The Lince Santa Clara

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