Some hotels are like some women: no matter how long you stay away, you never forget them and you end up there again. I look for quiet, nor for thrills, or even sunny beaches. I want to be left to myself, be comfortable and be taken care of. That's what I get here.

This Pousada is nicely close to Coimbra as well as to the important Conimbriga roman ruins. It has a nice lawn and a outside swimming pool. The decoration is what I would call neo-baroque and, although tending slightly into the heavy, is not unpleasant.

There's free parking right in the front, and, provided you don't exceed 30 minutes a day, wifi is free.

The rooms are quite comfortable and spacious, meaning that you have a desk to work in and still plenty of room left. The building entirely non-smokers, but ground level rooms have a wide balcony where it is legal to smoke and also pleasant to have your breakfast in the summer.

Due to air conditioning, bar and kitchen equipemnts and activity, the ground-level rooms at the tip of the building can be noisy for those who, like me, hear more than they would like to.

The food is really good, although you'll have to pay for the privilege of not going out. Otherwise, you can find a nice restaurant just some 50 m towards town.

People are absolutely great, but then, I've been going there for years. I'm almost part of the scenery, and the personnel are as if my personal friends.

In the many years I have been going there I cannot remember a single thing to frown upon. Sure, occasionally you'll get the awful noisy group of employees enjoying an "incentive" and other bores of the same kind; and, to me, it's not worth going there in the high season, when it's crowded and you cant possibly get half the quality of service -- you'll get to use the pool, though.

Regarding value for the money, it's another of those to remember. Of course, if you arrive early in the day, then stay only overnight, you are very likely to experience the full tariff of a historic Pousada: it still will be nice, everything considered, but less interesting. Otherwise, you might fall into any of the many discount programs.