Pousada de Obidos Historic Hotel
Selected
Check Availability & Prices
Find the best rates for Pousada de Obidos Historic Hotel.
Check Availability on Booking.comView the official listing on the MICHELIN Guide.
Hotel Details
Explore More Hotels
Key Highlights
- ✓Dining:** The restaurant and breakfast are frequently mentioned as excellent, contributing significantly to a royal and delightful experience.
- ✓Breakfast:** The buffet breakfast is consistently praised as outstanding, feeling "royal" and featuring an array of Portuguese pastries. Some guests even enjoyed Prosecco with their breakfast.
Expert Review: Pousada de Obidos Historic Hotel
Pousada de Óbidos Historic Hotel: A Comprehensive Review
Nestled within the ancient walls of Óbidos Castle, a declared "Wonder of Portugal" and a Michelin Key Selected property, the Pousada de Óbidos Historic Hotel offers a truly unique and enchanting stay. This medieval castle, with parts dating back to the 9th and 14th centuries, provides guests with an unforgettable journey back in time, blending historical grandeur with modern comforts.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus among guests is overwhelmingly positive, often describing the experience as "outstanding," "amazing," and "a once-in-a-lifetime experience" to live in a castle. The hotel consistently receives high ratings, with scores like 8.4/10 on Booking.com and 8.5/10 on Trip.com, reflecting a strong blend of quality and value. The romantic and historical atmosphere is frequently highlighted, making it a dream escape for many.
2. Key Highlights
Guests are particularly captivated by several aspects of the Pousada:
- Historic Ambiance & Design: The hotel is celebrated for its authentic medieval charm, featuring thick stone walls, hand-painted tiles, wooden shutters, suits of armor, and historical paintings. The preservation of its personality, without being stripped for minimalist design, is highly appreciated.
- Location: Its prime location directly within the Óbidos Castle walls offers unparalleled access to the picturesque village and breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Guests love being able to walk the castle ramparts and explore the town easily.
- Service & Staff: The staff consistently receives praise for being friendly, helpful, and providing personalized service.
- Dining: The restaurant and breakfast are frequently mentioned as excellent, contributing significantly to a royal and delightful experience.
3. Room Quality
The Pousada de Óbidos offers rooms spread across the original castle and a newer "cottage" wing, each with distinct characteristics.
- Castle Rooms: These rooms provide an authentic medieval experience with thick walls, quaint hand-painted tiles, wooden shutters, and a darkly romantic atmosphere. Some even boast original features like fireplaces and vaulted ceilings, along with four-poster beds and chandeliers. While offering immense character, some castle rooms, particularly those in the towers, can be more compact with smaller windows.
- Cottage Rooms: Located in an annex, these rooms tend to have a brighter, more modern feel, yet still incorporate traditional Portuguese elements like blue and white color palettes and four-poster beds. Superior cottage rooms and suites may include balconies or terraces and even fireplaces.
- Amenities: All guest rooms are generally spacious, air-conditioned, and equipped with modern facilities such as private bathrooms, high-end amenities (linens, bath products), flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars, and safes.
However, some guests have reported rooms being small and dark, and in a few instances, cleanliness issues or musty smells have been noted. Some older rooms may only have a bathtub, not a shower.
4. Dining Experience
The dining experience at the Pousada de Óbidos is a significant highlight.
- Restaurant: The on-site restaurant is highly regarded for its excellent regional and international cuisine, using fresh, local ingredients. Dining within the medieval castle provides a unique and elegant ambiance, with impressive views from arched windows.
- Breakfast: The buffet breakfast is consistently praised as outstanding, feeling "royal" and featuring an array of Portuguese pastries. Some guests even enjoyed Prosecco with their breakfast.
5. Service & Staff
The staff at Pousada de Óbidos is frequently commended for their exceptional hospitality. Guests describe them as friendly, helpful, and attentive, contributing greatly to a positive stay. Multilingual staff are available, and services like a 24-hour front desk, room service, and concierge are provided. The staff is particularly helpful with the challenging parking situation, offering to transport guests and their luggage.
6. Location & Accessibility
The Pousada's location within the Castelo de Óbidos is a major draw.
- Neighborhood & Attractions: Guests are steps away from Óbidos Castle and the charming medieval village with its narrow cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, local shops, wine bars, and cafés. Popular attractions like Vila Natal are also minutes away.
- Transport: The hotel is approximately 80 km by car from Lisbon Portela Airport. However, driving directly to the hotel within the village walls is not permitted for outsiders. Guests need to park outside the village, but the hotel offers a van or tuk-tuk service for luggage and transport to the reception. This can sometimes be a point of confusion or inconvenience upon arrival. The Pousada has limited free parking available.
7. Value & Pricing
While the Pousada de Óbidos is considered a premium choice, guests generally feel it offers good value for the unique experience of staying in a historic castle. Average room rates typically range from $198 to $300, which is higher than the average hotel in Óbidos, but the exceptional ambiance, personalized service, and rich history justify the investment for many. Booking in the low season (January and December) might offer cheaper deals.
8. Common Complaints
Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, some recurring issues or criticisms include:
- Room Size & Condition: Some guests have found certain rooms, particularly standard castle rooms, to be small, dark, or a bit dated, with occasional reports of humidity or cleanliness issues in bathrooms.
- Accessibility for Luggage: The inability to drive directly to the hotel within the castle walls and the need to arrange for luggage transport from outside the village can be inconvenient, especially if not communicated clearly beforehand.
- Stairs: The Pousada, being a historic castle, has a number of steps, which might pose difficulties for guests with mobility challenges. Access to some rooms and the dining room may involve climbing stairs.
- Hard Beds: Like many European hotels, some guests have mentioned the beds being quite firm.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •However, some guests have reported rooms being small and dark, and in a few instances, cleanliness issues or musty smells have been noted. Some older rooms may only have a bathtub, not a shower.
- •Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, some recurring issues or criticisms include:
