Tavira House Hotel

The lounge with its extraordinary ceiling

The ballroom, with its extraordinary ceiling

Having a home in Tavira, in the Eastern Algarve, I don’t normally devote space to local hotel reviews.  But there’s always an exception, isn’t there, and this is it.

I was leafing through the East Algarve Magazine when an article on Tavira House Hotel caught my eye.  I didn’t recollect seeing it and no address was supplied, but it was stated to be within the old castle walls of the town.  It looked very beautiful and my curiosity was piqued.  A stroll through Tavira is never a hardship, especially one with a purpose, and the hotel wasn’t too very difficult to find.

The front door was closed and I stood gazing up at the balcony, trying to get some impression of the inside.  Rather taking me by surprise, a young man appeared at the window.  “Would you like to come up?” he enquired.  I couldn’t have been more delighted!

At number 47
I could just make out the dim outline of a chandelier
The reality was beautiful

The reality was beautiful

And the gilded swans, a complete masterpiece

And the gilded swans, a complete masterpiece

Casa Alice, as the house was originally called, was built in 1860 for a high-ranking Portuguese army officer.  It was a maze of corridors and false walls, allegedly for hiding his many mistresses. When it was purchased by the present owner it had been uninhabited for 20 years and was in a poor state of repair.  By 2006 permission had been obtained to renovate this listed and protected building.  The work, over 8 years, was laborious but the finished result is a triumph.

Nuno Reis, the young hotel manager, was extremely pleasant and happy for me to look around and take photos.  The only exception was the bedrooms, because the hotel was fully occupied, but an offer was extended for me to come and view one the following week.  The Mediterranean Diet Fair was in full swing in the town, and the 9 bedrooms were all needed.

The folk troupe, in 'full swing'

The folk troupe, in ‘full swing’!

Being fully engaged in the fair, I never managed a return, but the website gives a very good impression of the bedrooms, and I’m sure they’ll be of a standard with the rest of this immaculate building.  They are named for flowers that grow locally and range from a small double, accented in gold, the Mimosa, to the Geranium suite at the top of the house.  Beamed ceilings and a view over the rooftops of Tavira makes the latter rather special.

The dining room, with a touch of flamboyance
A snippet of the outside space
Fireplace and paneled walls
And that wonderful ceiling detail, again

Spend a little time on the website.  It will tell you about the preservation of the Algarvian arched walls and the painstaking reconstruction of the unique ballroom ceiling.  In the ‘Explore Tavira’ section, there’s also a link to an engaging Daily Telegraph article about the town.  You don’t just have to take my word for it- it’s a beautiful place!  And I would be more than happy to stay at Tavira House Hotel.

75 comments

  1. well how cool that you followed the prompting to go and explore this move hotel. That yellow has such a pleasant feel and whew! to the ceiling –
    oh – and my son was just talking to me today about possibly learning Portuguese – he has to pick his language this year and we have a friend from Brazil that he could go and do an exchange with – but he is not sure if this is the language he wants to learn – such a hard choice because Spanish, French and German seem to be more useful for business opps – hmmm

    anyhow, have a good day restless one.
    ❤

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    1. Yes, I would think Spanish a better option. The 2 languages can understand each other generally though they don’t always choose to. They don’t like each other much, the shared history being what it is. What kind of work will he be looking for eventually, Yvette? I expect it’s much too soon to know.

      They were very welcoming at the hotel- which is another bonus 🙂 Hope you’re having a good week.

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  2. Stunning and beautiful ceiling design. The craftsmanship and architectural details, just amazing. Very artistic! It exudes rich history and culture. Truly a grand hotel. Have a wonderful weekend. All the best to you and your family.

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    1. I just stood and stared, Mr. B! My photos don’t do it justice but it’s a lovely place. Thank you so much for spending time with me, and for shining a light on all the good things in this world. 🙂

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  3. Very Baroque! I actually like that pink ceiling and pink is not my colour at all. I shall definitely bookmark the hotel web site – you never know you may see me in Tavira next year! Nice of the guy to show you around.

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      1. Done that, Jo. Playing hide and seek in a hotel is not fun. 😀 All you have is the room you are assigned with or the fire exit stairs. 😀

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  12. Looks wonderful Jo – being nosy I checked out the room rates expecting it to be very expensive. There are some dates available at only 79 Euros for a double room, breakfast included which seems quite reasonable to me – must book a flight! 🙂

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    1. I thought the same, Robin, and it truly is beautiful. My photos don’t do it justice. I didn’t quote prices in the post because they are always subject to change. The pousada is much bigger and very grand and you can sometimes get a deal there, but probably not this good. Go on- I dare you! I’m back there at the end of October. 🙂

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    1. I thought I was going to get a ‘ticking off’, Lynn. 🙂 I was hanging about with my camera trying to get a decent shot. I was so excited when he offered to show me inside.

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  16. What a gorgeous hotel Jo, the ceilings are exquisite. Even the pink works I think! Love too how you capture the dancer’s swirling skirt. I wouldn’t turn down the chance to stay here that’s for sure 🙂

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    1. The pink ceiling was a bit of a shock to the system initially, Sherri, but I don’t like bland and I thought it a fun touch in an otherwise plain room. The manager was very nice and I liked the whole feel of the place. 🙂

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    1. Well, yes, but people do tend to want modern and all that goes with. If I’m just looking for myself I like character and I don’t mind the odd cracked tile, but that isn’t really today’s market. I think they’ve done a beautiful job, Kate, and I’d stay in that suite in a heartbeat. 🙂

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      1. Each to our own. I’ve never been a follower of fashion, so that’s probably why I live in a rustic finca – with original tiles on the floor 😀 not too many cracks though. We did fertile the kitchen to dado height thought. Small dirty white tiles are just that. Even I can’t cope with it. Now we need to add a sink. One year.

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    2. Just as an afterthought, Kate, and I meant to say this in the post- I’m a huge fan of renovating the old. 🙂 The pousada was originally a convent and they did a fine job on that but it’s on a much grander scale. If budget were no object I would love one of those old houses with the vaulted brick ceilings. I wish this hotel every success and I think it deserves to succeed for the effort put in.

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  19. It looks lovely. I’ve only been to Tavira once, in fact I’ve only been to the Algarve once – 19 years ago this December – I remember because it was my first holiday abroad with my daughter, she was 5 months old. I should go back shouldn’t I! And this looks the perfect hotel.

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