Forrester Essence Douro Hotel - by Unlock Hotels

Rooms need renovation

Good service. Not working airco. Bathroom was a bit outdated.

Firstly, this hotel is no longer owned by the Pousada (Portuguese Government) and is now operated by a private company. I am told the same staff remain under the new ownership. We stayed two nights at this hotel. First impressions are the interior is a little dated in places. That said, it did have the best [powerful] showers of or 10 night stay in Northern Portugal. The staff are friendly and helpful but the hotel does "close down" at midnight each evening and there is no front desk staff or any staff as I could determine in the property so if this is a concern for some travellers, be aware. I would say the hotel is a comfortable place to stay in a town with few options. The breakfast was again adequate but I found that to be the case in all the hotels we stayed in as opposed to in Spain where the breakfasts are sumptious especially in the Pardores. My comments about the restaurant are seperate.