Convento do Seixo Boutique Hotel & Spa

With Portuguese hospitality still booming, it’s time to look beyond the more obvious destinations along the coast or in the established wine regions. Just outside the town of Fundão, where the plains meet the Gardunha mountain range, is a 17th-century convent, lovingly restored and converted into the Convento do Seixo Boutique Hotel & Spa.

It’s one of those names that rather straightforwardly says most of what you need to know about the place. In the main building, period architecture and modern design combine to create rooms and suites that are visually rich and extremely comfortable, while the outlying villas, a new addition, are contemporary through and through, and feel just as tranquil as the old monks’ cells — but with more expansive views of the surrounding countryside, thanks to their balconies and their full-length windows.

Another addition since the monastic days: a full-service spa, complete with a heated indoor swimming pool, a salt-water flotation pool, a salt cave for halotherapy, and a selection of massages and body treatments. The restaurant and bar, too, are decidedly 21st-century, despite their historical surroundings — here you’ll find a contemporary take on the Portuguese culinary tradition, and a soaring double-height lounge with a menu of creative cocktails.