Vila Gale Collection Elvas

In the heart of the historic centre of this Alentejo town, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, this hotel, the result of the refurbishment of the former Convento de São Paulo, has as its theme the Portuguese military fortifications scattered around the world. Taking advantage of the original configuration of the building - which after the extinction of the religious orders ceased to be a convent and functioned as a military court, barracks and prison - this hotel has 79 rooms (including seven two-storey suites with mezzanines), two restaurants offering regional cuisine dedicated to local flavours, a bar, an outdoor swimming pool, a spa with massage rooms, a hydromassage pool, a Turkish bath, a sauna and an indoor swimming pool and, finally, the cloister, once again green and tidy, two meeting rooms and an events hall, set up in the former church, ideal for weddings and baptisms. To get to know Elvas, as well as strolling through the streets of the historic centre, we suggest a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Elvas Military Museum, Forte da Graça and Forte de Santa Luzia, the church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção or the old Cathedral, near the Casa da Cultura. But there's also the castle, the 17th-century walls or the octagonal Domínicas church and the pillory area. Nearby, you can visit the Museum of the Christs in Sousel, or go to the cities of Mérida or Cáceres, both of which are also classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The Vila Galé Collection Elvas Historic Hotel, Conference & SPA is the first hotel in Portugal to be completed under Revive, the public programme for the concession and restoration of historic heritage.