SIX SENSES DOURO VALLEY

WOW was the reaction upon arriving in the lobby of this hotel and it just kept getting better. We have stayed at beautiful hotels around the world but this one has to rank high as one of the most speciall. It is located in a vineyard, with spectacular surrounding views. The food, wine and wellness activities on offer were excellent. The straw hats in the room along with port were perfect for the setting. The hotel staff were excellent and genuine. They were friendly and knowledgeable about food and wine and their pride in this hotel was very evident and it made you feel special to be able to share it with them. This is the perfect place if you are looking for a magical few days to get away from it all. We will definitely return to the Douro Valley just to be able to stay at this property again.

Our stay at Six Senses was phenomenal!! This resort is truly excellent and we have stayed at beautiful resorts all over the world. The setting is a natural wonder, the rooms beautifully decorated and spacious, the spa was perhaps the best and most relaxing I've ever been to, and the food included one of the best meals of my life. We did the ten course with wine pairings Chef's Table which is an incredible gastronomic event! The region makes for a great vacation and Six Senses attended to our every need with grace and care. Truly a special place!

The hotel is beautifully situated with lovely views of the river from reception. The rooms are large and comfortable but a little uneven. My room, 511 had full length windows with relaxing river views, but my friends' room on the ground level had only one tiny window high up on the wall, giving the room a cell like ambience! The restaurants were also uneven. The food and service at dinner was impeccable but at the pool bar at lunch, while the food was good, the service was extremely slow. Again, while checking in, the reception staff were wonderful, on checking out we waited quite a while for our luggage, thus keeping our taxi waiting. Overall a luxury hotel that needs to even out the service levels.

We were a party of 6 celebrating a birthday anniversary for my wife and I, over 3 days and nights. We were joined by our 2 adult daughters and their boyfriends. We had chosen 3 River View rooms with terrace. This place is amazing, from the incredible location, awesome views, first class service, great facilities and superb rooms. From the moment you arrive in the reception area and see the world-class view of the Douro river and surrounding hillsides, you cannot help but be impressed. Our rooms were all very similar with large very comfortable beds, large ensuite shower rooms, a nice seating area and a reasonably sized outdoor terrace with lovely views across the river and to the surrounding vine-covered hillsides. The room has a large flat-screen TV, wifi access is good and very fast, and there is a portable digital gadget at the bedside which allows you to send messages to the Hotel, check activities, order room service, book spa treatments, etc. etc.. The breakfasts are amazing. A great selection of hot items, dishes that can be made-to-order, gorgeous charcuterie and flavoursome local cheeses, a wide range of juices, pastries, and other items. One of the best breakfasts I have ever had at a hotel, anywhere. We ate in the main restaurant one evening, had a meal one night in Regua, and ate in the Bar area the other night. The two meals at the hotel were very good, good food with a nice selection of local food and cuisine, and with a large selection of very good local wines and ports, albeit many of these were quite expensive. We spent much of one day enjoying the hotel facilities and taking advantage of the sun-drenched outdoor swimming pool. There is an indoor pool adjoining the Spa but why be indoors with such lovely weather outdoors '! The pool has uninterrupted views of the Douro river and the adjoining hillsides. It really is an idyllic location. There are rewarding walks around the hotel complex and the landscaping of the immediate hotel area is very well done with an interesting herb garden, olive trees, and beautiful gardens, fruit trees, and other flowers and shrubs. A lot of thought has clearly gone into the use of the original local building and the surrounding gardens and landscape. Very beautiful. Three of our party wanted to try the Alchemy bar but unfortunately this facility was only available once or twice a week at a pre-set time. This was rather disappointing as I would assume this was a very popular event yet there was no flexibility to provide this to guests who could otherwise provide the numbers, on demand. Overall, the price of some of the outdoor activities was rather excessive in our opinion, not least as these were quite simple, e.g. canoeing, paddle-boarding, tree-climbing, etc.. In the end we did not participate in these. Staff were extremely efficient, helpful, and very engaging. One minor mis-understanding regarding transportation was quickly cleared up and we cannot fault staff the Service e of staff throughout the hotel complex. If you want to stay here then you must be prepared, from the outset, to pay accordingly. Nothing is inexpensive. Having said this, it is an exceptional place and we all fell in love with the Six Senses, Douro Valley and will definitely return one day.

Hidden in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, Six Senses is a must go if you are traveling around Portugal! We went to celebrate my fiancee's birthday and we were truly treated like royalty.