The Lince Santa Clara

muito simpaticos e profissionais

O hotel é lindíssimo tendo em conta que era um convento/mosteiro e foi recuperado mantendo a traça de granito, e decoraram o interior com madeira. Uma combinação perfeita. Além disso, encontra-se num alto com uma paisagem lindíssima, de onde se pode ver toda a cidade de Vila do Conde, a Nau Quinhentista e o rio Ave. O serviço de alta qualidade, sempre com colaboradores disponíveis para nos ajudar ou esclarecer de alguma questão. Fizeram um upgrade ao quarto e estavam sempre a mimar-nos. O pequeno almoço muito variado, e com alimentos de muito boa qualidade, numa sala igualmente soberba. Sempre que fazíamos uma sugestão ou um pedido, era imediatamente atendido.

As soon as I saw The Lince in photographs I knew it was my kind of hotel. I loved its style, and once there it did not disappoint. It's stylish and 'mostly' serene. When the hotel was quiet breakfast was a divine elevated 5* experience. But when busy it kind of fell apart. Dinner was just okay, the food barely hot. What I found mostly irritating is the "muzak" that seems to be played everywhere in Portugal. "Chill Pop" or "Chill Covers" which is bland interpretations sung by anonymous female session singers covering Queen, Madonna, Michael Jackson, etc, and turning their songs into dreary lounge music. And it's on repeat all day every day. And I found it especially odd to have it played outdoors in the spa area. Silence is luxury. Someone else's music is not. We all have phones and iPods with our own music. If we want music we can play our own. Also, The Lince is a former monastery. And it still has a monastery vibe. Can it not be silence by day, and Portuguese music at night? Fortunately inside the spa there was no music. And I really enjoyed the spa a lot. It appears most people stay for 1 or 2 nights. The hotel deserves to be given more time than that. Although the area of Vila do Conde is lacking in appeal, it has some decent restaurants (that also play the same Chill Pop / Covers as the hotel) 🙄 It's also worth being aware getting to Porto is around a 45 to 50 Euro taxi ride, so a return is around 100 Euros each time. But it's also positioned closer to Braga and Guimarães if they are part of your itinerary. You're also about a 2 hour drive from the Douro Valley if that's also something you want to see. So, overall I did love the hotel and it will remain a favourite. But a few tweaks would have made it bliss.

We had a truly wonderful stay at this hotel. From the moment we arrived, everything was handled with great care. The staff were exceptional -friendly, professional, and always ready to help. The attention to detail and overall atmosphere made it feel like a very special place, and we felt that every penny was well spent. Our Saturday morning breakfast was a highlight: peaceful, beautifully presented, and delicious. It really set the tone for a great weekend. However, Sunday morning was quite a different experience. The breakfast area felt overcrowded and noisy, more like a busy canteen than the exclusive setting we had enjoyed the day before. Many of the food stations were empty, and the overall ambiance was chaotic. We’re not sure if there was a special Mother’s Day event or outside guests (as it was confirmed by the receptionist that outside guests are allowed at breakfast), but it did take away from the calm, refined experience we had expected. That said, the rest of our stay was so enjoyable that we’re still considering returning with our extended family. The hotel has so much to offer and, in many ways, is nearly perfect. We do feel, though, that when a property positions itself at the top end of the market, every element -from service to experience- needs to consistently reflect that standard. The hotel did not live fully to its great standards. Coherence is key.

My fiancé and I enjoyed staying in this exceptional hotel last week, from Tuesday the 17th until Monday the 23rd of September. From beginning to end, everything was just sensational. We rented a Porto Airport rental car and drove to Vila do Conde. Already from far away, we could see the hotel overlooking the small town and the ocean. The hotel is housed in a stunning building, a 700-year-old monastery, and has been fully renovated making it one of the prettiest hotels I've ever been to. The design of the interior is breathtaking as well as all facilities are high-end. But what truly made the difference, was the team. You can contract the best architects and interior designers in the world and you can buy the best buildings and locations to open a hotel, but it's the team that does the real magic. And there are two names especially to mention that stood out even more. The first one is Lucy giving us the best service every morning during breakfast. Without asking she knew already our tea and coffee order. Such a great and sweet person with an unbreakable smile. And the second and most genuine and warm person is Paula from the Front Office. Both have been exceptionally nice, humble, pure and so super friendly, a level of genuine hospitality we haven't had for years. Paula gave us the feeling that she had all the time in the world to help us and gave us a list of recommendations of things to do. She guided us to our amazing room as if she welcomed us at her very own house. Thank you Paula for making us feel so welcome. We've spent several hours in the amazing spa and had lunch and dinner in the restaurant various times, and even when there was no one else at the outside pool but us, there was no problem at all with opening the pool bar for us and serve us one of the best caesar salads I've had in years. The General Manager and his team have 'Abundancy' as one of their core values. We were offered as well a grand tour through the hotel (Which I love as I work in hospitality too) and even the Executive Chef of their high-end restaurant took the time to tell us about his passion, his cuisine, and how proud he is to work in such an amazing environment. The Lince Santa Clara is the perfect hotel to enjoy as the actual destination itself. You can stay 24/7 in the hotel and be indulged with pure luxury, or you can do (as we did too) perfect day trips to Porto City, just a 30-minute drive, or to the amazing Douro Valley for wine and Porto wine tastings. Just under 2 hours drive. Bottom line, this hotel is one of the best we've ever experienced. There is absolutely nothing we could think of that was below standards. Location? check! Service? check! Facilities? check! Going beyond expectations? check! Price vs. value? Spot on! Thank you to the team, you've made us ambassadors of your hotel and your hospitality. We've been recommending you to everyone since we checked out. And we will be back for sure. Best Regards, Babette & Bart from The Nether

This hotel is simply stunning. The restoration of the historic building has been done so beautifully, it’s cool and modern but still retains the history. The room was gorgeous and the spa and outdoor pool were just perfect. Every member of staff was friendly and so helpful and the breakfast is superb. We enjoyed every minute we spent here.