Hotels near Castle of Valongo, Evora

We had a wonderful stay in Evora and booked the MouraSuits Hotel. The check-in was super friendly and we even allowed our room to be taken up more than indicated. The hotel offers an extra parking space so we did not have any problems with the closing of our car. We had a superior room for 2 people with view of the pool. The bathroom is beautifully equipped with a rain shower. The pool was also pleasantly cold, but not too cold. The breakfast was a dream. We could order our egg food without a surcharge, there were various fresh juices as well as cheese and sauce cut, baggage, etc. We will come back in any case.

We spent 2 nights here arriving by train and a short taxi ride from the train station. The Taxi only accepted cash which I did not have. I expected the driver would receive payment by credit card. So, my first encounter with the receptionist was to charge the fare to our room and provide currency for the driver. The receptionist telephoned the manager whom did not accept this arrangement. However, Antonio the receptionist went above and beyond in service by giving me 5 euros for tip and fair of his own money. I was so impressed by the gesture of this staff but not the management. I repaid Antonio with in minutes of finding an ATM machine and gave him double the amount he lended me. Another impressionable staff was Nelson whom treated us with exquisite service at the bar and at dinner. He deserved and received a direct tip that he wouldn’t have received if given through management. Management might want to take note of these performers as quality staff that reflects on the hotel service in a positive way. For breakfast the staff was indifferent and unenthusiastic. The higher end rooms here are large enough with sp**** decor and furniture. The floor is exposed grey concrete with no rug or tile coverings. It looks like it is still unfinished construction when contrasted with the pleasant marble bathroom walls. Good environment control with proper AC, fan, heat function. Bright room with large windows and window coverings that has an option for blocking the strong sun. The facility has both inside and outside small pools with recliners. The restaurant and bar is suitable for wine, cocktails, and reasonably valued food options. The location is walking distance to main tourist attractions in this small town.

Great location, but tremendous difficulty getting our small vehicle into their underground garage as it was tiny and tight. Within walking distance to the major historical sites and restaurants. Efficient and friendly reception. Rooms are small, very clean and comfortable, basic but modern.

The front desk of the hotel was very welcoming and quickly remembered all my words. The service was very good and they took the initiative to help with my luggage. The single room was a bit small, but it was nicely decorated and clean. The hotel was very quiet and I could sleep until dawn. The hotel is in the city center, very convenient for eating, playing and shopping. There is the most famous Skeleton Church here, which is worth visiting.

What I liked: 1. When I first walked in … my impression was ‘Wow’. A sleek and modern lobby and a open concept restaurant really made the place look amazing. 2. While I didn’t use the pools. There were a lot of choices. I think there were 4 pools and they all looked nice. 3. The included dinner at the hotel restaurant with my Globus tour was more the same type of meal I could get in North America. I generally want to try the local cuisine. However, there was a lot of choice with the buffet and a very pleasant experience. The breakfast the next morning also had a lot of variety 4. The rooms were clean and modern What could be improved/didn’t like: 1. The check-in at this hotel needs a lot of work, especially when dealing with bus tours. However, I think a lot of their business are bus tours since I noticed a very large parking lot with several buses next door. We went to our room and discovered it didn’t have two twin beds. This was a communication problem with Globus and spoke to our tour guide after this issue. We phoned reception and told them the situation. We asked for someone to come to the room because it seemed to be a long walk to get back to reception. After about 10 minutes, someone arrived from reception and walked us to the new room. We weren’t too thrilled since it was directly in front of this “wall of heat’ that we passed by when getting off the elevator. The new room also had a lousy view compared to the first one that overlooked the pool. We specifically asked the reception person to make sure that are luggage comes to the new room. She told us not to worry, but sometimes it takes a bit of time. We waited for more than 40 minutes and then thought – maybe they sent our luggage to the old room. I went back and it wasn’t there. We called reception and finally got our luggage more than an hour after checking in. This time there was somewhat of an apology since it was the same reception person who said it would be sent to the new room. She admitted that she forgot, and we respected her honesty. Originally, she seemed annoyed when taking us to the new room and only seemed concerned about whether we used the washroom in the old room. When we met people from the tour and told them about the situation, they said there is a ton of luggage in a small back room that hasn’t been delivered. This lack of organization and efficiency took one hour of out of our vacation time. 2. The front of the hotel is glass and looks very modern. But when you pass by the corridors that are in the front of the hotel facing the street versus the back facing the pool – the temperature is so hot it is noticeable. I think the hotel tried to put some type of additional wall to block the heat. However, it isn’t enough and there needs to be more air conditioning in the corridors to keep the place at a proper temperature.

