Eighteen21 Houses - Quinta Velha

We have just stayed at this beautiful small hotel for a few days for our anniversary. We stayed in the room with the balcony and the views on a sunny day are amazing, you can see the hills and the castle. The room itself was perfect for us although there was as no fridge. Breakfast was simple but lovely, fresh croissants and eggs prepared by the lovely Armie. We also decided to have an evening meal there one night and again this was prepared by Armie, the food was delicious (I am a vegetarian but my husband is not), Armie is so friendly and always happy. The hotel have 2 dogs free roaming who you will normally see at breakfast otherwise just like to be left alone. The pool is small but again lovely views and a great place to chill after sightseeing. I would say the walk to town is about 25 minutes the first 10 through a wooded forest, you do have to climb over a wall to get to the path and it’s not the easiest of walks, you wouldn’t be able to do this when it’s dark but we found taxis easy enough to get back to the hotel. Overall this hotel was a memorable part of our trip to Sintra.

We arrived quite early, hoping to just leave our bags, and were greeted warmly by the owner, Rodrigo, who showed us around the property. They rushed to get our accommodations ready, and while we waited, Armie gave us delicious homemade chocolate cake. Great start! The property is lovely and quiet. Sintra is crowded, so it was nice to get away from the hordes. We didn't have a car, so we got around by walking or by Bolt. There is a shaded walk through the woods into town. One thing to be aware of is that it is uphill coming back. We made the climb multiple times, but we are fairly fit. The guesthouse is only a 7-minute drive from Pena Palace. You can see the sea in the distance from the heated pool. Breakfast is very good. On request, Armie will prepare a very good dinner for you in the garden with views of Pena Palace. We stayed in the Casa da Burra, which we loved--very private, extremely modern inside with a kitchen and washer. It is very attractively decorated. . One last comment--Armie manages the place and also cooks breakfast and dinner. She speaks English beautifully and is absolutely charming. She made our stay especially nice. Every hotel should have an Armie. We would stay here again in a minute!

We thought this villa was perfect and we are so happy we stayed there. We only stayed one night, and we did have our own rental car. You can park your car there safely. The staff is so nice, and the grounds are beautiful. The two rooms we had (Mom, Dad and two teen boys) were very small but perfect. Bathroom was one of the nicest we had in our long trip through Portugal. Food was good- we had a dinner and also the included breakfast. We just walked to the Moorish Castle and got there early in the morning, which was perfect (because it gets really hot up there). There is so much to do in Sintra, sleeping a night or two there is a lovely way to see everything and enjoy it. There is a great little pool there, too (it's heated). This is a great place, you will be happy you booked it!