Casa Alta Royal Lodge is perched on a hill by the castle of Ourem with glorious and far reaching views from its rooms and garden. As the website states, it is a place of tranquillity and intimacy. It is also steeped in history which can be fully appreciated by a short, circular walk around the adjacent castle and medieval village.... More

In April2013 we spent a couple of days in Ourem in Casa Alta. We were absolutely delighted. The house with its antique furnishings was really enchanting. We felt very comfortable and enjoyed having drinks before dinner. Father Mariani is a lively host indeed who filled us in on the story of Casa Alta and Ourém and explained the history and... More

My family of three loved staying with Father John and Valentina a wonderful housekeeper. From the moment the Casa Alta car collected us from the airport we were wonderfully cared for. Every day we toured world heritage sites with Father John. At night we swapped life experiences and enjoyed Valentinas delicious cooking. Father was a very well informed tour guide.... More

My experience at the Casa Alta Royal Lodge was absolutely amazing and delightful. The host, Father Mariani, was such an amazing person and was quite possibly the most interesting man I have ever met. The caretaker, Valentina, prepared five star dinners that were presented in a beautiful manner. Everything was very clean and decorated superbly. It was so fascinating to... More

I stumbled on this gem by accident and was never more pleased with the results. We were greeted graciously by the housekeeper and shown to the most beautiful room I've ever seen in a lodging, with a view to die for. Father Mariani is the most gracious host we have ever encountered. We spent a lovely evening over drinks, amazing... More

Last September, guided by the unerring directions of Father Johnny our group of five drove through the picturesque countryside to make the precipitous ascent to the door of the splendid Casa Alta which sits adjacent to the ruins of the medieval Castle of Ourem ,. A former Royal Lodge, Casa Alta, is now restored and run as a B&B, by... More

A wonderful vacation that started out in Paris with my best friend and ended in Ourem. It was depressing to leave Paris because I didn't think we could beat the wonderful time we had in Paris but as it turned out we had the time of our lives in Portugal thanks to Father John who was so warm and welcoming... More

We were looking for a place to stay in the area. Trip Adviser ranked it #1, the Casa Alta website photos were charming, rooms filled with antiques, a pool overlooking the valley -- and so without any other personal recommendations, we booked a two night stay at the B&Bed. It was all as advertised -- and more. We booked dinner... More

My friend and I visited Casa Alta on a whim and discovered one of the most charming, historical, scenic, and memorable locations in all of Portugal! Fr. Mariani was a gracious host, full of enchanting stories including but not limited to the history of Casa Alta itself and he is a wonderful conversationalist with such a great personality! The grounds... More