An example of 18th century architecture in Elvas, the Convent of São Paulo is the fourth and last house in the Order of St. Paul, begun on 28 October 1679 and completed on 31 December 1721.

After the extinction of the religious orders, the convent sank into a process of decay culminating in a fire that completely destroyed it. The church remained in the possession of the Brotherhood of the Third Order of Saint Dominic until 1886 and, the following year, was given to the Cavalry Regiment of Elvas which installed a military court there.

The area to be allocated for tourism is the entire property, and the legal model is that of a concession agreement. An international public tender was launched by Elvas City Council on 29 July 2016.

A memorandum was signed between the Municipality of Elvas, the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and the Alentejo Regional Directorate of Culture on 3 August. On 21 October, a contract was signed with VILA GALÉ - Sociedade de Empreendimentos Turísticos, S.A. to operate the building as a 4* hotel, with a concession period of 40 years, and an investment for the recovery and adaptation of the property in the order of €5M.