The Lince Santa Clara

Outstanding 5-star hotel in a historic building on a hill directly on the estuary. The hotel offers all the amenities that guests expect in this category. In the spa area there is a heated indoor pool with various whirlpools, fitness room, sauna and steam bath. The breakfast buffet is rich, varied and good. Even with boiled shrimps and champagne! The hotel has two restaurants, one of which is a “gourmet temple”. The rooms are scrupulously clean and luxuriously furnished. The staff are extremely friendly and competent. We were picked up from the parking lot with an umbrella on arrival and directed to reception. We didn't have to worry about our luggage on arrival or departure. To get rid of at least one criticism - the selection of port wines is very limited. No Tawny dez anos - scandal! :-)

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

Perfeito. Especial. Harmonioso, Arquitectura impressionante. Dos melhores hotéis onde estive. Staff jovem, simpático e atencioso. Há um equilíbrio perfeito entre a arquitectura e a decoração. Comida do Oculto extraordinária, percebe-se o porquê de ter ganho 1 estrela michelin. Comida do restaurante Mosteiro para quem procura comida típica portuguesa é excelente. Faz-nos viajar pela comida da avó, os assados de fim-de-semana, os arrozes caldosos... O spa é ótimo, tem todas as experiências de bem estar necessárias. Para passear o centro de Vila do Conde é pitoresco mas interessante. Aconselho os Passadiços que iniciam na praia da Azurara.

Excelente, no se me ocurre nada que mejorar. Agradecer a los profesionales, su excelente trato con los huéspedes, y la agilidad en las respuestas, adelantándose con detalles que hacen aún la estancia más increíble y marcan diferencia con otros hoteles de su categoría. Restauración impecable y las instalaciones maravillosas, destacando como se adaptó un monasterio a un hotel moderno, con muy buen gusto, integrando todo a la perfección.

Impecável. Hotel lindo, com vista para o rio e oceano. Acho que este é provavelmente um dos melhores hotéis em que já fiquei. Spa foi perfeito com sauna quente e seca, banhos turcos, salões e excelente massagem/fascial. A comida estava deliciosa, nunca pude comer no Oculto, mas o restaurante era LINDO. Eles até nos atualizaram para a suíte Royal exagerada. Estávamos prontos para embalar o resto da viagem a Vila do Conde e ficar aqui. A cidade é pequena e pitoresca, mas muito agradável para passear e não poderia ser uma paragem mais perfeita entre as vibrações da cidade de Lisboa e do Porto

Um hotel de excelência, a todos os níveis. A recuperação do convento foi muito bem conseguida, com pormenores que encantam, como a lareira na entrada ou as escadas interiores. Os quartos são espaçosos, confortáveis e cheios de luz. O staff é muito atencioso e simpático. O bar é excelente, com grande variedade de cocktails, com destaque para os de assinatura. O pequeno almoço tem muitas e saborosas opções.