The Pousada in Beja, like many, has taken over a former religious building, in this case a truly massive monastery situated in the heart of the city. Therein lies one of its main problems. For all its size it has relatively few rooms, so there is a real sense of knocking around in acres of space and emptiness.
It also means that the Pousada management has a lot of maintenance work on its hands, just to keep everything clean and tidy, and there are real signs of neglect on this score. This is noticeable particularly in the outside areas (cloisters, pool, garden, walls) where a team of workmen is urgently needed! Although not falling down, there is a generally dispiriting feeling that not enough attention is being paid to this aspect.
Entrance to the Pousada is from the main street, and you are immediately dwarfed by the space of the public areas. As the entrance is effectively the main church, the layout does not work well. A truly vast area lies ahead, currently used for a painting exhibition (some remarkably unsuitable!), but the height and length of the former chapel makes for an unrelaxing space. The same is true of the dining room, which could easily seat hundreds, and is split into two parts, one for breakfast, the other for lunch and dinner. But here some thought needs to be given to making this space more friendly, for example by the use of folding screens or more artwork.
The lift from reception goes only to floor 2 (where most rooms are located), but you have to traverse the old coro alto to pass into the cloister area where the rooms can be found. At night these corridors were pitch black, and you had to go into dark tunnels at every turn waiting for the occasional movement sensor to pick up the presence of a guest. This really needs attention and is easily solvable. But in any event there should be some light on at all times.
Like other Pousadas this one has wi-fi internet, but because of the thickness of the walls and layout it does not reach into any rooms, only into public areas. This needs to be addressed, perhaps with the installation of a wired service or of signal amplifiers. In these circumstances I object to having to pay for this service.
Breakfast was somewhat dull, the choice a bit half-hearted and the 'hot' drinks in large thermos jars. This is simply not good enough for a Pousada, as the temperature of the drinks inevitably drops. Dinners, however, were excellent and tasty. Don't miss the local speciality - porco secreto - a wonderfully tasty pork from black-skinned pigs. Truly delicious.
The room was adequate but tired looking with some non-working or temperamental bulbs. The water for the bath was brown on all nights, so not what was needed or wanted at the end of the day. But beds were comfortable and the room quiet.
Because of its overall size the hotel also has a splendid bar area as well as a pool room and fabulous 'salle capitulaire'. The gardens are pleasant (but in need of some serious TLC) and the pool looked distinctly uninviting.
So in all the Pousada, like Beja itself in some ways, is a dog that has had its day. If you are planning on visiting Beja, maybe spend one night in the Pousada - that will probably be enough; Beja does have a few sights worth seeing.
- Pousada De Hotel Beja
