Looks like a wonderful place, @melinda010100. And I think you just proved that you don't need to have five star accommodations in order to get a slice of paradise. Nice rooms, good food, great views, and birds!
It's hard to tell, but it seems peaceful and out of the way, too. If so, I'm sure that helped the experience.
Portugal is on the list of places to visit one of these days. I like the idea of just spending time on the southern end of Europe, starting with Portugal and heading east. Try to keep it sunny and as warm as possible. Oh. I guess I need to go north if I'm following the land. Dang it! :) I guess I can try and survive that.
This is a very out of the way sort of place, down a long dirt road. They serve dinner there, partly because it is too far to a restaurant to be convenient! The owners are English and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The dinner table conversation is intelligent and thought provoking. You would enjoy it there. I seldom ever stay in 5 star accomadations when I travel, but instead look for places that will be reflective of the area. Not just another hotel chain that looks like the one in every other city. I've stayed in wonderful places all over Portugal. It is a favorite of mine.
I like it. We've done similarly in Mexico for the most part, mainly because we end up staying with one of my wife's relatives. The times we've stayed in a hotel, it was close to the activities we wanted to do, and with only one exception, they were three star or under. The one five star we did stay at was very nice—the best of them all—but it was new, heavily discounted, and we'd be hard pressed to get back there even with their seasonal 40% discounts.
I think it's really best to be where the native folk are. That way you don't just see the glitz, but you also get to see what they're like and how they live. It can be eye-opening, endearing and thought-provoking. :)
That is it, exactly! Most of the ritzy places isolate you from real life. I do hope you get to go to Portugal!