The Literary Man Óbidos Hotel

A convent turned into a hotel of books

The Literary Man occupies a former convent next to the entrance to Óbidos. According to the hotel itself, the prior of São Pedro bought some houses next to the Chafariz Novo in the 1830s to found a convent of nuns, with the help of King Miguel; the chapel was finished in 1833. A year later, the liberal revolution suppressed the religious orders and the building passed through several hands: in 1965 a French couple turned it into an inn, and since the 1980s it has belonged to the Garcia family, who ran it as the Estalagem do Convento. In 2015, as part of the Óbidos Vila Literária project, it changed its name and its idea: today it holds about 100,000 books, which fill corridors, lounges and the dining room.

It fits the town: Óbidos is a UNESCO Creative City of Literature and has a bookshop inside a church.

The rooms

There are 27, with traditional or more modern decor. The former Corredor das Celas keeps the layout of the convent and holds eight rooms, from 10 to 18. There are four types: standard double or twin, superior double or twin, deluxe suite and superior deluxe suite, the latter of more than 25 m² and with a balcony. All have a TV and free wifi; the suites add air conditioning and a minibar. Breakfast is included in all rates. The website does not publish fixed prices or check-in and check-out times: its booking engine gives them.

Eating and drinking without going out

The restaurant is called Book & Cook and arranges the menu like a book: preface, chapters and epilogue. It is open every day from 16:00 to 22:00, and the bar from 15:00 to 23:00. Book on +351 262 959 214 or at [email protected]. At lunchtime you will have to eat in the town.

Getting there

The hotel is outside the wall, about two minutes' walk from the nearest gate, on Rua D. João d'Ornelas. The bus stop, opposite the Porta da Vila, is five minutes' walk away, so it is a good option if you arrive on the direct bus from Lisbon. By car, Lisbon airport is about 79 km away, an hour. The website does not give details of parking: ask when you book.

What is nearby

You enter the town in two minutes for the wall, the ginja and the Livraria de Santiago. The lagoon is about 5 km away, and Caldas da Rainha and Peniche about ten minutes by car.