The Literary Man

Books everywhere, even in the room, made staying here feel special, almost like sleeping in a huge library. The hotel is conveniently close to the old city walls. Breakfast had lots of choices and was very good, and we had a great dinner at the restaurant. We highly recommend it.

The staff were helpful whenever we asked, and they moved us to a room with regular beds after our first room had a mattress on a concrete slab. The hotel's book-filled theme is unusual and a great idea, with more than 80,000 books in the rooms, on the walls, and in every nook. It's a very old building, though, and there's a lot that needs improving, probably more than they're likely to do. There are stairs everywhere and no lift, so anyone with mobility issues would have a hard time here. The rooms are very basic: we got one roll of toilet paper, no cups for the coffee maker, and very old towels. The showers are really only suitable for people who are fully able-bodied.

The hotel sits in a great location, and there's free public parking about seven minutes away. I'd suggest dropping off heavy luggage before parking. The building has a lot of history as an old convent, and it's been turned into a charming place filled with 80,000 books. My room was surprisingly spacious, with lovely bathroom tiles. Lydia and Hugo were welcoming and helpful. My daughter couldn't use the extra bed after a small issue with it, so she slept with us in our king-size bed. The hotel apologized and refunded the extra-bed charge without us having to chase them, which showed thoughtful service and integrity.

We loved the fantastic breakfast and the central spot in the heart of Obidos. The staff were some of the kindest people we met, and this was the most unique hotel we stayed at in Portugal.