Vintage Guest House - Casa do Escritor

The best boutique hotel in Evora. The owner Victor is amazing.

You won't be disappointed - this place is great. Behind the wall/door is a beautiful garden courtyard with a large pool. Rooms modern and very clean with great bed. Best of all is the proprietor, Victor - great hospitality. A bit of a challenge to find and parking - just inquire ahead.

This establishment failed to deliver a basic standard of comfort for the money we paid. We booked the Vintage Inn Casa do Escritor on the back of the excellent *********** reviews. What a different experience we had. Right from the start it was stressful. There was no safe legal drop off parking. We were obliged to park illegally in the square and were told by a local resident it was parking for residents only. We were travelling for 3 weeks so we had a fair amount of luggage. Luisa saw us in. No offer of help with any of the cases at any stage. She asked for immediate payment and then failed on every front to deliver the basic standard of hosting we were expecting. She gave us a map of the town and quickly indicated P is for the free parking and then just pointed out the places of interest already highlighted on the map. She indicated we had to drive outside the City wall to secure free parking. She failed to mention the underground pay carpark close to the establishment. Due to traffic congestion on the day it took us 10 minutes by car to reach the car park. No onsite parking was offered. I asked for a restaurant recommendation. Back to the map. Another circle “they are there and there and all good” WOW! Reading how Victor molly cuddles his guests even making the dinner reservations for them, like I said our experience was so very different. We had the worst welcome and guidance of any of the eleven places we stayed at during our tour of Portugal. Before we set off for the car park we were shown to our room and carried all our belongings still with no offer of help. Luisa opened the door and retreated hastily. A foul smelling nauseating sewage drain smell hit us. We left to park the car legally and realised it was a long distance from the B/B. We couldn’t leave anything in the car because of the men loitering and eyeing up the cars. We traipsed back to the accommodation in 33 degrees of mid-afternoon heat. Had Luisa even bothered to take our passport details she would have noticed we are both fast approaching 80. I was very conscious of the foul smelling room/bathroom which was an unpleasant issue. On arriving back at the room I made my way to the upper floor where Luisa told us to ring the bell in case of need. As I mounted the stairs she called out “I am here” she was sunbathing. She entered our room and admitted there was a strong foul smell. “I do have that problem with one room she added. But not this one” Who in heavens name got our room ready. That problem should have been sorted before our arrival. Luisa proceeded to pour copious amounts of disinfectant down the drains. The smell improved but always lingered. Luisa did offer to transfer us to another hotel. We had been travelling since early morning, it was hot we were tired and the thought of getting the car, loading the luggage, and finding the new place and then parking again was just too much. On reflection we wish we had. However we had already paid and there was no guarantee

This hotel is like a lovely dream, an oasis in the city. The garden is wonderful, even more beautiful than the pictures. The room and bathroom was modern, spotless, comfortable, great in every way. Victor the host could not have been more friendly and helpful. The only thing which could possibly have been better is the breakfast, which, though you could have as much as you wanted, I found modest: coffee/tea, orange juice, yoghurt, cakes, cereal and bread with toppings, all with limited selections. If that is all you desire, the house is perfect, and could not possibly be better.

This big, expansive property was well hidden in the middle of town - pool, big lawn, citrus trees, it was a treat! Victor was a charming host, first guiding us into his garage off the narrow street, then making dinner reservations for us for both nights and warning us about how chilly it gets in the evening. He also gave us recommendations on places to visit in town, which we appreciated. Our room was big and comfortable and the shutters did a great job blocking the morning light. Victor hosted a nice continental breakfast which included fresh squeezed orange juice from his trees. He was also thoughtful enough to have turned our car around in the garage sometime before we left, in order to make it easier for us to get out. This was a great place to stay!

This historic home (which has been in Victors family for 5 generations) is centrally located within the walls of the historical township of Evora. We arrived after a long and tiring drive from the Duoro Valley only to be frustrated by the failings of the Sat Nav system (which we later determined to be the failings of the Sat Nav operator - me) . Victor was patient , helpful and understanding and directed us to meet him on the main square of Evora not far from his home. We were then able to park in his home garage (a fantastic bonus for those driving to Evora at a cost of E10 per day). His home has 5 rooms, all en-suited. The yard is a delight, orange and lemon trees abound and the pool is enticing (but not a realistic proposition for us when the overnight temperature was about 8 degrees) . It would be heaven on a hot summers day. Victor was the perfect tour guide making lots of recommendations - all very good- on towns and villages and restaurants within easy driving or walking distance from his home He was especially helpful when we were trying to get our hire company to assist when we endured a flat tyre. His Portuguese language skills are infinitely better then mine and he was superb in suggesting options and a practical solution to our issue. Victor and his wife have a fantastic home in a wonderful, central location. Their hospitality is limitless and their wonderful European breakfasts are a delight. Many thanks to them both for opening their home to us. You made us feel very welcome.

Great location and surprisingly quiet for being so close to the centre. Victor is a charming host who goes out of his way to make your stay special. He is also knowledgeable and gives good guidance. Breakfast is excellent, the centrepiece being fresh juice from his orange trees in the beautiful garden with pool. Take advantage of his reasonably priced local wine for sundowners by the pool.