Near the historical centre of Guimarães, set on a hill overlooking the city, stands the majestic Pousada de Guimarães, Santa Marinha. It was a former XII Century Augustin Monastery, which, after being rebuilt and restored, received the National Architectural Prize in 1985. This hotel has interesting history, including its various re-constructions over original ancient buildings, and the fire that destroyed parts of the building, and the original wall tiles, etc. It also has some features that are beneficial to MICE organizers, for example, the superb gardens with a magnificent stone staircase that can be used for team-building activities or outdoor parties, as well as the various historic halls and rooms for meetings and banquet.

There are 55 guest rooms, out of which 22 are originally monks’ living quarters. As this is a conservation building, the quarters retain the original window and fixtures, so guests can have an idea of how monks lived in the past. Of course, the rooms are now enhanced with modern comfort and facilities. However, the rooms are really quite small and windows rather tiny. Hence, guests might need some getting used to.

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