Tau Beach club was a wonderful beach oasis!

The pool and the Tau Beach club were great!

THANK YOUS: Management, please commend the following staff members:
Concierge/Hospitality: Sofia, Ricardo, Iván, Jerry, Veronica
Massage: Xóchtil and Imelda
Breakfast: Jesus x2, Victor x2, Alfredo, Eric, Óscar
Aqua Bar: Ramón, Gerardo
Tau Beach Club: David, Enrique, Benny
Dinner: Chef Ernesto, Eduviges, César, Riocio, Ávalos, Daniel, Chef Hugo

Grounds Crew and Custodial Crew - I wish I could name you,

Particular call out to Beny and Antonio at Tau beach club.

•	Overall, the food was great, especially at Tau Beach Club (lobster tail) and at Aquabar (Shrimp ceviche, guacamole, nachos).

We spent 6 days at Casa Velas to celebrate our honeymoon, and we enjoyed every minute at the resort and Tau Beach Club!

Down at the pool club, David the manager was funny and attentive.

We spent a day at Tau Beach Club, also known as Casa Velas Beach Club.

We had wonderful days by the pool and we took the shuttle for an afternoon at the Tau Beach Club.

We held our ceremony and reception at the Tau Beach Club and could not have asked for a more picturesque setting.

The food, service, beach club,
and amenities were the best I’ve
ever experienced at a resort.

The food and beverage quality is very good for an all inclusive resort, both at the main hotel restaurant and at the associated private beach club.

We were also drawn to the fact that the resort focused more on quality food than quantity and that we still had full access to the beach by their private beach club, Tau.

Several trips were made to Tau Beach Club.

We took the opportunity during our 10 day stay to enjoy Tau, their private beach club, complete with a warm infinity pool.

Dinner that night at the beach club wonderful!

From our Bell Boy, Armando to our waiter Daniel at Emiliano’s, Ricardo at the front desk, Benny at Tau Beach Club and every single staff member in between, the service is top notch and genuine.

No towel games as guest are often shopping, golfing or visiting Tau Beach Club for the day.

Tau beach club has a different menu now and we found it to be more restrictive than in the past… missed the mango tango shrimp, curry, spring rolls and other favourites

I don’t want to leave anyone out so I’ll say they bent over backwards to get us anything we asked for and helped with tee times for golf courses.

Our room was right off the golf course with such an amazing view.

Iguanas, an Armadillo on the golf course, a very persistent woodpecker, who pecked away at a light on a post, a green gecko who lost his tail, a very large lost Crab and Koi and turtles.

We asked to see different types of rooms, and have already booked a pool/golf course view for our next stay.

The rooms are spacious and clean, bar fridge is stocked and if you book a Plus room, you will be have a great view of the golf course.

We chose a Grand Class Plus suite with a plunge pool which was a corner suite overlooking the golf course - very clean and well appointed with a very large sitting area around our own pool.

but we didn't even thought about it cause you get everything you need and want in this beautiful type of hacienda next to the golf course.

My husband played golf twice at the course there he enjoyed it very much rated it a 7 out of 10,

Easy access to Marina golf and walk to Marina area.

Our room was very comfortable with a beautiful view on the golf course.

The breath-taking resort property surrounded by palm trees offers golf, spa services and is strategically located away from downtown.

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The Tau Beach Club  is a 4  minute shuttle ride from Casa Velas, or a ten minute walk across the golf course.

but in an exclusive area surrounded by a golf course and gardens, very quiet and peaceful.

but you have access via 5 mins shared shuttle at their sister location and the golf course location is beautiful and relaxing.

This hotel seats on a quiet golf course with a beautiful pool area with a swim up bar.

Absolutely beautiful property on a golf course with a turtle pond and coi fish pond… Close to airport easy access to town and nightlife.

My husband and son played golf, loosing a few balls to water hazards they stayed clear of due to crocodile sitings.

The setting is gorgeous, quiet area right beside holes 9 and 10 of Marina Vallarta Golf Club.

My wife and i went to casa velas for our honey moon and it was the best decision we could have made.

A very memorable moment was witnessing the full blood moon eclipse on the patio.

I loved it before now I am over the moon.

We stayed in Cabo at another All-Inclusive for our honey moon, and

So you have a point of reference, we have been to Grand Velas, Marival World Residences and Spa, Riu Palace Pacifico, Iberostar Grand in Riviera Maya, and Valentin Imperial Maya to name a few.

That list for us includes the Rayavadee Krabi, Paradise Cove Mauritius, the Palace at Sun City South Africa, Amarvilas and Rambagh Palace, Leela Palace India, Table Bay Cape Town, La Casitas Village PR, dozens of Ritz’s and Seasons etc.

Casa Velas grounds are beautifully maintained and the staff is the absolute essence of courteous, attentive service.

