Hotele niedaleko Castle of Arraiolos, Arraiolos

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.

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.

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.

Service: Front desk staff was extremely friendly and cheerful. Same goes to the food & beverage guest facing staff. We were treated well throughout the hotel with no gaps in service or attention. Breakfast selection was fresh and having the opportunity to try traditional “convent cakes” is a real treat. The lobby bar is very quiet but it’s a good place to come for an afternoon snack (sandwiches, toast with butter, potato chips/crisps). Facilities: Wanted to use the outdoor pool but the weather was too cold to go swimming. No fault of the hotel. - does not have an elevator, not good for elderly guests. - parking is limited, call in advance to get a spot or drive around the city to find an empty spot like we did. - driving to the hotel is tricky as the location is in the historic city center with very steel and narrow roads. - free WiFi and good connectivity throughout. Hygeine (overall): Although the convent is centuries old we find the common areas very clean and full of sunlight. Only area we find to be dark are the interior corridors towards to swimming pool and another set of hotel rooms. Antique furniture and the display of azuleju and tapestries were very well done and well preserved. Rooms: We stayed on the 2nd floor and had a nice view to the Cathedral. The rooms were clean and very basic. Loved the hotel using local Portuguese brand Castelbel for shampoo/soap and the body lotion. - does not have hot water kettle (some hotels you need to call to have it delivered to the room, we did not do that this time) - acoustics are quite powerful especially the noise from the corridor to the room. - need to confirm a breakfast time slot the evening before. All in all, our stay was pleasant and I had one of the best sleeps. It was so close to major landmarks and will certainly come back to stay.

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.

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.

This is not your normal, Nice ibis. It’s really down at the heels in every way: carpeting, Wi-Fi speed, threadbare towels, weak a/c. But it’s cheap and located very close to the gate of the old city. Fabio at the front desk made up for some of the shortfalls. He was knowledgeable and helpful. He explained that all the parking, even underground, was free because of the remodeling. The street noise in 207 was bad, but they were completely full, or I’m sure they would have given us a room on the backside (request that). An odd thing was that when the Accor app says the hotel is full, sometimes one can find a room on ***********. This time, booking said no rooms, but the Accor app had one, twin beds albeit. If you don’t spend much time in the room, this hotel is a good find. Ask if they’re still remodeling.

Very small town, because of the location of this hotel, the hotel is relatively small, no extra bed at all, the bed is small, the location is OK, the restaurant environment is not bad ~ ~ breakfast is also rich, no hot water!

We had spent 3 nights at this Hilton and we got a top rate service, starting from the reception, with Moises, Raquel, Davide, the room services are excellent, as the different restaurants, where I remember just Celso, Diogo, Paolo. The breakfast display is amazing. The rooms large with excellent beds, plus free cover parking for gold members. If in Evora don’t look around this is the place.

This hotel is amazing! The rooms are spacious and very clean, the restaurant is great, there is an indoor pool, a sauna and a gym and the outside areas are also great. You don’t need to leave the premises. What makes this a five star rating: twice a day the rooms are provided with water. At the end of the day they will bring biscuits by, the restaurant is open all day (great when traveling with kids) - also for room- and pool-service. There are many activities for kids and they provide the cutest little presents for babies by arrival. They just have much attention for detail and really make an effort to make your stay pleasant! Make sure you don’t mind kids, since there are many of them ;)