Quinta da Penha de Franca

What do I say about this beautiful hotel in the magnificent oasis surroundings. We have just returned from an 11 night stay and this will be our 4th visit in 4 years so from this you can take it we know what we are talking about. At reception we were met with a happy smiling face and all the information you would need and very easy to understand. The rooms are beautifully decorated in a very antique style which gives a feeling of comfort and relaxation. The rooms are very clean and well equipped with tea and coffee making facilities . Some rooms have balconies, some have terraces and some (in the main house do not have either but the rooms are equally as good and maybe a bit larger). Breakfast is plentiful and good quality, from cold meats,cheese and fruit 🍎 with a very good assortment of breads and pastries to compliment. There is a hot food section with bacon, eggs 🍳, beans ,mushrooms, beans etc and if you want any other item cooked it poached/ fried eggs or omelettes then you just ask and it is not a problem and there is much more to choose from too! Tea, coffee, fruit juices etc also plentiful. Joes Bar at night is a must to wind down after an evening meal and staff are superb! I cannot recommend this hotel enough as once you have been you will want to return. It’s not a sky scraper hotel and it’s not modern and if this is what you want then this hotel is not for you. It’s pretty and in beautiful grounds with two swimming pools which are cleaned regularly. If you have any questions after reading this review please ask as we love it and are only to pleased to be able to answer any questions you may have from genuine travellers who will continue to use this hotel.

For amenities & staff friendliness this hotel is worth a very good rating. There are 2 pools, restaurant & bar facilities on both sites and a snooker room with two tables (cues & chalk) on the house site. It was a nuisance having to go to the sea site for the better pool & afternoon bar. There's a great lounge in the house site but this is only used Nov-Mar to serve afternoon tea. It would make a perfect afternoon bar to greet guests after a busy, hot day. COVID-19 safe measures were excellent and followed government rules. I witnessed guests arguing with staff about measures, particularly the need to quarantine, but staff stuck to their position. Perhaps my only concern was breakfast on the house site where the one-way system was not enforced. The hotel is perfectly situated within a 20 minute walk of the city centre. We had two issues whilst we were there 1. Ants in the room ( floor, table, bed, tea tray, even the kettle) which we reported twice and were told they would treat it. On the 2nd occasion the receptionist laughed and said they were in the kettle looking for water!! If they did anything it didn't work so we bought a product from the supermarket and treated it ourselves - no more ants! 2. The aircon thermostat didn't work and so we only had a mildly cool weak fan blowing which was totally ineffective. Once the ants were gone and we opened the door & window in the evening & morning to cool the room a little we had a pleasant stay.