The convent is beautifull and so is Vila Viçosa. The rooms are very good. The reception staff is very nice but the rest of the service is very poor. The restaurant is expensive and not good. You will find very good restaurants in the area but this is not.

The Pousada settled in an old monastery was just the perfect stay and settled the mood for this Royal Portuguese retreat. Don't miss the warm welcome, simplicity and the excellent food of the "Taverna dos Conjurados" just next the pousada and near the "Paço Ducal" amazing square.
We're just wainting for the next online deal to come back and explore this amazing peace os history, lost in the middle of Alentejo, near to the border with spain.

Great service, great food, beautiful monestary and gardens. Highly recomended for a great stay!

We stayed here for 5 days as part of the special family package where children stay for free. The common areas are decorated in an elegant style with lots of murals and there are some peaceful courtyards. Our room with balcony was comfortable and we had no issues with the air conditioning as a previous reviewer even though it was very hot (at least 37 degrees).
A great event is the Saturday barbecue which is very good value for money with a buffet and drinks included.
Some minor quibbles:
The free internet broke and wasn't fixed after 3 days;
The pool is indeed on the small side and the garden could do with some more attention;
A chair in our room disappeared and we never found out what happened to it.

Some comments on the restaurants in Vila Vicosa:
- Taverna dos conjurados, near the Pousada. A tourist trap with fish that was raw inside and meat that had bone splinters. Owner seems friendly but it's all an act as he disappears when the problems are brought up.
- O Paco Ducal, the only one I can recommend, it took a while to for the food to show up but it was well cooked.
- O Restauracao, on the main square. Very busy but most locals stick to the drinks. The food lacks any conviction and watch out for the so called extras.