We are honored to share a lovely guest review from a recent stay at Quinta de D. Carlos in Portgual that was sent to us by Dan and Carla from Pennsylvania, USA.
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Our large, multi-generational, multi-continental family just enjoyed a terrific one-week vacation at Quinta de D. Carlos outside of Lisbon, Portugal. We booked this through the up-and-coming, very attentive, Tripwix, which specializes in luxury vacation rentals. What a wonderful experience we had!
The Villa and Grounds
The villa itself was charming and spacious, accommodating our 26 family members (12 children) very well. Located in the midst of vineyards and surrounded by rolling hills, it offers beautiful views of distant small villages nestled in the hills; the structures are visible during the day and twinkling lights dotted the hillsides at night.
The grounds around the villa, with grapevines, fruit trees and a tailored lawn provided lovely places to walk and for our youngsters to play. The renovated villa itself was a delight, with four large salons, each with its own distinctive flair. There was even a chapel! The furnishings were tasteful with large oil paintings, antique tapestries, antiquities and memorabilia decorating the large common areas. The villa is owned by one of the noblest families in Portugal, which still uses it for family gatherings.
The Owner and Staff
We were greeted upon our arrival by the owner, Maria. She is a warm and gracious hostess who treated us as family. Maria helped us plan our days, highlighting the attractions of the nearby towns. She was very familiar with restaurants, sightseeing areas and shopping places. A very capable staff who lives on location 24/7 (residing in a separate wing) kept the villa in order and our rooms neat and clean.
Maria visited us every day to make sure that everything was topnotch. Around 6 p.m. daily, we were treated with local wines from the vineyards of the villa (these were truly excellent) and an array of cheeses, breads and snacks. This was a tasty and restful way to prepare for dinner.
The Meals
Because we were such a large group, we chose to eat at the villa for breakfast and dinner. Breakfasts were expansive – fresh breads, croissants, cheeses, breakfast meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and Portuguese pastries. We left the table fully ready to face the day!
Dinners were lovely. We had a choice of menu items from which we selected every morning. The chef was very flexible and accommodated our occasionally quirky demands. The food was delicious and plentiful. It was nice to get such well-balanced meals without the hassle of eating in restaurants. We all left wanting the recipes for the delicious soups which soon appeared in our mailboxes after our return to the States!
Tripwix, the Travel Agency
As mentioned earlier, we rented the villa through Tripwix which specializes in the short-term rental of luxury vacation and resort properties. Prior to our trip, our communication with their office (primarily through e-mail or texting) from the initial enquiries to the booking and payments went very smoothly. Their responses were always prompt and informative. It was a pleasure dealing with them.
We mentioned that they were attentive – and were they ever! On the first day of our stay, we had an unexpected visitor, Miguel Carvalho. Miguel is a co-founder of Tripwix and manages the agency’s operations in Portugal. He takes the time to make sure that the company’s guests are fully satisfied with their accommodations and happy with their experience.
Miguel checked up on us two more times to make sure everything was going smoothly. We enjoyed discussing Portugal’s history and current happenings with him. Getting to meet the manager was a first for us. Over the years, we have rented villas through different agencies, but never had the privilege of meeting their manager in person. This really made a difference!
The Bottom Line
In summary, we had a wonderful, restful and very interesting stay at the charming Quinta de D. Carlos. We also made new friends – Maria and Miguel. We were all sad to leave.
We may visit the Villa Quinta de D. Carlos and meet Maria again. We will definitely work with Miguel and Tripwix in planning our family retreat next year, probably in Southern Spain, Mexico or Greece. We give Tripwix the highest of recommendations!
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