The resort was beautiful, clean, and the whole staff was the friendliest at any resort, we have stayed.

The staff is first class, thinking of every detail along the way.

Also, you could chat with the staff on your likes and they would change up any dish to your liking.

All of the staff was amazing and very attentive to your needs, they treat you like you were one of their family members.

They call you by name and greet you with a smile wherever you go.

The highlight here is that the kitchen staff (particularly Chef Ernesto) and waitstaff went above and beyond.

We have the best time in casa velas Puerto Vallarta, staff is so friendly and kind, we love everything, good wash amazing delicious, we go back for sure next year.

The staff get to know you and what you like.

Super friendly, helpful and really go out of their way to assist you with anything you need.

Lovely landscaping (exquisite water lilies), friendly and most helpful staff.

The staff were all excellent and Armando was a continuing help, including on the way back to the airport.

The wait staff at Emiliano were all great,

Such welcoming delightful staff and surroundings.

The dining room was lovely, the wait staff quickly learned our taste and were prepared before we even arrived.

I would only return for the staff and the property

but were so impressed with how accommodating, helpful, and warm the Casa Velas staff are.

He also had a massage at the spa and said that was great.

Yolanda and Emelda at the spa gave us the best couple massage ever.

We went to the spa for massages and I have never been so relaxed!

We really want to give a shout-out full of gratitude to the following members of staff, who made this such a delightful experience: Alex and Alondra at the front desk, Isaac and Jose at the restaurant, Norberto and Armando who drove the shuttles, Rosa at the gate, and Adriana and Yolanda who were with us at the spa and gave us the best massages we’ve had in ages.

We highly recommend indulging w/ a massage from the spa.

It’s not the facilities, the food the drinks the Spa, the TAU beach club,

In the spa, we had really wonderful treatments by Adriana and Yolanda—they are top-notch at massages and reflexology.

but relax , the spa is a must to experience.

Finally, if you have the chance to go to the spa, Adriana gives the most amazing massage, and Yamil goes out of his way to make your experience special.

A massage at the Spa is a must with excellent staff and facilities.

but eating across from the ocean in the evening, hearing the surf breaking is pretty cool
Great massages as well in the spa, for after hours.

There are elements of this property that are exceptional: the rooms, the pool, the grounds and the spa/fitness facility.

The food was excellent, the spa was a real treat, the service was really over the top, the rooms were very nice and the three golf courses were a good challenge!

All the staff at the spa wonderful massages.

We went to the Spa a couple times, they were all very professional, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Bernese took care of us.

We also used the spa for a couples treatment and were dazzled by the amenities and staff.

So, if you like personal touches, gourmet food, going to the spa, wonderful love music, relaxing.

Casa Velas

club

golf

moon

palace

staff

the-spa

The child-care service in the Kids’ Club is excellent- the girls who were in charge were amazing!!

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€30 for a burger, €20 club sandwich, €10 beer.

All in all I felt like an outsider at their snooty country club atmosphere.

A final, heartfelt thank you to Tatiana in the vestigial kids’ club, who kept an eye out for our young daughter most days, allowing us much needed time to relax after more than a year of lockdown.

The golf course looks amazing and I will definitely return with my clubs next time.

The kids club was nice too l, very good schedule.

TLDR; 
Pros+ 
+  beautiful resort, surroundings 
+  golf course ( gorgeous morning runs)
+  friendliness of staff 
+  24/7 Gym
+  breakfast 
+   Game room for kids 
 
Cons – 
-   Wellness 
-   Untrained staff 
-   Food in the pool bar 
-   Details ( in review ) 
-   Kids club
 
( review based on august stay) 
 
Rooms: upon arriving the room wasn’t ready, it’s high season so I know this happens.

The health club is full size and impressive (free weights and all).

Possibility for tennis etc and neighboring country club.

There is Ritz Kid Club and it appears a very kid friendly property- the breakfast buffet, for example, had bread made into mold of alligator and turtle, peanut

Unfortunately, I was returning from the pool and found out that our cards did not have this properly programmed.

We came back from our wedding at 5am with no card key, we asked the front staff to issue us another key, something quick and simple in normal circumstances.

You would imagine that the dishes would be more memorable for the 2x-3x above normal that they charge.

Add to it, the Euro 15 parking charges for 'in house' guests.

Found both destination charges broken down.

You don't expect these issues from a top 5 star hotel, they need to do better- and my first point regarding the sneaky charges left a sour taste in our mouths.

- The day after the wedding, someone from the ‘wedding team’ saw us at reception, said hello and in just enough time for me to retrieve my card from ‘check out’ she was walking away with another couple about to view the venue for their own event – not even a ‘How was it?’, I understand there are other customers

So he changed my card ( I told him that changing card wouldn’t work, since my door didn’t react, he obviously didn’t understand it.

