Portugal has been having a moment for a while now—seductive in its sun-faded charm, its quiet coastal cool. It felt like just about everyone had been except us. With a South of France escape already in motion, we finally gave in. A long-overdue introduction—through the lens of design, detail and lineup of Portugal’s most extraordinary hotels, breathing new energy into thriving cities and casting a spell over coastal enclaves.

Lisbon was the entry point—a crisp two-hour flight. Easy. Effortless. The city itself? A glorious, crumbling chaos. Beautiful in that perfectly imperfect way, but heaving with tourists (ha!). It felt stretched, spilling over at the seams. A city best explored in its quieter pockets. A moment of calm in Principe Real, a tucked-away gallery in Alfama. But the real Portugal? That lay beyond.

Onward to Comporta. Golden Sands, wild grasses, a certain effortless cool that whispered rather than shouted. A place that felt untouched—though not undiscovered. The kind of spot you mentally bookmark to return to, for longer, slower days. Further inland, Estremoz. Olive trees for days, and whitewashed walls soaking up the sun. A town steeped in history, its own kind of grandeur. The kind of place that reminds you to take your time, to linger. Then came the Douro Valley, where the land itself is art, sculpted into layers of vine-laden terraces rolling toward the river. Wine country, yes, but also a place to just be, with a glass in hand, watching the light shift over the hills.

Tucked away in Alfama’s historic heart, Hotel Santa Clara 1728 feels like a deep exhale. Architect Manuel Aires Mateus has conjured a space that is both generous and beautifully restrained—six suites wrap around a sunlit courtyard, where marble baths and four-poster beds invite lingering. It is soft and still, all pale timber, weighty linen, and morning light. Step outside and Lisbon hums—natural wine bars spill onto cobbled streets, tuk-tuks whirring past. But inside, time stretches. It’s a place to pause, to take it all in.

A spirited 1.5-hour drive from Lisbon, the Vermelho Hotel in Melides is a maximalist marvel—Christian Louboutin’s playful ode to Portuguese tradition. With just 13 eclectic rooms furnished from his personal collection, this sun-drenched space is a sensory delight. Expect glorious frescoed ceilings, intricate timberwork, and radiant tiles, wrapped in riotous colour and texture.

Tucked into 120 hectares of olive groves just outside Estremoz, Da Licença is a serene, near-secret retreat. The dirt track feels almost too remote—like you’ve taken a wrong turn—but that’s exactly the point. Perched on a hilltop, its seven art-filled suites offer sweeping views and exquisite quiet, broken only by breeze and birdsong. With orange-shaded terraces, a cactus-flanked circular pool, and interiors curated from the owner’s personal collection of Jugendstil and Anthroposophic furniture, it’s more gallery than guesthouse.

High in the Douro Valley, Quinta da Côrte is a traditional Portuguese vineyard and farmhouse reimagined by design deity Pierre Yovanovitch. A nerve-testing descent down winding stone roads gives way to quiet beauty—five simple rooms in the main house, four cottages, and an intimacy that suits the steep, sun-drenched hillside. This is Port country at its most poetic—handpicked grapes, soul-stirring views, and a house that feels stitched into the land itself.

Portugal unfolded in textures—crumbling cityscapes, windblown beaches, sun-drenched valleys. A country best experienced outside the urban fray, where time slows and space expands. And through this design-led tour, each stay not only reflected the land but elevated it. These are the kinds of places that linger long after you leave—one tile, one terrace, once glass of wine at a time.

xxx ADC

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In Melides, let the day melt away as you drift toward the honey-hued dunes at Praia do Pinheirinho.

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Hotel Santa Clara 1728 feels like a deep exhale.

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The Vermelho Hotel is a maximalist marvel — a playful ode to Portuguese tradition.

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Breafast unfolds gently, a rolling feast of local organic produce.

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Whimsical details invite lingering smiles at the Vermelho Hotel, Melides.

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Immerse yourself in the colourful charm of JNcQUOI Deli Comporta. 

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In Melides, let the day melt away as you drift toward the honey-hued dunes at Praia do Pinheirinho.

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Da Licença is a serene, near-secret retreat.

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With interiors curated from the owner’s collection of Jugendstil and Anthroposophic furniture, it’s more gallery than guesthouse.

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It would be my dream to live surrounded by such art.

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Perched on a hilltop, the guesthouse offers sweeping views and exquisite quiet, broken only by breeze and birdsong.

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Slow mornings, market meanders, and cultural stops — such as the Berardo Tile Museum.

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Quinta da Côrte is a traditional Portuguese vineyard and farmhouse reimagined by design deity Pierre Yovanovitch.

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Interiors are humble yet elevated, layered with ceramics, brushed timbers and classic Portuguese tiles. 

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Handpicked grapes, soul-stirring views, and a house that feels stitched into the land itself.