Quinta do Valle

We preferred more localized accommodations and eating for our 2-week vacation, beginning in Tomar before heading to Porto and Lisbon. There is no attendant staff, so be prepared to if arriving early; we did not receive a response until 3 PM. We were the only guests for the 3 nights stay. Good: Quinta do Valle is a great location: hour+ drive from Lisbon airport; 10 minutes to the cultural riches and very good restaurants of Tomar (O Tabuleiro, especially); ready access to the several interesting towns from the coast to points in between. The setting and dwelling retain a unique character; the pool looks good and seems serviceable. Mediocre: We knew from prior reviews that the “breakfast in room” would be scanty: packaged juice, milk, jam/jelly portions; 7:30 AM daily delivery of “fresh bread” similar to that provided in restaurant bread baskets; a cafeteria/moka pot and poor quality ground coffee. We instead bought fresh fruit, yogurt, whole grain museli, etc. Nonnegotiable: The living, bed and bath room space was large, clean, and sufficiently equipped. The plumbing in the kitchen and bath needs faucet upgrading and drain unclogging. The dwelling retained a pent-up stale, musty odor, which we could not dispel leaving the doors open before we left and upon returning. The typical southern European shuttering, in this case, without screens made sleeping almost unbearable. Space heaters were available but no overhead or floor-standing fans to blow the foul air around and keep the mosquitoes from biting. Fortunately, the mid-May temperature was moderate; difficult to imagine staying during hot summer nights. While a great location, we would not return without assurance of ductless HVAC and proper ventilation.