Wellness Facilities: The thermal spa is a major draw, offering a variety of relaxing treatments, massages, an indoor pool, hot springs, sauna, and steam bath, all utilizing the region's therapeutic mineral water.
- Attentive Service: The staff receives widespread acclaim for being "extremely friendly," "excellent," "welcoming," and "helpful".
3. Room Quality
The accommodation options primarily consist of modern Eco Houses (bungalows) and unique Treehouses.
- Eco Houses/Bungalows are generally described as spacious, comfortable, and contemporary, featuring full kitchens, generous dining areas, furnished patios, and offering views of the surrounding nature. Deluxe Bungalows can be as large as 66 square meters.
- Treehouses are often highlighted as a "phenomenal" and "award-worthy" experience, providing an intimate and immersive stay amidst the treetops.
Despite the initial appeal, a significant and recurring criticism revolves around the lack of maintenance in some of these accommodations. Guests have reported eco-houses being "very run down," exhibiting "poor construction," "old furniture," "cracks in the ceiling and walls," "noisy floors," and issues with doors not closing properly. Some rooms have also been described as "cheap looking".
4. Dining Experience
The hotel's main dining establishment is the Casa de Chá Restaurant, located in the heart of the park. It focuses on authentic regional flavors, with dishes carefully prepared by Chef Vitor Matos. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast often receives mixed reviews; while some describe it as "amazing" and enjoyable, others have found it to be "average" or, in isolated cases, the "worst breakfast ever". It is often served directly to the bungalows. Guests can also enjoy the Avelâmes Bar, which offers a comfortable setting, a terrace, and leisure activities like snooker, along with a Kid's Club. Room service is available, and the bungalows' full kitchens provide a self-catering option.
5. Service & Staff
The service at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park consistently garners high praise. Guests frequently commend the staff for being "extremely friendly," "excellent," "welcoming," "helpful," "professional," and "attentive". Several reviews specifically mention staff members like Ricardo and Paolo for their outstanding hospitality and willingness to assist guests, even with personal requests such as making phone calls or surprising guests with birthday cake.
6. Location & Accessibility
The park is situated in the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, in northern Portugal, approximately an hour's drive from Porto. Its strength lies in its tranquil, expansive natural setting, making it an ideal retreat for those seeking peace and quiet.
Within the 20-hectare park, guests can explore eight kilometers of walking paths, visit the Pedras Experience Museum, and experience the natural thermal springs. For more active pursuits, there are hiking trails, a suspended wire bridge, a 12km hike to a waterfall, equestrian adventures, and nearby golf courses and bike tours. The hotel provides complimentary bicycles for guests to explore the grounds. Shuttle service is available to Chaves Aerodrome, and free car parking is also offered. Some guests, however, found the location "too isolated".
7. Value & Pricing
Pricing for a stay at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park varies, with average room rates around $274 or 215.69 EUR, and some options starting from approximately US$174.
The perception of value is mixed. While some consider it to offer an "outstanding blend of quality and value" or "exceptional value for money" compared to other local options, a notable number of guests feel it is "not worthy the money" or "too expensive for the accommodations," especially when factoring in the reported maintenance issues. The hotel does offer various special promotions and packages.
8. Common Complaints
Several recurring issues detract from the overall guest experience:
- Maintenance of Accommodations: This is the most prevalent complaint. Numerous guests report that the eco-houses are "run down" and in need of significant maintenance, citing "poor construction," "old furniture," lack of hot water on occasion, "cracks in the ceiling and walls," and "noisy floors". The spa facilities, specifically the ceiling above the swimming pool, have also been mentioned as needing renovation.
- Perceived Isolation: Some visitors found the park's secluded location a bit "too isolated".
- Inconsistent Breakfast Quality: While often good, some reviews indicate that breakfast can be "average" or, in some instances, disappointing.
- Fraudulent Payment Incident: A serious concern highlighted by one guest involved receiving a fake and fraudulent payment link after the hotel's online profile was reportedly hacked. The guest experienced significant financial loss and felt the hotel did not adequately assist in resolving the issue.
- External Noise: One review mentioned a music festival in the nearby village causing noise disturbances until the early morning hours, preventing sleep.
- Park Upkeep: Beyond the accommodations, some parts of the wider park are described as being in "pretty bad shape," with "abandoned buildings" and a "very dirty pond".
Sources
Points to Consider
- •Several recurring issues detract from the overall guest experience:
- •Inconsistent Breakfast Quality: While often good, some reviews indicate that breakfast can be "average" or, in some instances, disappointing.
Google Reviews
2,727 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Karla Acosta
the Spa is TERRIBLE. The “thermal” pool was cold, the cold pool was room temperature, the sauna was cold. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE, you will be terribly disappointed. So far my only bad experience in Portugal.
Response from the owner
We are genuinely sorry to hear about your experience at the Spa and that it did not meet your expectations. This is certainly not the standard we strive to provide, and we fully understand your disapp...
Hugo Vasco Beja Simões
When visiting Pedras Salgadas in winter, the Park and is truly a getaway retreat! The park’s serene landscapes during the cooler months provide a peaceful escape from the bustle of everyday life.
Response from the owner
Thank you very much for sharing your experience.<br>It is wonderful to know that the tranquillity of the Park during the winter months offered you exactly the peaceful retreat you were looking for. We...
Doron Rubin-Mahazri
We stayed as a couple with our 3-month-old baby. The room was in very poor condition, there was a bad smell in the room, as if it hadn’t been aired out in a long time, the floor was creaky, water from the shower leaked all over the bathroom, and although we asked for it to be fixed, the problem wasn't properly resolved. The place felt neglected, old and worn out, which was disappointing considerin...
Response from the owner
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback regarding your recent stay at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park. We are truly sorry to learn that your experience did not meet your expectations.<br><br>We...
Marta Giordano
the hotel profile on a famous booking site was hacked. Therefore, the hotel sent me a link to make the payment, which I later discovered was fake and fraudulent. Unfortunately, I made the payment (according to the terms and conditions, they should have charged me on the same day, so everything matched and could have been real). unfortunately, despite the hotel admitting it was hacked, they did not...
Response from the owner
Dear Mrs. Marta Giordano<br>First of all, thank you for your preference. Regarding the situation that you´ve reported to us we have some points to clarify. The hotel only had charged once the value of...
S L
We spent one night here and loved how the accommodation was amidst an ancient forest. They don’t allow cars to drive around which makes it so much more pleasant and friendly to the environment. You can borrow bikes for free, which we did, and had a leisurely bike around. It really is a special place in the world, with a natural sparkling water spring. The thermal spa is nice too. We had treatmen...
Response from the owner
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed our unique accommodation nestled in an ancient forest. Our commitment to ...
João Pedro Abreu
Don’t get me wrong, the place is actually gorgeous and the park is wonderful…like a fairytale! But the service is awful, unacceptable for the price of this place! First day, the tap water was not drinkable, tasted like bleach; the WiFi was not working…then it came the second day - It was raining, my card keys were not working, my house was around 1km away from the reception; I called 11 times to t...
Response from the owner
Dear João Pedro Abreu, <br>We appreciate the time you took to share your experience at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed the beauty of the location and the ma...
