Convento do Espinheiro

Hotel review

The Convento Espinheiro has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, and was a rest and talking shop for the monarchs, bishops and generals who finagled Iberia’s destiny. Services are still held in the gilded and ornate chapel, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Alentejo is Portugal’s culinary focal point, and there are several bars and restaurants located within the hotel. The hotel’s Divinus Restaurant serves a seasonal menu of regional cuisine and wine. Make sure to try the house wine during the daily wine tastings with the onsite sommelier in their cloistered Gothic cistern-cum-wine cellar.

Rooms are either heritage or modern, though both stylings have much more space than their original use as monks’ cells. The bathrooms fitted with Estremoz marble, traditional rugs from Arraiolos, and Iberian artwork reflecting the building’s religious history.

The Diana Spa, with its Turkish bath, sauna, and treatment rooms offer a wonderful reprieve from the xeric Alentejan weather. However, staying at the Convento is as much about being active outdoors as it is about rest. Walk the gardens, play tennis, swim in the two pools, and book excursions into the countryside to visit wineries, to skydive, or take a hot-air balloon ride.

James Patterson Review published: 31/10/2018