We chose Albergaria Do Calvário based on previous reviews. The hotel is just inside the old city walls which makes for easy walking to the main sites in the old town, and to a variety of restaurants. Limited parking is available at the hotel and on the street. We had a large rental car so did have to park just outside the main walls on one evening. Our room was spacious, with a king size bed and well appointed marble bathroom. Breakfast was pleasant with a selection of fruit, breads, cheese, cake and eggs to order and we ate outside in the courtyard. Staff were very helpful in booking restaurants in advance of our arrival, and advising on sites in town and in the region. The extensive suggestions in the brochure the hotel provides before you arrive is a great way to plan ahead. We stayed for three nights to have two days to visit Mavao, enjoy a wine tasting at Herdade do Esporao and visit Monsaraz. We booked the wine tasting before we left as there is only one tasting in English per day. Mavao was well worth the drive. The Alentejo is a very interesting region and was one of the highlights of our holiday in Portugal. Albergaria Do Calvário is a perfect base in the lovely town of Évora.

First the good. Most of the staff are very nice. The bar and restaurant area are pleasant and so is the pool area. Water pressure in the shower is good. However, this is not up to 4 star standards. The rooms are dated. The doors don't fit properly and there are gaps. It is the first time I have seen a shower curtain over a bath in an hotel in many years. The TV is a very small free standing TV. There is a terrace but it only has one chair. On our second day after housekeeping had been we were faced with stained bath towels, we took them back to the housekeeping room but there was noone there so we swapped them with unstained ones. Certainly not acceptable in any class of hotel. The restaurant is nice and the food is good, but only buffet. Breakfast is extremely noisy because the hotel caters to coach parties and conferences. The breakfast food is nothing great but ok. The pool area is nice but although there is a member of staff in the pool bar area you have to get dry and dressed to go into the hotel to get food and drinks, not really great for a supposed 4 star hotel. The pool also was full of flying ants,/mosquitos on the first day, although there were a few less on the second day.

Having already booked the hotel, we arrived mid afternoon on a very hot day, parked in the private car park, walked up a few steps into the hotel and were greeted by the very friendly staff and within five minutes were given an electronic key to our twin room. It was nice and clean and well laid out. The ensuite bathroom and shower was also faultlessly clean with hand and bath towels hanging nicely on the rails. Also a private balcony with two chairs and a table. Room was fully airconditioned with it's own system which you could fully adjust. Small flat screen television on the wall above a writing desk.There are no mini fridges in the rooms. You had to put the smart key in its receptor to switch on the electricity. Breakfast was extremely good with a wide selection to suit anyones taste from fruit to scrambled eggs. The outside pool is big enough for a relaxing swim, there is also a smaller pool for children. The area is nice and realxing with sunbeds available on the grass. Slightly out of town on a main road, it takes no more than ten minutes to drive to the centre of Evora and park. We did the journey in 8 minutes. You do need transport to get into Evora. To walk is too far for comfort. This is my third stay and most certainly will not be my last.

This hotel immediately made me think of the phrase ”I would like but I can't” because it has the potential of a 5-star resort, but unfortunately the services stop much earlier. The structure is surrounded by cork trees, but there is no maintenance: the flowerbeds are not well cut, the external lights do not all work, the paint on the structures where the rooms are located are off. Inside the rooms are spacious, clean but the blackout curtains did not work. In the main building there is an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, a sauna and a gym. For breakfast they assign slots to choose from, although there isn't that much turnout. The same goes for the restaurant in the evening, where the food is quite good but not excellent. In summary, with a few adjustments this structure could be wonderful, at the moment it is only decent