If it is peace and tranquility that you are seeking then this area of the Alentejo is for you. Refugio is an old old building restored to its former glory with fabulous ceilings and a great feeling of opulence from bygone days. The staff are warm and friendly, good English spoken if you need it, and very helpful. The restuarant... More

Amazing quite and cozy place with very attentive stuff. We had a great dinner with lovely home wine and excellent food in their restaurant. And the breakfast was with fresh buttery croissants and freshly pressed orange juice. We also made very good and fresh espresso right from coffee machine. We are enjoying our stay a lot.

We stayed at the hotel for a few days for cooking classes, and we've only got good things to say. The hotel is charming, the room was impeccably clean and surprisingly spacious for a European hotel, and the staff was wonderful. They went out of their way to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. This was a thoroughly delightful... More

My husband and I stayed at this quiet 'hotel rural' - on arrival we were shown a small no view twin bedded room, we expressed our disappointment and immediately were given a choice of two other rooms - one a comfortable double overlooking the castle. The reception staff were fantastic - organising visits to a winery and olive oil factory.... More

We stayed for a few days for cooking classes at the school, which were very enjoyable. The rooms are all unique and very spacious, most have balconies with views of the castle on the hill. The hotel offers an upstairs lounge area that is very quaint with a leave one/take one "library" (although few books were in English) and fireplace.... More

Very Nice hotel with friendly staff. Good food but not extra ordinairy. There was no eye for detail like old fruit in baskets and buffet of dessert was definitively used earlier and they didn't clean the edges. Rooms were big and very comfortable. Beautiful view from the belcony to the castle.

Outside and common places are very pleasant.The pool is localized in a good spot, but the pool itself it was not very clean.The staff personal was very helpful.The rooms were poor to a four star hotel.The food is expensive and if have hungry is not the ideal place to eat. The review would be better if the prices get lower... More

This is a beautiful complex, with all sorts of amenities, outdoor pool, patio, balcony, reading room, pool table, cooking school. Unfortunately, in mid February it was pretty deserted. The staff is very helpful and courteous. Our room had a view of the castle which was very nice. The restaurant is good, with attentive staff, but is pretty expensive. Unfortunately, the... More

I spent a weekend near Portel with a group of friends and this restaurant was simultaneously the worst and the most expensive we have been to. Although the environment tends to be classier than the average restaurant in the area, it is really not worth it. All dishes we ordered were poorly prepared and incorrectly seasoned, and the desserts were... More