We just returned from a 2-1/2 week trip to France, Spain and Portugal. For 20 years, we have depended on American Rick Steves for his recommendations on hotels in our price range. We found the Solar on our own on Trip Advisor and have never stayed in a finer hotel with a gracious and kind staff and wonderful meals. (Their buffet breakfast included in the room rate was the best, most extensive, and top-quality we've ever had on our ten trips to Europe.)

We knew we had found the right hotel in the tiny town of Vila VIcosa (its about 30 miles from Evora) when we were upgraded to a beautiful suite upon our arrival. English is spoken well in the hotel, and the staff (David and Tania) were able to help us a great deal with information about the town, the hotel and the area. As a result, we have fallen in love with the country of Portugal, the Alentejo region and the small town of Vila Vicosa which contains a lovely Ducal palace a block from the hotel. We are now figuring out how we can stay there for a month at a time when we retire in six years.

Anne & Ken
Oregon

I must say this Hotel was a nice suprise Solar dos Mascarenhas may have a simple face, but as soon as you enter it you are greeted by daring luxury standards the decoration is perfectly balanced between the Old and the Modern. The Rooms are very well decorated with all the modern amenities.
The restaurant represents all the tastes of the region but with a modern kick and the staff were very nice and helpfull. We were suprised to find out that they had something similliar to a wellness center were we had a relaxing massage.

We stayed there last year and we went back this year to spend a few days in Vila Viçosa, a small village with a magnificent palace in the middle of Alentejo.
The hotel is located near the palace, in the village centre. The hotel itself was once a little palace which was reformed and refurbished to become a modern and pleasant hotel with a small outside swimming pool. The no-frills rooms are not big though with a very interesting modern decoration. It is a three-star hotel but with an outstanding service and a friendly staff.
Brekfast which was poor, improved a lot. This time it offered a selection of local cheeses,different types of bread, and pastries and fruits,besides the usual eggs, sausages and bacon.
Unfortunately it doesn't have a parking site but it is easy to park on the street or in front of Vila Viçosa Palace.

We absolutely loved our night here. The hotel is gorgeous. Old world style on the outside, modern and trendy on the inside. It makes beautiful use of the region's marble in the baths and hallways. The choice of bold colours is fantastic in the common areas. The bed and bath were great. The staff also went out of their way to accommodate our vegetarian needs, making a three course meal in the restaurant for dinner that rivaled any gourmet preparations we've had anywhere in the world. Everyone was friendly, warm, and helpful. We wanted to stay a week instead of a night.