Bussaco Palace Hotel

I was at this beautiful hotel more that 40 years ago with my parents, and wanted to show it to my husband. It was such a wonderful experience! The building itself is a jewel, it was the royal summer palace of the Portuguese monarchy and since early 1900’s became a hotel. Just looking into the neo-manueline style architecture, the beautiful mahogany wood furniture, the azulejo tile historical scenes and all the art it was worthy staying there! Ana, the front office clerk was marvelous! Professional, friendly and sweet, she made our stay such a great one. And of course, discovering the Mata de Buçaco, the forest where the hotel is located, was a joy! If you have the opportunity, don’t hesitate, stay at this awesome palace hotel!

Drown by its rich history and stunning architecture disappointed by the condition of it. While the building itself is truly breathtaking, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by how poorly it’s been maintained. The rooms had signs of wear and tear everywhere… peeling paint, rusty bathroom fixtures, and an overall sense of neglect. It’s heartbreaking to see such a beautiful, historical place not getting the attention it deserves. With proper care and updates, this hotel could be absolutely incredible. I really hope the management takes action because this magical place deserves so much better.

Beautiful place, beautiful architecture, and stunning surroundings — it could be the crown jewel of Portugal, drawing visitors from across Europe. If only the management cared. The hotel is crying out for repair. Cracks in the walls, torn wallpaper, and paint on doors and windows that hasn’t been refreshed in decades — it flakes off like sand. The bathroom fixtures are leaking, and the bathroom door in our room was broken and wouldn’t close. Curtains were stained, and ants crawled everywhere in the room. There was no fridge, tea/coffee maker, or minibar. Just a single bottle of water. The Wi-Fi in the room was too slow to even open a messenger app. The decor is terribly outdated. Yes, it’s a historical hotel, but authenticity and comfort aren’t mutually exclusive. Breakfast was poor, with almost no variety. Tasteless scrambled eggs, basic sausages, some yogurt, and a few pieces of fruit. The most enjoyable part was the strawberries. That’s it. We arrived mid-service, and there was exactly one piece of toast and two pancakes left — never replenished. Honestly, I’ve had better breakfasts in 3-star hotels. Comparing it to a real 5-star breakfast would be too embarrassing for Bussaco. The restaurant is just as disappointing. Overpriced, mediocre food. Wine only sold by the bottle, with prices through the roof. The first page of the wine list featured bottles at 2,000–3,000 euros. You can imagine what the rest looked like. Dinner for two, without appetizers, alcohol, or anything special, cost nearly 100 euros. And it wasn’t even filling. Pricing like that would be understandable if the food were good — but it wasn’t. I guess I expected a high-end experience with exquisite service that would make me feel like I was staying in a real palace. Instead, it was a total disaster. They pose as a luxury 5-star hotel, selling 3,500-euro bottles of wine while guests sit next to a window with a gaping hole, “sealed” with a napkin. (I’m not joking, I’ll attach photos.) The building itself is gorgeous, but the management should be fired on the spot. It’s obvious they don’t care. Basic cleanliness and functional amenities shouldn’t even need to be mentioned in a hotel of this level. Overall: I loved the place because I love history. But I’m angry and disappointed I chose it for my birthday and stayed longer than one night.

I felt privileged to stay in a palace hotel for a fairly reasonable cost, and reveled in the gorgeous period details inside and out. We originally booked a room in the lowest price category, but it was cramped and moldy-smelling, so we upgraded on the second night and had a delightful experience. While there is no wifi in the sleeping rooms, the service in the beautiful main level lounge was great, so everyone congregated there in the evenings, which I found sort of charming. To me, the breakfast was outstanding, with more variety of cheese, baked goods and fruit than most hotels on our trip, and I appreciated many nice touches on the buffet such as bubbly (for those who wanted to start the day with mimosas) and hot water for tea-drinkers. The service at dinner was very attentive but the limited menu seemed pricey. Our bathroom was clean and everything worked just fine, and the reception staff was very accommodating. I liked having an "antique" experience and appreciated that old parts of this facility have been conserved (including the lift that might date from 1960 or so), giving me a trip into the past. Of course, not everyone values the older innards of aged buildings, and some prefer them to be vintage on the outside but totally new on the inside -- so decide what experience you want. We hiked some paths in the national forest around the hotel which were lovely even on a drizzly day.

Magnificent surroundings and spectacular architecture. Rooms below par. No internet in rooms. No extra plugs for charging phones etc. Bathroom floor was dirty- hair and dust. No desk. No sitting chair. No temperature control. Downstairs bar was great (with internet) service was good. Restaurant ok. Breakfast below par.