L'AND Vineyards Relais & Chateaux

The positives: as usual in portugal, the staff were exceptionally helpful and responsive. Housekeeping was first class. The outdoor seating areas with the fire pits were a pleasure as was the wooden, covered outside dining area overlooking the lake. There were plenty of good loungers around the outdoor pool with an adequate supply of clean, fresh towels and the walks through the vineyards and round the lake were a pleasure. The main building was well presented and very tastefully furnished without being overburdened with too much furniture. The spa was excellent and the staff very professional. I had cause to call maintenance for our room on arrival as both bathroom taps were very loose, but by the next day a repair had been carried out. Similarly, i did something to the room heating control and within a few minutes of asking a maintenance engineer was round to sort out my mistake! However, our particular room was very tired and in need of serious refurbishment. There are no excuses for holes in bedside rugs and large holes created by rotting wood around the plunge pool, which is obviously dangerous. Parts of the wardrobe in the lounge area were either coming off or wouldn’t close. As all the accommodation is located outwith the main building, the lighting on the paths is most certainly inadequate in number and either broken lights not helping. I know its a dark skies area but external lighting that doesn’t pollute is available. The paths in general have not been maintained and I would be very surprised if injury hasn’t occurred. We ate in the hotel for three nights, including the tasting menu on one night. We have been lucky to enjoy a few fine dining/relay & chateau/michelin restaurants and I’m sorry to say that this disappoints. It is the very first time we have had the same amuse bouche and petit four each day. On our first evening I enjoyed a fine steak. My wife had medium cooked pork which continued to ooze blood on the plate. We should of course have complained……. I found it hard to see how our tasting menu was accolade worthy, however the wine accompaniment was fine. What was less than impressive was the hotel having only two Portuguese gins on offer and having not replaced one of the most popular. Equally, no white port was available so we took the alternative offered, tawny. Although delicious, i don't think i would have paid 28euros a glass to put ice in it! In other establishments, the waiter has pointed out the price of a more expensive item before just pouring out what was the last of that particular port as well! I can see that L’And was a five star destination but has somehow lost it’s way. In my opinion, management would benefit from an objective appraisal by an independent surveyor of what needs to be done to re—establish it to what was clearly its former standing.

This place is ridiculous. Much of it is dilapidated. Pretentious in the extreme. Furniture in the reception area, in addition to being ugly, but that of course is a personal opinion, is dirty. Old. Armrests are filthy. Marks on the back of the chair where presumably people have rested their head which are oily. Quite disgusting. Completely unacceptable. The food is barely adequate. I had tuna tartar in the restaurant this evening, for 20 or 25 euros, which was not good, much worse the same thing which I have had in Costa Rica for $5. Electricity went off, and of course they had excuses. But excuses don't work. For the prices which they charge, in particular the prices which they charge for their food, I would expect much more. Save your money, go elsewhere.

The lobby and the room needs to be refurbished. It is worn and it shows. The restaurant is excellent with the exception of not leaving the bottle of wine that we purchased at the table. It makes you wonder whether the wait staff is taking sips from your bottle. Also no water at the table. I was coughing and no one was bringing me water. When I asked them to leave the bottle that we purchased, I was told we don't do that. The pool was dirty, but cleaned the following day. The spa was excellent

Great setting and architecture, service is good but just not to the standard that would make it great.

Wanted to love this place. Upon arrival we were completely underwhelmed. Once taken to our room, the floor was dirty, the rug not vacuumed, the sofa and chair were left like someone just got out of them. And then……. We looked in the shower! Mold and filth. There were bugs in the room. One of the restaurants was closed and the other was booked to capacity. Only option was room service. My husband sat on a chair to have dinner and it broke. This is a self proclaimed 5 star hotel. It should be a 2! We arrived late after a day of driving. Had to stay one of the 3 nights we had booked and got out of it. In our opinion this hotel is a self proclaimed 5 star. So, so wrong. If your expectations are low, you will be ok.