Pousada in Estoi
The Pousada is set on the Palace of Estoi, originally built on the 19th century which belonged to the Viscount of Estoi. The construction of the Palace took approximately 20 years. 
A big party was held on the gardens of the Palace when it was inaugurated, on the 2nd May 1909.
The wonderful French-inspired gardens, decorated with many statues and trees are one of the Palace’s main features. The Pousada has 63 bedrooms, all equipped with air conditioning, cable television, minibar, hair dryer, safe and internet access. All bedrooms have balconies overlooking the garden.
We stayed at the Palacio for five nights in January and enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing stay. Having visited the grounds belonging to the Palacio for many years and only being able to peer through the gates at the building, we were delighted at being able to stay in such a beautiful place.
The staff were very helpful and friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. The breakfast choice was extensive and delicious. We used the restaurant and enjoyed our meals, although the room lacked atmosphere, especially after having had drinks in the Salon beforehand, which is beautiful.
The bedrooms were spacious and well appointed and we felt they complimented the old palace. There is still work to be done on the grounds and we cannot wait to re-visit and enjoy some more time there.
Unfortunately, it rained most of the time we were there so did not go out walking. Estoi is situated in a good position for exploring.
We spent two nights at the hotel in January. In general we had a wonderful time in a beautifully restored and very comfortable hotel staffed by courteous and friendly people. Unfortunately we did not have an opportunity to sample the leisure facilities but they looked very impressive.
The one jarring note was the restaurant where we had a meal on our first night and were very disappointed. The main course, a local speciality chicken dish, was basically grey boiled stringy chicken with some rice. We had to send it back.
I don’t think I would let this put me off staying there again although Estoi has no other facilities so to go to another restaurant would involve a drive.
We have been visiting the Palace for many years and watched the development into a pousada, so we felt we had to stay.(in Nov 2009). It has been very tastefully restored and the new bedrooms excellent. Staff were very welcoming and helpful. The only achilles heel was the restaurant, where the service was terribly slow, depite few people being served. The meal was also only average and we only used the restaurant once, preferring a local one, which had better food, better presented and at a better price.
Nevertheless it was a relaxing time there.
Visited the Palace in October. Had an excellent break, the staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was good and service prompt. The restoration has been tastefully done with good use of the existing building. The accommodation is modern in style and works well the architect having worked with the contours of the land.
Plenty of sights to see in the locality and some good walks. We came to switch off, relax and recharge our batteries - it worked for us. Muito bom - Optimo !!
We are two couples and we stayed at the Pousada in Estoi for 5 nights in mid-October. This was a very enjoyable part of our vacation. We experienced the opulence of the Palace and its grounds while having the very modern amenities in our large, bright rooms.
We recommend this hotel highly and would be very happy to return if the opportunity occurs. The palace rooms are incredible, with furnishings and decoration that one can only imagine. The gardens are breathtaking - I felt like royalty while walking around them.
The staff were all very helpful and polite.
The hotel is beautiful. However, we were unlucky enough to arrive with our children to find the outside pool being hacked out by workmen. There was nothing for them to do in late October / early November because the inside pool is minute.
However, the staff were superb. They moved us the next morning to Tavira which was fantastic.
I am sure that in a couple of years when it is running smoothly, Estoi will be excellent. We won’t be going back until then, though.
we booked a suite for 4 nights in September.Whilst the room was ok, the shower was badly designed and completely flooded the bathroom when I used it.I would have expected a little bit more from a room costing 243 Euros a night.
The mixture of the old manor house and new building adjoining was very pleasing. but after the experience with the shower I voted with my feet and checked out next day,the reception staff were very sympathetic,but hey life`s too short to keep moaning.
We will not be returning, the rooms were more suited to the business trade, very modern but lacking atmosphere. The staff were very friendly, but we had such difficulty booking in the first place. The food was better here than sagres, but we will be looking for a more tradtional Hotel next time. The pool area was very well done but nobody was taking advantage of it. It was just as well the sauna suite was not popular because it would only accomodate 6 people at the most. Baroque with ultra modern does not do it for us, and certainly not very portugese.
We stayed at the Pousado in Estoi for three nights on the back of an exhausting weekend’s racing at the Circuit of the Algarve at Portimao, and after four days of hard work it provided the perfect antidote. The staff were helpful and charming, and the facilities first class. I would happily stay there again, and in fact was very sad to have to leave after only three nights.
My two friends and I had two nights stay in May in Pousada de Estoi. We could have stayed for a couple of weeks! The staff were wonderful from the moment we arrived at reception and the same service continued throughout our stay. We loved the restoration of the Palacio; it is simply beautiful. The modern block works well with the palace and we cannot wait until the gardens are complete. This will just be the icing on the cake. I am returning again with my husband in June.
Our stay at Pousada de Estoi was just not long enough! The renovation is magnificent well worth the long wait. The staff are exceptional , all very pleasant and cheerful. The rooms are well appointed, the food is excellent, the whole atmosphere is relaxed. The new contemporary block is a real compliment to the old palace. Well done Pousadas of Portugal.