Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa

The peaceful setting really stands out. You can hear the birds, and the grounds are wonderful for walking, thinking or just enjoying the calm. Tauck tours were there during our stay, including a busload of people, and several cycling tours were there too, but we hardly saw anyone apart from at the restaurants. It was too cool for us to swim, but the outdoor pool is gorgeous, with lots of seating around the pool and lawn. There's also a large indoor pool we didn't see, plus a spa and fitness area. The rooms are lovely and the bathrooms well appointed. The restaurants are terrific, and the complimentary tasting of their white, red and sparkling wines was a nice treat. This is a genuine, top-notch five-star hotel.

The gardens are lovely, and the monastery interior is incredibly beautiful. Our room was functional and spacious, though I wouldn't call the design great. The gym is new, very good and clean. The pool and spa facilities were only so-so. You need a cap to use the pool, but there was no one at the desk to provide one. Reception told us to go there to get it, so we had to walk a long way through the hotel in robes and slippers. They could have left a bag of caps at the pool. The sauna button was broken, so we couldn't tell if it was working, and it wasn't. The staff were friendly and meant well, but the service felt mediocre. We sat outside in the cold with our dog and waited 30 minutes for someone to come over, then an hour for a grilled cheese. Breakfast meant queuing for at least 15 minutes, being sent outside because we had the dog, then waiting in the cold for cutlery. By then, with only 10 minutes left before breakfast ended, we had to hurry inside to grab something from the buffet. They kept asking what we wanted even though we'd only been seated for five minutes, which made us feel rushed and unable to have a normal conversation. They seemed completely understaffed and, honestly, not very competent. They say they're dog friendly, but the policy felt misleading. Our dog could stay in the room, but we couldn't eat inside with it, only outside. In February, be ready to freeze. Dogs were only allowed between the bedroom and outdoors. We stayed at a pet-friendly hotel in ericeira (athos) where at least we could eat inside with our dog. They didn't bring a water bowl unless we asked, and the only time they came to us was to say the dog couldn't be there. The food was a huge letdown. We're in Alentejo, where the food is the best in the country, but the bar snacks were miserable, things like carbonara and burgers. We paid 30€ for two flutes of Prosecco and one small regional cheese with toast. Divinus claims to be modern and traditional, but the food was simply terrible and very expensive. The boar was dry and tasteless, and the lamb was ridiculous. A random grandma from Evora could cook better than this “chef”. This was just a disappointing stay. It isn't a true five-star hotel at all.

The setting made it easy to unwind, and the staff were warm and attentive throughout. Convento do Espinheiro, Historic Hotel & Spa is a beautiful property with history and charm in its details, and the facilities were well kept. There was a line at breakfast, though, and the grounds are spread out, so don't sleep in. I had a memorable stay and would happily come back.

The building is amazing and clearly very well looked after, and you should make time for a walk through the gardens. My friend and I stayed one night, and it was just right for a short visit. Everyone on staff was so helpful, and the bar food was really good.