Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Country House & Spa

Our stay at Malhadinha was, honestly, one of the worst experiences we've ever had, especially considering its reputation and constant promotion by influencers. From the start, the service left much to be desired. The staff seemed completely disorganized and unprepared, lacking even basic information about the accommodation itself. The directions given were contradictory and unclear. A simple example: upon arrival, while the receptionist was explaining the map of the space, I asked what the "cinema room" was. The response was a laugh and a suggestion to ask another colleague—something that demonstrates a lack of professionalism and training. Upon arriving at the room, the experience didn't improve. The door was stuck, making it quite difficult to open, and one of the bedside lamps didn't work—basic flaws for accommodation of this level. The following day, we tried to use the spa, but it was under maintenance, without this information having been previously communicated. To make matters worse, at check-in we were charged an extra €400, which, two weeks later, has still not been refunded. After several attempts to contact them, the response has been vague and unprofessional, giving the impression that resolving the problem is our responsibility. Considering their positioning and the price charged, expectations were clearly different. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations.

A superb lunch with excellent wine pairings on a beautiful estate!

This hotel is amazing, service is impeccable. I would recommend this place as a couple or with children, to relax or to energise! They emphasise their wine, which I am sure is great, but we do not drink alcohol and could still enjoy the whole experience. Rooms are situated in several small houses around the vast property in nature, each house has its own staff always available and happy to help. Breakfast and lunch are served in the small houses,allowing for personalised service and calm and relaxing time. There was never a crowdy atmosphere. Transportation within the vast property can be done by one of their drivers, golf carts or bike free of charge. We used all 3 services and all are adequate depending on time of the day and where you want to go. You can also rent an electric bike, but I am not very sporty and I managed to go around by normal bike, just taking my time. You are free to visit around as you please, there is a lot of nature and animals (sheeps, horses and birds) to observe. If you are there with children you can book a tour to visit all animals in the farm (a fee is charged). They take good care of fauna, for example they carefully respect swallow's nests and there are lots of them, they are beautiful to see coming in and out. All staff is very well trained, and waiters have clearly attended hotel schools. If you are from Europe this could be perfect for a honeymoon, why spend thousands to go far away when you can enjoy the best service nearby? Restaurant was quite good, perhaps not as high level as the rest, but still very good quality in products and chef. The tartar was excellent and so was the desert.

It was a magnificent weekend. Everything was excellent, from the cleanliness of the rooms to the meals. All the staff were kind and attentive, making our stay exceptional. I recommend it.

It's impossible to understand the drop in quality that has occurred at the restaurant; it's inexplicable! We went four times between the end of 2024 and the year 2025, always including a visit to Malhadinha in our itinerary. The service was very consistent, with perfect timing, just the right amount of service, attentive, helpful, but without excesses, and most importantly, the food was always IMPECCABLE. Every time we went, there were new items on the menu, and it always surprised us positively, but this last time we had a very big disappointment. The quality dropped drastically, the selection decreased, the food lost its soul, its essence, its brilliance, its flavor; it went from extraordinary to ordinary. The staff seems demotivated, almost embarrassed knowing that what they are serving is not at the level of what was once presented. It's a shame. We hope that one day the brilliance, the essence of this wonderful place will return. For now, like us, look for other options; the light has definitely gone out here.

We stopped for lunch at the restaurant and received poor service. No welcome from the staff. We ordered a pumpkin risotto, as suggested by the waiter. It was watery, a common rice porridge with a pumpkin broth.

We went to have lunch at the hotel restaurant, which was a shame; the place is beautiful, but the staff were completely unprepared, and the food was far below expectations, especially considering the hotel's structure and location.