Pousada Castelo Palmela offers six meeting rooms, a restaurant for 120 in the former convent refectory and 29 bedrooms for residential seminars, company dinners and weddings. The hotel occupies the cloisters of a convent built inside the castle of Palmela, a hilltop town south of the Tagus, about 42 km from Lisbon.
Seminars and company events
The pousada lists six rooms for meetings and events. They are handled by the Pousadas de Portugal groups team, which supports meetings, conferences, team building and product presentations across the network. Rooms in the group's historic buildings come with audiovisual equipment and high-speed Wi-Fi, and coffee breaks feature regional products. Layouts range from theatre and classroom to U-shape, boardroom, cabaret and banquet. The individual room names and capacities are not published, so organisers receive them with a quote. With 29 bedrooms, the hotel can lodge a management committee or a sales team for a two-day seminar without transfers.
Weddings and receptions
The pousada is part of the Pousadas de Portugal wedding offer. The group arranges ceremonies of any tradition or religion, banquets built on Portuguese cooking, a decorated bridal suite and, on request, exclusive hire of the whole property. The refectory restaurant seats 120, which sets a practical size for a seated wedding dinner inside the building. Drinks can be served on the Pátio do Pessegueiro, a terrace with views.
Rooms and capacities
The largest documented space is the restaurant in the former refectory, with 120 seats. The six meeting rooms vary in size. The castle grounds, inside the walls, add outdoor areas around the convent.
Accommodation
The 29 rooms are former monks' cells, each decorated individually, with television and free Wi-Fi. Categories include Classic and Superior rooms, family rooms, and three levels of suite: Standard, Special and Master. For a wedding, the suites suit the couple and close family.
Catering
Catering is in-house. The restaurant serves breakfast every day and dinner in the evening, with a menu of regional dishes. For events, the kitchen prepares coffee breaks, lunches and banquets. Room service is available for residents.
History and setting
The fortifications of Palmela were built between the 10th and 12th centuries on a site inhabited since ancient times. A convent was later built within the walls for the military Order of Santiago, and its cloisters now hold the hotel. The castle is classified as a National Monument. At about 230 m above sea level, it looks over the Serra da Arrábida, the Atlantic and the vineyards of the Setúbal peninsula. Nearby activities for groups include dolphin watching and boat trips on the Sado estuary, canoeing, and karting at the Palmela circuit.
Getting there
Palmela is about 42 km from Lisbon by the A2 motorway across the 25 de Abril bridge, or by the Vasco da Gama bridge. Free public parking is available inside the castle walls. Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport is the nearest airport, and Setúbal is a short drive away.
