Maison Albar - Amoure

Everything (with 1 exception) about this hotel breaths style and class. Upon arrival, they are quick to meet you in the frontyard, take your luggage, park your car. During check in, seated in a lounge area, you are offered a welcome drink. The room is spacious and very well decorated. There is a bottle of wine and some fruit waiting for you in the room. Turn down service every night with a different little gift every night. All the common areas are also very well decorated. There is a nice indoor pool, an outdoor pool, gym, nice breakfast restaurant with outdoor seating, and an extensive menu with table service, a different dinner restaurant, 24 h room service. But the cherry on the pie is definitely the staff. They are obviously well trained to make you feel like royalty, anticipating your needs in a discrete way, and always having little conversations to make you feel like a friend of the house. The staff is the heart and soul of this hotel. The 1 downside I mentioned earlier is the hotel bar. It is large, it feels cold and lacks the cosy atmosphere which reigns everywhere else in the hotel. And in the middle of the bar, there is a pathetic and pompous display of luxury cars, yes 3 luxury cars of which one is on a rotating platform. This display would be good for the Geneva auto show, but in a hotel which aims to have class, this is so out of place.

The staff are absolutely wonderful and attentive to your every need. They are extremely welcoming and unpretentious. The rooms have generous balconies and luxurious features. You could easily stay several days and never leave the grounds.

We booked this 5- star Maison for a week, just after it opened and did not have much to gauge its service level on due to very limited reviews. We should not have worried as from the moment we entered the driveway the concierge was next to our car to take the car keys and look after the luggage. Check in was also a personal service in the drawing room with a glass of champagne and seamless introduction to the Maison. We were upgraded to a beautiful suite with large balcony overlooking the front of the hotel. Breakfast was again a personalised service rather than buffet and dinner provided a great selection. The steam room, sauna, indoor and outdoor pool are beautifully located and well serviced. As the owners of this Maison are clearly car enthusiasts, the bright coloured Ferraris come at no cost to observe while sitting in the bar. We travel the world extensively and stay at some very nice locations, however this Maison fits in a different class. It is only small with 28 rooms/suites and ample space (both inside and out) to relax. Each day we selected a day trip within an hours drive which allowed us to explore the most Northern parts of Portugal less visited by tourists. We suggest you book this Maison quickly before the rest of the world finds out what is on offer here!

Wonderful hotel! Nicely located Exceed all expectations, from rooms, restaurant, spa, service, all high quality, correct balance of luxury, very harmonious and quite special place for car enthusiasts (as myself) , no hesitation giving a strong recommendation