Castelo Estremoz Pousada

As soon as you walk through the door of Castelo Estremoz Pousada, time stands still. On one side, there’s the grand tiled staircase; on the other, the keep. The latter was built by King Dinis in the late-13th century, probably for reasons more romantic than strategic – legend has it he did so to please Isabel of Aragon, the famous Queen Saint Isabel.

Eight centuries and much history later, the old castle is now a luxury pousada surrounded by defensive walls. Classified as a national monument in 1924, there were various building and restoration works undertaken between the 1960s and 1980s to transform the place into a hotel. Rui Ângelo de Oliveira do Couto’s architectural project adapted the different areas without changing them more than necessary, which meant preserving architecture that was sometimes Gothic, sometimes Baroque.

On the ground floor, where the stables once stood, we find the lounges, bar and huge dining room, which seats 300 people. Furnished with antique furniture – much of it provided by museums -, the salons and halls are large and impressive, with doors and windows covered with gilded woodwork. Outdoors are the terrace and swimming pool, set behind by fortification, with panoramic views of Estremoz and the Alentejo plains.

There are three long corridors of rooms on the top floor, forming a U-shape, with small courtyards and lounges at each corner, each more attractive than the last. The 21 rooms on this level – the very first were built in the 1970s – have four-poster beds and decor that conjures up images of kings and queens. All have bathrooms lined with Estremoz marble, from top to bottom, in tones of grey, pink or beige. True luxury of a different age.

When the pousada was extended in the 1990s, 11 more rooms were added. These were adaptations of former staff quarters and offices on the second and last floor, duly furnished with replicas of the pieces found in the first-floor rooms. The work was undertaken by the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation, whose commitment and attention to detail would certainly have made King Dinis look good in the eyes of Saint Isabel.