We were told they have a virtual system for classes (akin to peloton), so we decided to do a virtual yoga class, and while we were doing it they came to tell us that there is 15 Euro charge per person- Really for a virtual class, and per person??.

The team had put a 1500 euros charge for carpet cleaning for a chocolate dropped on the carpet.

"UnionPay" credit card NOT supported
Honestly, the successfully rate of using  "UnionPay" credit card in Portugal, which is ~80% (Compare with Astana of Kazakhstan in year 2018, It's over 90% in there.) .

We had lunch at Arola in the terrace with outdoor seating and a view of golf course.

Access to golf buggys, to explore the extensive grounds was great, despite us not being golfers and cost approx 30 euros per hour.

but there you go, would absolutely love to know what that is and where I can get it, we played golf at the main golf course which was fantastic and the staff were  so accommodating let us us go out as a couple  .

Fr anyone coming for golf you should insist on a discount before you play, greens are great

A large resort surrounded by a golf course, Sintra park and residences with friendly

We can't wait to visit again and hopefully play golf next time! !

The golf course is a nice layout, the greens were in good shape and the staff were very good there as well. However.

We tried to book golf and the Italian buffet in advance

When you pull up, it's beautiful and in a great location surrounded by expensive homes and a lush golf course.

Stay here for  a Golf Holiday as its attached to the resort.

The setting was beautiful, my husband was very impressed with the golf course.

This is a very lovely resort with great recreation facilities, including a pool, an excellent golf course and the possibility to visit a beautiful monastery on the grounds of the resort.

but not least you will not get bored there are so many activities a nice gym, padel court, mini golf, hiking trac and much more.

I am delighted to share that our experience at the Penha Longa Resort was the ABSOLUTE BEST - from the incredible service, to the amazing suite, delicious food, and gorgeous grounds.

Nevertheless: the grounds are great to explore and worth two nights!

Stayed in a ‘Cascais Suite’ for 2 nights, which had amazing views of the grounds, chapel and mountains.

Nice grounds and well appointed guest rooms

Certainly we enjoyed our stay at Penha Longa - great choice of restaurants including two Michelin-starred ones (we loved Midori in particular), beautiful grounds perfect for a morning run, great base to do some sightseeing in the region (Sintra, Cascais - we even went to Lisbonne one day), historic monastery buildings for character, outdoor (2 of them) and indoor swimming pools.

On the plus side, most of the grounds are quite nice, the pool areas are beautiful (and the staff there friendly), and we had a decent room service breakfast on our terrace.

This property is undervalued on the Bonvoy scale
- The hotel staff communicated quickly and thoroughly prior to, and during, my stay
- There's plenty of (complimentary) parking
- The drive from Humberto Delgado Airport is less than a half-hour
- The hotel is located close to both surreal Sintra and charming Cascais
- The grounds are humongous and gorgeous.

Service was very good at the hotel and the grounds have something for everyone.

Hotel grounds are OK, resort too big and noisy for us.

The grounds of the hotel are breathtaking and there are activities that are very kid friendly.

The gardens and grounds are beautiful, and there are several walking/biking/running trails.

This Ritz-Carlton property and half-moon bay Ritz-Carlton are the top of Ritz Carlton location that I visited so far.

The location is stunning - right at the base of Sintra Mountain ("The Mountain of the Moon") and surrounded by forests.

It was the perfect location to visit Sintra, Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira.

We loved the Pena Palace and the town of Sintra is a cheap cab ride away.

Staff: 4/5; The staff were friendly and the concierge provided great advice on seeing the Palace and the Castle.

We took an uber to pena palace, quinta da regaleira and the beach in cascais-approx €7-9 each ride.

Both the Pena Palace and downtown Sintra are definitely worth a visit and might be overlooked by vacationers stationed in Lisbon.

Don’t think of staying more than one night—or base yourself in Lisbon (30 minutes away) and come for a full and rich day visiting some amazing places in Sintra (Pena Palace, Montserrat, Quinta de Regalaria, Cabo de Roca).

The Royal Palace, Moorish Castle, Royal Gardens of Sintra are 10 minutes by taxi/Uber.

It is located in a National Park on the site of a monastery ruins and a 19th century Palace.

Another benefit of staying at the PH is a driver to take you to the village and then all of the way to the top of the mountain where you will find Penha Palace and a Moorish Castle as well as gardens.

Built as a huge faux-palace in the neo-traditional style typical of Portuguese resorts, the main building is not really my cup of tea.

The reception staff are happy to arrange taxis for you to explore locally (don't miss Pena Palace).

I would have gladly paid more money for a better experience  ..

Poor front desk service, overpriced restaurants and if they ask if you interested in a property tour - say no!

but Mercatto and Arola were average for the price point, with the latter lacking severely in the service department and attention to detail.

