Monsanto GeoHotel Escola

We’d been out exploring Monsanto and realized we wouldn’t make it back to our accommodation, so we decided to spend the night in town. A search on booking.com led us here. The price looked good and the reviews seemed fine, so we booked. Later, we walked right past the hotel without realizing it was ours. It’s right in the center, which was really handy. Breakfast came with the stay, and it was very good.

The room was a good size, and the beds were excellent, but the air conditioning problem made for a rough night. The listing said there was AC. In our room, it only blew uncomfortably hot air, which seemed to push the temperature into the mid to high 20s Celsius. We had to switch it off and open the windows and shutters. Smoke from a fire nearby came in overnight and made us cough, and a street lamp right beside us let in a lot of light. At least three of the ten rooms available had broken AC. There were no plans to repair it or to stop selling those rooms as air conditioned, and nobody apologized or seemed sorry about it. One staff member didn’t seem particularly concerned. After a basic attempt to help, she flung the windows open. She was always on her phone whenever we passed reception, afternoon or night, which made me wonder whether all those calls could really be work related for such a small hotel. Breakfast was excellent, with meat and vegan choices, lovely juices, and fresh fruit. The young man looking after breakfast and the new woman on morning reception were both lovely. Those things kept the stay from getting a truly awful score.

A car rental problem meant we couldn't visit Monsanto or stay at GeoHotel Escola. Even so, they let us cancel the booking without charging a fee. That was very kind of them.

The town itself is a treat to wander around, with boulders all through it and a castle dating to 1171. Monsanto Café & Bistro is only a few steps away, and Paulo stays open longer than the other places to eat. We really recommend it, and send Paulo our hello! We were there for Boom, about a 20 minute drive away. GeoHotel made a great base: the staff were wonderful, the rooms were spacious and clean, and breakfast was incredible, with stunning views. You can also get a key to come through the lobby any time of day or night. We had a beautiful stay, thank you GeoHotel!