Hotel berhampiran Igreja de Sao Joao Baptista, Montemor-o-Novo

Too expensive for what it offers. Overbearing and foolish management that won't admit its mistakes. Decisions that favor business events instead of the relaxation they claim to offer leisure guests. Access is 1.5km on dirt, full of terraces from tractors, which makes it impossible for a car to go more than 10kms/h without breaking the shock absorbers. At check-in there was a group of around 50 people at the entrance to the hotel. We headed for the pool and were surprised by the same group on the pool terrace. It was a company team building event with food, drink and a lot of noise. It was impossible to rest. Small, plastic outdoor pool overlooking the air-conditioned rooms. The company's employees took over the hotel and filmed us with a drone while we were in the pool, without any authorization or warning. This is a clear disregard on the part of the hotel for the privacy of its guests. We went to the room and found the sheets and pillows dirty. The group continued to make noise all afternoon all over the property, on a peddy paper, running and shouting, and even peering into the bedroom windows in search of something. Later, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant and the group continued to sing Alentejo songs and drink at the bar throughout the meal. In addition, the dishes we ordered (cod and sea bream) were salty. After dinner we went to reception and told them that we didn't want to stay at the hotel next night, arguing what I'd explained and asking for a refund for the next night we wouldn't be staying. We were told that the next day they would talk to the superior to see what the situation was. On the way back to the room we found a plague of insects near the entrance and on the outside walls of our room and the adjoining rooms. The next day we showered and smelled of chlorine, the level used in the water. At breakfast the group was still in the hotel. We went to reception and the receptionists told us that we wouldn't be refunded the €190 for the night we hadn't stayed. We left and they kept the money. Relaxation and tranquility?!?

We loved this hotel. Stayed here with my 18 year old daughter for one night on our way to the Algarve. It was lovely. The rooms are spacious and beautiful. The pool is perfect and food excellent. The service was excellent as well. Only one small problem- ants in the bathroom. I reported this to the staff and they apologized and thanked me and said they would take care of it. They also recommended an excellent restaurant for dinner nearby.

The hotel is in a good location, is modern, elegant, clean and well-maintained. Staff were very friendly. The room and bed was very comfortable and inviting. One thing that would have been helpful, would have been driving instructions. Either that, or a pickup from the front desk when I called several times for help. Evora is full of narrow, winding and one-way roads, and the GPS route was unadvisable (it wasn't obvious that our vehicle would have had enough clearance to navigate the extremely narrow lane that GPS sent us on) so we ended up asking lots of people for driving instructions. I suppose that's part of the charm of the place but after a long drive to get there ...

We spent a wonderful seven nights at the Convento in May. We booked directly with the hotel and requested an upper floor room (there are only ground level or first floor rooms in the new part of the accommodation) which we were given. It was quite far from the reception (room 149) but was quite a big room with a balcony looking over the countryside and sun in the afternoon which was fantastic (and pushed up our daily steps quota!). The location of the hotel is perfect for those looking for a peaceful break. Évora is easily reached by taxi (average about 10€) but it's also worth giving the two on site restaurants a try. Be aware that it's best to reserve well in advance and the more informal Italian option wasn't open every night during our stay. The bar also does food but the one night we used this we had to wait a very long time for the food to arrive (not so much of a problem in the wonderful surroundings of the Convento, but still...). This is overall a 5 star property but there were some aspects which we thought required attention. As others have mentioned, you will need to book a time slot for your breakfast. There seemed to be frequent coachloads of mainly American tourists who all took breakfast during the earlier slots so you should bear this in mind. It didn't really bother us but we had to take a slot nearer to 09:00 every day which might be an inconvenience for some. We requested a kettle for our room as well as cups but had to ask three times before they were delivered to us. Towards the end of our stay we were pleasantly surprised to receive a complementary bottle of the house espumante. We really would recommend taking one of the wine tasting sessions and the short guided tour of the Convento. Apart from the fantastic location, the superb grounds and pool plus everything else we have mentioned, the 'fifth star' at this accommodation is definitely the staff who were always smiling and ready to help/offer advice when needed. Muito obrigado a todos.