Palace hotels in Portugal and Spain

On a quick trip to Portugal and Spain in November ’03, we discovered two beautiful palace hotels.

• Palace Hotel Bussaco (Mata do Bussaco 3050-261 Luso, PORTUGAL; phone +351 231937970, e-mail bussaco@almeidahotels.com) was once a monastery, then a palace and now is a hotel. It was the site of a battle between Napoleon’s forces and the Duke of Wellington. Our lovely room and an outstanding dinner for two with wine and tip cost €209 ($263).

• Tivoli Palácio de Seteais (Rua Barbosa du Bocage 10, 2710-517 Sintra, PORTUGAL; phone +351 21 9233200), built in the 18th century, was not easily found but was worth the search. Our room cost €200 ($252), and dinner in the superb restaurant, including a bottle of wine and tip, was €104.50 ($132).

• In Granada, SPAIN, we were delighted to find Hotel Guadalupe (Paseo de la Sabica, S/N 18009 Alhambra, Granada, Spain; phone +34 958 22 34 23), only two minutes from the entrance to the Alhambra. It’s necessary to leave your car at the public parking area and walk, but it’s not far, and you receive through the hotel a discount for parking.

The room was €60 ($75), and the food was average but reasonably priced (I don’t recall the cost).

GRACE NEWMAN
Ponte Vedra, FL