Torre de Palma, Wine Hotel by Design Hotels

Torre de Palma, Wine Hotel by Design Hotels

The tower that gives Torre de Palma its name has stood over this stretch of Alentejo since 1338, once part of the Roman ruins associated with the Basilii family; the hotel itself opened only in 2014, built around that history and around wine. This is a working wine estate as much as a hotel: guests can walk into a room stacked with barrels, sit down in the tasting room, or watch the harvest move through the production area, a level of hands-on wine access few boutique hotels in Portugal can offer. The 19 rooms and suites, spread across two low floors, keep to the white-washed walls and simple lines of local Alentejo building, furnished with a mix of contemporary and traditional pieces. Outside, the grounds run to an organic vegetable garden, an orchard, an olive grove, a small forest and a horse riding arena, with indoor and outdoor pools, a spa with sauna and steam room, and a chapel for anyone marrying here. Monforte's own centre sits five kilometres off, with Evora Monte Castle and the University of Evora within reach for a day out. Couples who want their Alentejo wine explained by the people who made it, and travellers happy to trade a town centre for open countryside, will find plenty to hold their attention; those wanting beach access, a lively bar scene or a walk into town from the door should look elsewhere. Families are catered for too, with a playroom and babysitting on request. Biosphere certified, and quiet about it. The tower is still there, still visible from the pool, still giving the place its name. A working wine estate in the Alentejo countryside, built around a fourteenth-century tower and a 2014 hotel, with barrel rooms, a tasting room and 19 white-washed suites. Pools, spa and horse riding fill the grounds, five kilometres from Monforte. Not for anyone wanting a town centre address or a beach.