Our pricey dinner in one of the restaurants and our lunch both ended up being eaten in the midst of painfully loud conversations possibly resulting from expense account drinking and dining.

We left on 18th September thinking we will be back to the comfort of the room after a long day, what we came back to was us us being checked out (despite the fact we paid for two nights and had our clothes in the room) and to us being robbed.

but they also expect me to pay 400 Euros a night).

but feel I would have spent more if prices were a little more reasonable, as it was we just went out to eat in Cascais and Sintra.

Very greasy, tasteless and morbidly expensive.

*  Food quality in no way matches the prices at the restaurants.

Positives 
- setting and scenic views
- good food especially spices restaurant 
- relaxing and quiet 
- nice overall atmosphere

Negatives
- rooms a little shabby (carpets etc)
- cleaning service of rooms a bit lacking including not topping up things like shampoo and coffee (do not expect to call room service for these on a daily basis)
- drinks very expensive and pool bar food expensive 
- if staying here you need a taxi/hire car to get into closest towns

Probably would return as the negatives are cosmetic  things that the hotel could improve.

The facilities were very nice - the spa are, fitness center, and pools were all well-equipped and designed.

The staff is wonderful , the pool , spa and gym are fabulous .

Central restaurant reservations slow),  spa lovely

Nice resort experience with good spa services and nice surroundings.

In the pool locker room, I was able to use steam and sauna rooms, I was excited until I entered the pool.

The spa was calm and clean, and we were soon greeted by name.

The spa, while adequate, is not luxury without the outdoor pool area which was closed due to weather and maintenance.

Restaurant was wonderful, spa great, pool relaxing, gym spacious.

The spa is to die for, offering the best massage I’ve EVER had and with spacious luxurious rooms.

I wish every restaurant had a Joao 

I also recommend everyone to try the Spa to get the max of your vacation.

Excellent location, great facilities including a spa with best massages around the area!

My husband arranged for me to visit the spa, and I enjoyed a relaxing treatment and massage.

We also went to the spa for a couple’s massage and  another meal at Arola - both absolutely amazing.

We had a couple spa treatments, ate in a couple of the restaurants of which I HIGHLY recommend AROLA - truly superb dining experience.

Special thanks to David and Pedro at the front desk, and Katerina and Mota at the Spice restaurant.

but after this experience, I felt compelled to call out the Penha Longa staff, particularly Mauricio at the main bar.

He was professional, friendly, and helpful, and upgraded us to a jawdropping suite earlier than the usual check-in time.

David at the front desk was also amazing and very knowledgeable about the resort and surrounding areas.

All the staff show an amazing attention to detail and the onsite restaurants are fabulous.

Concierge was helpful especially Nuno was very enthusiastic about providing local recommendations.

The hotel staff kindly accommodated our request without hesitation.

The staff are delightful and exceptionally help as always.

Amazing staff, super friendly and helpful.

Staff mentioned it's windy in the valley and not near the beach so if you like wind, then it's perfect

Everyone was attentive, caring and accommodating.

Some staff were super friendly, welcoming and helpful (eg bell staff and concierge).

The entire staff is gracious and go out of their way to accommodate the guests.

The place is located in a beautiful area and is great for kids given the activities and attentive staff.

For such an expensive hotel, Penha Longa really under-delivers - the staff are not particularly welcoming, the rooms are good

Special thanks to the concierge team for booking us great restaurant choices when we were out and about sightseeing.

Upon checking inI was greeted by a lovely receptionist who offered us a glass of sparkling wine, greT so far.

Given the point value, incredible staff (who provided a complimentary tour of the historic monastery and helped me after a disappointing Sintra trip cut short due to strikes), huge suite with large outdoor space, welcome treats/drinks (to celebrate our anniversary and welcome my child), family-friendly activities, etc, we will definitely be back the next time we visit Portugal.

The staff were super friendly and always happy to see children.

Penha Longa Resort

price

creditcard

grounds

their Mexican restaurant is right by golf club, dinner requires reservation.

Another frustration is the kids clubs and activities, these are using a great thing for parents who want to get a short break and enjoy an hour or two, kid-free, unfortunately,  you have to accompany the kids at all the events an clubs here, unlike other resorts and cruises we've done.

The kids club is better than anyone I have seen.

Grand kids club:

This kids club is impressive and our kids had fun.

They have a kids club for kids ages 4- 12 .

There is always something happening at night, whether live band or night club is your preference.

I wish him the best and hope to see him again, whether it's at the resort, on the street, or in a club.

Perhaps because most of the high-end dining experiences are there, as are the elaborate kids’ waterpark and a dance club for the late nighters.

We also hung out at the Unique Day Club at The Grand - servers Loida, Annabella, and Christina are top notch, pool concierge Ricardo had our cabana all set up and ready to go.

Every night there is a show.they have a teen club.

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