Portuguese Royal Horse Farm now offers a Luxury Hotel
A luxurious new hotel has opened in Portugal’s Alentejo region, set in the Royal Horse Farm at Alter do Chão. The Vila Galé Collection Alter Real - Equestrian Resort, Conference & Spa features 77 rooms, three outdoor swimming pools, a spa with heated indoor pool, and a restaurant serving Alentejo cuisine. It also has a horse museum, as well as a traditional olive oil press, and access to the Royal Horse Farm.
The new hotel was an investment of ten million euros to convert a portion of the state-owned Alter Horse Farm, with a concession for 50 years under the Revive Program.
The Vila Galé Collection Alter Real is the second hotel in Portugal to open under the Revive Program that rehabs national historic sites. The first was the Vila Galé Collection Elvas, which opened a year ago, also in the Alentejo. The horse farm is set on eight hundred hectares of rolling countryside in the Tapada do Arneiro, dedicated to the Lusitanian horse breed. The horse farm was founded in 1748, and is the oldest horse farm of its type in the world to operate uninterrupted in a single location.
The new hotel is a mix of luxury with equestrian tourism. Guests have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the farm, and also experience riding a horse for the first time. Carriage rides, lessons and horseback rides are available for all skill levels.
Set between Elvas and Portalegre, north of Evora the 'Vila Galé Collection Alter Real' is the fourth hotel in the Alentejo and it is 2 hours from Lisbon
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The Alentejo, stretching from the banks of the Tejo River to the mountains that surround the Algarve, is the heartland of Portugal. The Alentejo has inspired countless epic tales and adventures featuring Moors, Romans, Phoenicians and Celts, each leaving their mark on the unique local culture. A land with intense flavors of wine and a local cuisine that is unlike anything else, and as fresh and as local as the land it comes from. A place where you can enjoy both bliss and thrills, surrounded by rolling plains and mountains, blue rivers, pristine beaches, and villages painted in white and blue. And, our sunlight is warm and unique. Discover the Portuguese region rich in natural beauty, adventure, culture, flavors and welcoming smiles. The name of the Alentejo comes from the Portuguese "Além” and "Tejo,” or beyond the River Tejo.
