Octant Douro

Very wonderful stay. Disappointed in the food though. GOOD We had the fullview room, and it was wonderful. Views were incredible. Having the terrace and a balcony was very cool. The resort itself was fantastic. They recently retrofited a pool to be heated which was great, but the adults only pool was just about the same temperature but not heated. We did the Octant I boat trip at sunset and that was just incredible. The family that hosted us were great, and the boat itself was very comfortable. BAD Honestly, nothing, other than a few food issues. 1. Room service just wasn't very good. The pizza was soggy and slightly uncooked. The rest of the food was frankly kind of gross. 2. We ate at the "fancy" restaurant one night, called Raiva. Nice setting. However, when I checked in, they asked if I had allergies. I told them I had a nut and seed allergy. When I ordered bread, one of the two types of bread that came out had seeds. So no biggy, I didn't eat it and ate the other kind. When I ordered my main, i reminded them of my allergies. Then when my pork loin came out, it was full of seeds in the sauce. At that point, I told them "sorry but this has seeds all in the sauce. Moreover, the bread had seeds as well" They brought me my food back out which took about 7 minutes, meanwhile my wife's food was either going to get cold, or would be eating without me. A restaurant of that quality and in the michelin guide, they really should have refired both. Anyways, then, after our mains, they brought out some pastries. All of the pastries they provided had seeds or nuts in them. I told the waiter, and he said "oh it's ok, it just optional pastries. You don't need to eat them", i replied "well, i'd like to. But as I've now mentioned a few times, no seeds or nuts for me please. They brought me something else instead after I insisted. I was shocked that they didn't take anything off of the bill. A total of 5 items had seeds, and I had told them a total of 4 times. I would have expected them to at least take the bread off since I was only able to eat half of it. 3. the decor of the rooms is a little weird, and could probably need some renovation. It was very sterile looking and a bit dated despite having an "Avant garde" look. It didn't really match the vibe of the hotel all that well.

We usually stay farther down the river in Regua at the senses... but that is becoming too expensive and its harder to get to. We chose octant to try something different, closer to porto, at a better price. We're glad we did. This hotel is absolutely stunning. Not for people with poor mobility though. Elevators are generally slow, esp funicular. Many stairs outside to lead to the rooftop pool/lounge/restaurant area. The restaurant is the low light, table service is poor at A terra. Food is overpriced. My portuguese family was surprised they are charging 20euros for conservas. These are 1 euro cans, and are served just as an opened tin with some crackers. Food is average. The fine dining restaurant is also average and pricey. Other than the food, the rooms are spectacular, the facilities are fantastic too. Breakfast buffet is excellent, but its somewhat awkward with mix of buffet, a la carte, and paid menu items. I would definitely return. We stayed in a large 2 bedroom villa with an amazing yard with a view. We saw wildfires and wild horses from our bedrooms. The rooms are so new and beautiful. No washer dryer in room which is ok, but the room is luxurious Car service here from the hotel is very pricey too All staff are attentive and kind. Being right on the river is amazing, and its great to hop on a kayak, or do a river tour.

This is truly a special place. Breakfast was delicious and we enjoyed eating at A Terra and Raiva as well. Service is personalized and dedicated. We really enjoyed the spa, which is open 24 hours and has a heated pool, sauna, and steam room - we could relax there all day. A boat ride is on our list for next time!

Junior and Rachel and the rest of the staff were amazing, so kind and attentive. Truly a 5 star hotel and spa

Everything about our experience at the Octant Douro was perfect. The room, the view, the facilities, the pools, the spa, and the staff. We felt relaxed from the moment we arrived. The staff deserve extra mention- each person we met set the right tone and went out of their way to be helpful.