Six Senses Douro Valley

First visit to a Sixth Senses resort and it was such a treat and memorable stay. Nestled in the Douro Valley, it sits on a lovely estate of a historical stately manor house. Rooms are tastefully low key in dark wood and our suite faced the Douro which offered rich colors of late fall, misty mornings and golden dusk of vine covered terraces. We had breakfast and dinner at the Vale de Abraao restaurant and the food was good. Unfortunately our eggs service one morning took some time when the house was very full. Tapas dinner at the Wine Library and Terrace was also delicious. We had drinks on two evenings at the bar and played pool. The resort offers daily activities including forest walking, tree climbing, yoga, scent making amongst others. The 2 highlights of the resort must be the indoor pool and spa. The spa offers 6 different saunas and sumptuous face and body treatments with very skilled therapists. We thoroughly enjoyed the massages! The fitness centre was well equipped and overlooks the pool. My favourite memory will always be the 2 resident dogs, Agua and Foxey. Well loved by staff and guests. Finally the delightful staff of the resort were warm and friendly, service was tiptop.

Beautiful hotel with great service and many options for activities. it earned its five stars, and the only negative I could say is that the dinner service was a little bit elongated for my taste probably not as high quality in terms of food. Very good food, but not the level of experience that one has at the hotel as a guest.

A disappointing stay that capped off with sunglasses being removed from the room while we were at dinner the last night. The staff reported no discovery of them when asked. Take the warning at check-in to use the safe seriously. If you go, use the safe at all times, for anything you do not want walking away. One of the suites was not worth any additional charge for more room. There are two suites, and one overlooks the hotel dining patio which is in an alcove in the building, so has limited views. The shades can rarely be opened because there is no privacy. The “balcony” barely fits a tiny table and chairs. There are people right below all day and at night, there are people and music until 11:30 pm. The night I called and asked when the music would be off, they hung up. It felt very claustrophobic and not at all worth an additional price. The upside of the hotel is beautiful views from the patios/common areas and the food was very good. There is a delicious breakfast that is abundant, and can be taken inside or out. If interested in wine, the hotel wine shop is overpriced, and the many quintas, plus the wine shop we visited in town had much lower prices and shipping. The Som at the Chefs Table experience is questionable as it was a pairing and despite different meals for vegetarian and regular, he served the same “wine pairings” throughout - one of which was a beer. There was also a room key for a wine service in the bar, that didn’t work. If you go with low expectations overall, you may be satisfied with the stay. If you are expecting a luxury experience, this is not the place.

This place is like a fairy tale setting in the Douro Valley, along the river and nestled against some terraced vineyards (which are everywhere). Long stone drive to the property and plenty of staff to help you with your things. We were greeted and then given a tour of the property. The view in either direction along the valley is striking. We were in the fall and the leaves were changing, and to us it seemed the perfect time to be here. The green grasses along the vineyards and the orange, red and yellow of the leaves of the vines was just beautiful. There was some harvesting of olives going on around, so we saw plenty of trees with tarps underneath with the olives being shaken from the trees. Our room was on a top floor with a view of the river and the valley; a particularly comfortable bed and pillows. All the modern amenities including complete control of lighting, a large and well designed shower and lots of closet space. Free bottles of juices, sodas, and a nice Tawny Port! Loved that with the chocolates. The room was great; the restaurant, bar, and spa were better. This is a complete package. We had wonderful meals both in the main dining room and the bar seating, got a great martini from the bar (as well as Ports), and the spa is so over the top it should be separately rated. A selection of pools, saunas, steam, and water temperature choices, all of which were perfect. I particularly liked the aromatherapy sauna. It wasn't crowded and felt very invigorating and relaxing at the same time. I did get a massage at the spa also. Deep tissue for 60 minutes and very, very good. You can walk to local vineyards and wineries along nearly untraveled paths. Some of the local wineries are Port producers and very good as well. The staff at Six Senses are just wonderful. People seem genuinely friendly and attentive without being pandering. We thought this was the highlight of our Portugal trip and would absolutely love to return.

I could rave about this hotel all day long! From the views to the staff who anticipate your needs and never say no to the phenomenal spa treatments to the food/drink that is all grown on site. There is so much to do on the property. You think you'll have time for a lot of the activities, but it's also nice to just enjoy all of the various beautiful spaces where you can sit, read a book, drink wine, and enjoy nature. Literally everything on this property reflects their eco conscious operations. It seemed like everything was made of wood, glass, cork, or paper. Not a speck of plastic. All of the food and drink was amazingly fresh. The complimentary food and drinks that were laid out between meals were perfect for when you were between activities. Aqua and Felix the dogs were so sweet. Did I mention the views? Views, views, views everywhere! And a wine vending machine! The rooms are much bigger than they look online. Our room was 3x bigger than I expected it to be and it had an enormous terrace. There are so many wonderful touches around the room and property. We were celebrating my husband's 50th birthday and they gave us complimentary champagne as well as delicious birthday cake that we were allowed to order at any point during our stay. I had the best 3-hour spa treatment ever with Joana. She is so well trained and you feel the love in her work. The rest of the staff in the spa were outstanding as well. It was so nice to be able to use the spa area even if you were not getting a treatment. There was so much to experience with the different pools, saunas, etc. Sanket was the visiting therapist for the month and I wish I had scheduled a treatment with him. We would see him around the property and had an opportunity to share breakfast with him. The Chef's Table is a must do! Words cannot even express how fantastic it is. Chef Nuno gave us so much individualized attention all while managing the entire kitchen, which was SO busy. The food and wine were out of this world. There are just no words to describe it. A couple of nights later Chef Nuno saw us in the dining room and came over to talk to us for a bit, which was appreciated, esp. since it is so busy during the dinner hours. On evenings when we didn't want to eat so heavily we went to the bar restaurant. I will miss the bartenders Joao, Joao, and Raphael. They made customized drinks for us every night and made them with so much care and creativity. They are the best bartenders I've ever encountered. I also took the Shrubs and Tonics class taught by one of the Joao's and am now making my own concoctions at home :) We have stayed at some wonderful hotels, but Six Senses Douro Valley is in a class by itself for so many reasons. I would return to Portugal just to stay here. Their commitment to the environment is unmatched and shows that it can be done. Thank you for this. Every single staff member was beyond outstanding and I can't remember all of the names but would like to give a shout out

The Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal provided an unforgettable stay for our family, surpassing any other hotel experience we've had in the world! The moment we set foot on their impeccable grounds, we knew this place was special. Their unwavering commitment to sustainability impressed us, especially in their food and beverage program, where they don't carry tuna or avocados, making it the best food program we've ever encountered in a hotel and restaurant. What truly sets this hotel apart is their cutting-edge approach to rejuvenation, focusing on natural ingredients to nourish and revitalize the body. The staff deserves immense praise, led fearlessly by Mr. Andre Buildini, and Sarah at breakfast consistently welcomed us with a warm and genuine smile. We felt truly cared for during our entire stay. Six Senses Douro Valley is a haven of sustainability, relaxation, and top-notch service, and we can't wait to return!

Absolute perfection. Superior service, great spa, fantastic food and restaurant. Just pure enjoyment, very romantic for couples who are looking to get away and enjoy life. Also tried some experiences and they were all outstanding. Highly recommended!

Amazing quality and incredible views. One of the best services I've ever had. You should try the wine tasting and all the activities in the hotel are great. Many wine farms Arround to visit. Don't hesitate and book here