Holiday Inn Express Evora by IHG

Customer service was outstanding, and the street parking was free and felt safe. You can also pay €7,50 a day to use the hotel's lot. This new, very modern hotel is just outside the old town walls. I wish they would add refrigerators to the rooms, which would help tourists. Breakfast was good, but the setup needs work. On our first morning it was extremely crowded, and we couldn't find the plates because they were hidden under the food and people were standing in front of it. The space is so small that they need to make things easier for guests.

The rooms have the basic things you might need, and the staff were friendly. It's a new, good-value hotel just outside the city walls, with a pretty good location and plenty of free parking nearby. Sound insulation is okay, though not great. Breakfast is basic; I didn't like the watered-down orange juice, and the machine coffee wasn't very good.

The rooms are pretty standard for a Holiday Inn. Housekeeping comes in the early evening, so if you're back after a day out or work, the room might still be uncleaned. The pool shown on the IHG website/app isn't included in the room rate because it supposedly “belongs” to the restaurant. But restaurant bills are Holiday Inn bills, you can charge them to your room, and the restaurant also serves breakfast, so it doesn't really seem separate. I ordered the bread and olive 'couvert' from the menu, then was charged the higher bar price for each item, which came to more than twice the menu price.

Monica at the front desk made our visit even nicer. She answered our questions kindly, explained the hotel and area well, and was so welcoming. The included breakfast at the adjoining restaurant was great, with good coffee, yogurt, cold meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and different breads. Our room was quiet even though it faced a busy road. The newer hotel is only a few minutes' walk from Évora's historic area, and everything felt clean and comfortable. The beds and pillows were just right, neither too hard nor too soft. The shower had strong water pressure, the shampoo and liquid soap smelled pleasantly of orange, and the hairdryer was great. We appreciated being able to adjust the room temperature in the cooler weather. We highly recommend this hotel.