Pousada Castelo de Estremoz – Historic Hotel

Absolutely stunning hotel, situated on the hilltop, overlooking Estremoz. Steeped in history, this unique place has views to die for. Whether it’s from your room, the bar, the pool or the gardens, the view is incredible. However, you must take the 137 stone steps up the tower for the ultimate viewpoint! On arrival, the staff on reception will give you a sheet detailing the history of the castle. Make sure you read it because it is fascinating. We didn’t eat in the hotel restaurant, which was a shame, but we did have breakfast the following morning which was fine. The rooms are lovely with antique furniture and huge, high ceilings. Unfortunately, our only criticism would be the staff. There was a definite lack of enthusiasm. On arrival I struggled up the stairs with all my bags, and there was no offer of help - despite it being obvious I was struggling. At the pool, the bar man was trying to manage the inside bar and pool bar at the same time, so seemed very grumpy. At breakfast there was no cheery welcome or good morning. Perhaps they are understaffed? Anyway, despite this, we would certainly recommend this hotel. After all, anywhere that is accessed by a drawbridge has to be worth it, doesn’t it?!

Approaching Estremoz, we could see the hilltop castle overlooking town. We joked that it was our hotel, which of course it was. The opulent Pousada Castelo Estremoz is in a 13th century castle, and our schmancy room has a great view, and peculiar painting. I had fun poking around taking photos before we headed out to a long late lunch at A Cadeia Quinhentista in a 16th century medieval jail. Laurence tried a traditional sausage fritter dish, and I had a big pot of huge mussels. The couple serving us were so nice and fun and tried to teach us some Portuguese. There is a lot of slurring involved. Maybe an extra glass of wine would help. We went for a walk around town, which was pretty dead. Maybe because it’s Sunday and siesta time. Perfect for taking pictures. Estremoz is a larger town with a population of 7500, and well known for marble. We can see a huge quarry from our room, and our bathroom is different colors of marble. Even the sidewalks are made of marble chunks. After our enormous lunch, we wanted an easy dinner at 9pm. We chose a family run pizza place, had a big pizza, and a salad combination of tuna, egg and potato, plus water and a half liter of wine for €22. Miguel told us that he learned English in school from grade one to ten, but it was British. He learned the American dialect by playing video games and watching TV series. I learned how to properly order a crucial phrase of a half liter of white wine, which was €4.50. You can’t not afford to drink at that price. We are not big breakfast people, but when it is served in a castle, and included in the room rate, you make the effort to get there by 10am closing. It was the best breakfast we’ve had on our trip. The entrance to the castelo tower is in our hotel courtyard, and you can climb up the top for some nice views. I always look for a bird’s eye view in new towns to figure out the lay of land. There are holes in the upper walkway used to pour boiling oil on invaders. We enjoyed an incredible dinner in our castle dining room, with superb service and beautifully presented delicious courses.

We loved this stylish, magnificent Pousada. The service was fantastic, our room extremely comfortable and spacious and the dinner and breakfast, were outstanding. The staff were amazing and we greatly enjoyed our stay. We look forward to returning some time soon.

We started our wonderful bike tour with Portugal Nature Trails here. Such an astounding property. We loved being in the castle. Our window looked out on a tower! We walked into town and visited the Berardo museum with all it beautiful tiles! They have an incredible bar area where we enjoyed a glass of local wine while admiring the view from the windows. The room had all the modern amenities inspite of being historic. Lovely breakfast also. Highly recommend you visit this gem!

Historic hotel beautifully decorated with pool. Staff provided the best service of any hotel I have stayed at ever. Kind, friendly and attentive. Check in, check out, room cleaning, breakfast service all completed efficiently. Wonderful breakfast and dinner in the restaurant. Good value.

Brilliant hotel - amazing decor and architecture, good service, lovely pool and amazing value. Breakfast nice too - a must for families looking for a quick break in a lovely old town. July in Alentejo a bit too hot though but the lovely hotel can’t do much about that!!