Pousada Mosteiro de Guimaraes

The hotel is in an ancient monastery and it makes all the charm and attraction of the place if you like "old stones and historical places". The renovation has kept the original building and improved it to todays comfort. The rooms ( cells) are small but well fitted with a comfortable bed and functional bathroom. You can feel History when you enter the building and anywhere you walk . They have a big outdoor park for pleasant walks . The church adjacent to the Hotel is worth visiting. I was staying on a weekend and I attended the Sunday mass. My only negative note is on the breakfast which is very disappointing in terms of product variety and quality. The set up of the breakfast buffet is very poor and not attractive at all. The breakfast team is not as welcoming and friendly as the front desk or lady at the bar, which is not meeting one's expectations in such a place.

We enjoyed a very nice two-night stay in this fantastic pousada. Everything was a very high quality and the staff were all friendly and helpful. Dinner in the atmospheric dining room was excellent. There are numerous elegant public rooms you can wanderThe gardens and woodland behind the hotel are very extensive and attractive.

Medium size Pousada accommodated in a 12th century Augustinian monastery. Has about 50 bedrooms, half of them in the old part and the others in a new lower extension. The ambiance of the hotel is historic, peaceful, spacious and unhurried. The building is historic with noteworthy courtyards and public rooms. However, the original building was destroyed by fire in 1953 and heavily restored from 1972 to 1977. So, yes, it is indeed “historic” but with much1970s’ type restoration. Our bedroom was up the stairs in an old friers’ cell was comfortable but not enormous. The bedroom overlooked the rear of the building and had ensuite facilities. There are larger bedrooms in the old part of the hotel. We did not see the bedrooms in the new extension. When booking it’s very important to be clear what type of room you are booking and in which part of the Posada it is located. You have been warned!!! An informal breakfast was typical of Portugal served in a dedicated room in the basement of the building separate from the main restaurant. A wholesome more formal dinner is served in the restaurant. There are an abundance of lounges and public areas including a separate bar. The semi-open-air balcony of Saint Jerome, at the end of the corridor of the cells at the end of the main enormous corridor is stunning. Do not miss!!! The hotel has extensive historic gardens/grounds with views towards Guimarãe. There is a moderately sized open-air swimming pool a few minutes’ walk from the rear of the hotel. It has a bar/café. The walk (downhill) into the centre of Guimarãe takes about half an hour. The return journey is much slower due to the climb up the hill. Buses and local taxis are available for the less fit or if it’s the season of the midday summer sun. Loads of free car parking directly in the front of the imposing hotel. All the hotel team were courteous and helpful. Although not a “luxurious” hotel, if you want one of those, go elsewhere. We however, will definitely stay here again, if revisiting the area.

Tried to book it, phone rang out first couple of times, passed on to a reservation centre in the end. Not suitable for families independently of the room and flexibility on our side. You have to book 2 nights which was fine but then children cant sleep together. Where sleeps 3 adults, cant sleep 2 adults and 2 small children even if you book the family or the historic room