Must-see hotels in Portugal

  • Aldeia da Mata Pequena

    Portugal

    Located 9km south of Mafra, this unique rural tourism option is the forward-thinking vision of lisboêta Diogo Batalha, who managed to buy and restore 18…

  • Casa das Penhas Douradas

    Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

    Make it up to this fantastic mountain hideaway and you won't want to leave. Everything about the place is just so right, from its panoramic setting to the…

  • Vila Monte

    Olhão

    Set over nine hectares of olive groves, orange orchards and gardens blazing with bougainvillea, this stunningly designed farmhouse estate 11km northeast…

  • Lisbon Story Guesthouse

    Baixa & Rossio

    Overlooking Largo de São Domingos, Lisbon Story is a small, extremely welcoming guesthouse with nicely maintained, light-drenched rooms, all of which…

  • Santiago de Alfama

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    In 2015 Dutch hospitality dreamer Heleen Uitenbroek turned a ruined 15th-century palace into luxury sleeps at this 19-room bastion of style. It's airy and…

  • Valverde

    Marquês de Pombal & Around

    Exquisite Valverde feels like a boutique town house (which it once was). Its facade is not showy, but once inside, an urban oasis of discerning design and…

  • Palácio Belmonte

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    Nestled beside Castelo de São Jorge, this 15th-century palace, formerly belonging to the family of Brazil explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral, turns on the VIP…

  • Moon Hill Hostel

    Sintra

    This design-forward, minimalist newcomer easily outshines the competition. Book a bed in a four-bed mixed dorm (with lockers), or a boutique-hotel-level…

  • Casa do Príncipe

    Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela

    Perfectly located and exquisitely restored (and accordingly priced to shock!), this 14-room B&B is housed inside what was once the same 19th-century neo…

  • Lisbon Calling

    Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré

    This fashionable, unsigned backpacker favourite near Santa Catarina features original frescoes, azulejos and hardwood floors – all lovingly restored by…

  • Yeatman

    Vila Nova de Gaia

    Named after one of port producer Taylor’s original founders, the Yeatman is Porto's only true five-star resort, terraced and tucked into the Gaia hillside…

  • Lisbon Destination Hostel

    Baixa & Rossio

    Housed in Lisbon's loveliest train station, this world-class hostel has a glass ceiling that lights the spacious plant-filled common area. Rooms are crisp…

  • Guest House Douro

    Ribeira

    In a restored relic overlooking the Rio Douro, these eight rooms have been blessed with gorgeous wooden floors, plush queen beds and marble baths; the…

  • ROSA ET AL Townhouse

    Miragaia

    This gorgeously done-up town house in the thick of Porto's art district has suites with hardwood floors and freestanding claw-foot bathtubs, a lovely…

  • Morgadio da Calçada

    Pinhão

    Housed in a 17th-century manor in the gorgeous hillside village of Provesende, a 20-minute drive from Pinhão, this welcoming guesthouse has eight…

  • Palácio Verride

    Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré

    The 19-room Palácio Verride, dating to the 1750s, was once the stomping ground of Count Verride, whose former dining room now makes up the extraordinary…

  • Casa Agrícola da Levada

    Trás-os-Montes

    North of the centre at the end of a long, shady drive lies this ecofriendly gem. A collection of tastefully renovated old houses surrounds grounds that…

  • Albergaria do Calvario

    Évora

    Unpretentiously elegant, discreetly attentive and comfortable, this beautifully designed guesthouse has an ambience that travellers adore. The kind…

  • Casas do Côro

    The Beiras

    Marialva's cobbled centre provides the memorable setting for this luxurious set-up, one of central Portugal's stand-out hotels. In fact, much of the…

  • Convento da Provença

    Alto Alentejo

    Mother Superior may not have approved of this out-of-town luxury sleeping option, but we do. This renovated former convent has an austere white exterior,…

  • Sublime Comporta

    The Alentejo

    One of Portugal's top sleeps, Sublime stays true to its name, revamping a former rice-storing warehouse tucked away in a dramatic landscape of cork trees…

  • Memmo Alfama

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    Slip down a narrow alley to reach this gorgeous Alfama boutique option, a stunning conversion of a shoe-polish factory and former bakery. The rooms are an…

  • Casa das Obras

    Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

    Live like nobility at this glorious 18th-century mansion, the pick of the town centre accommodation. The manor house has been in the same family for…

  • Paintshop Hostel

    The Beiras

    Set in a characterful blue house in the old part of town, this excellent hostel is a laid-back, sociable place with excellent facilities for backpackers…

  • Casa das Marés

    Peniche

    At the picturesque, windswept tip of Baleal stands one of the area's most unusual accommodation options. Three sisters originally inherited this…

  • Quinta do Ameal

    The Minho

    Known for its award-winning whites made with the local loureiro grape – featured in more than 40 Michelin-starred restaurants – this gorgeous estate just…

  • Hotel Casa do Outeiro

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    This modern 23-room hotel with a guesthouse feel is awash in the whimsical and colourful artwork of the owner, who also makes some of the arts and crafts…

  • Train Spot

    Alto Alentejo

    Some 11km north of Marvão in the tiny village of Beirã, this extraordinary place offers lodging in a beautifully converted building that was once part of…

  • Collector's Hostel

    Braga

    A delightful hostel, lovingly run by two well-travelled women who met in Paris (one of whom was born in the hostel's living room), restored the family…

  • The Place

    Alto Alentejo

    Run by a friendly, well-travelled couple from South Africa and Scotland, the Place offers four stylish modern rooms, trimmed with artwork and set with all…

  • Casa Amora

    Marquês de Pombal & Around

    Casa Amora has 11 beautifully designed guest rooms and studio apartments, with eye-catching art and iPod docks. There's a lovely garden patio where the…

  • Quinta do Barrieiro

    Alto Alentejo

    Special occasion anyone? Bah! You shouldn’t need an excuse to come to this rural tourism abode. This superb place, made up of several casinhas (little…

  • Pousada de Viseu

    Viseu

    This superbly refashioned pousada set in a monumental 19th-century hospital is a top luxury option. The original three floors, all with ridiculously high…

  • Quinta Nova

    Pinhão

    Set on a ridge, surrounded by 120 hectares of ancient vineyards, overlooking the Douro river with mountains layered in the distance, Quinta Nova is simply…

  • B&B Candelária

    The Algarve

    Surrounded by olive, carob and almond trees, this rustic farmhouse has thick adobe walls providing natural coolness in summer and warmth in winter, heavy…

  • Casa do Romezal

    Peso da Régua

    Young brother-sister team Luis and Margarida run this charming B&B encircled by a small winery, set on a hillside that's been in their family since the…

  • Sintra 1012

    Sintra

    You'll probably need to go to war to book one of the eight spacious and smart rooms in this highly recommended guesthouse run by a young Portuguese…

  • Hostel 2300 Thomar

    Tomar

    One of the country's funkiest hostels, this cleverly renovated mansion right in the heart of town celebrates Portugal, with each room brightly decorated…

  • Santarém Hostel

    Ribatejo

    One of Portugal's best 'glostels' (glamorous hostels); helpful owner Mario runs a great ship, from the neat, airy, brightly decorated rooms (each with en…

  • Madre de Água

    Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

    A fabulous rural retreat, this contemporary four-star is set on verdant farmland 6km west of Gouveia. The 10-room hotel, a good-looking mix of exposed…

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