Borralha Hotel

The Borralha Hotel is a four-star upscale guesthouse in the northern city of Vila Real.

The Borralha began life as a rural manor house, situated on the old Roman road from Porto to Mirandela. The manor house was renovated and revamped 2017, with many of the original, rural architectural features retained. The broad, roughly-hewn sandstone walls and granite flagged floors in the guest lounges give a feel for the old – by contrast, the new 21^st century wings of the hotel have a thoroughly-modern feel, with their austere concrete walls and black anodised steel. It’s a contrast that works: the cosy double and twin rooms in the main house have that old-meets-new feel, whilst the contemporary, minimalist décor of the Superior and King rooms also come with a small terrace, overlooking the courtyard garden and outdoor pool.

There are twenty-nine ensuite rooms in total, all with A/C and Wi-Fi. There’s also indoor heated pool and spa facilities, and the on-site Restaurante Borralha offers an excellent menu of contemporary and traditional dishes from across the Tras-os-Montes and Douro regions. The Borralha Hotel is also an excellent base from which to explore the city of Vila Real, with the Museu de Arqueologia and the historic Casa de Mateus a short drive away.