Tag: Portugal

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Sintra Marmoris Palace – a truly royal experience…

The Marmoris Palace Hotel is located in Sintra, 38 kilometres from Lisbon city centre and a quick 30 minutes from the international airport.

The charming building – previously a private residence and converted into a boutique hotel two years ago – is surrounded by lavish trees and a huge private garden.  Situated on top of a hill, it is overlooking the historical town centre with beautiful views of the castle.

Being a small hotel, it offers guests a truly personalised experience. All from the reception and welcoming drinks to the check-out was a great experience. Our host also gladly assisted us with recommendations for dinner, where to shop for a few necessities that we needed and ideas to explore the town.

The hotel has nine individually decorated rooms – four in the main building – all of which have breathtaking scenic views of Sintra –  and five in an outbuilding a few metres away, all offering privacy and direct access to the garden. The massive en-suite rooms which are beautifully furnished speak of royalty and have all the amenities that you can think of.  

The buffet breakfast has a huge selection of fruit, cereals, pastries and hot food. Taking into account that Marmoris is a small hotel with a limited number of guests each day; this was hugely impressive. 

Beautiful shaded gardens create a calm and relaxed atmosphere and because of the huge premisise it is situated on and surrounding gardens, the hotel offers a totally quiet and noise-free environment to relax in. An indoor swimming pool is also available to guests with a retractable roof overlooking castle hill.

Although my stay at Sintra Marmoris Palace was short, it is truly one of the most exquisite properties I have ever visited. From the perfect location to friendly staff, scrumptious food and attention to the finer details, Sintra Marmoris does not dissapoint and I highly reccomend a stay here if you are visiting Sintra.

Reviewed by World Luxury Hotel Awards Representative

To book a stay at this exquisite property follow the link: www.sintramarmoris.com

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Pine Cliffs, a Luxury Collection Resort, Algarve – A piece of heaven in Portugal…

Pine Cliffs resort is located in the Algarve with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. When you drive through the resort you feel like you’re driving through a beautiful little town.

Upon check in, we were greeted by friendly staff and promptly taken to our room. We stayed in a deluxe room on the 2nd floor, with a balcony overlooking the Resort. The bed was very comfortable, and the interior of the room was beautifully designed.

There are multiple swimming pools at the hotel and the gym and indoor pool overlooks the Resort grounds. To get to the beach, you need to take an elevator from the hotel down to ground level.

On the pathway to the beach you are surrounded by the most beautiful and unique red cliffs. On the beach there are complimentary lounger chairs and towels. There is also a boathouse with many water activities including jet skis.

The beach restaurant called Mare, was a great dining experience. The food was delicious, and you have a great view of the ocean and beach. For sun downers we went to the Mirador champagne bar. When the sun hits the red cliffs its almost like they glow, it was a breathtaking view.

Dinner at Yakuza was amazing, it is a Japanese inspired restaurant. I would eat there every night if I could. We had two breakfast options every morning and both were great. A huge selection of food is on offer along with great service.

Overall Pine Cliffs was an amazing experience, we wish we never had to leave the Resort because they literally have everything you want inside the resort. Highly recommended and I would love to visit again soon.

Reviewed by Kayla Lourens – World Luxury Hotel Awards Representative

To book a stay in paradise:

www.pinecliffs.com

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EPIC SANA Algarve – Paradise found …

EPIC SANA Algarve is located on Falésia Beach, which is one of the longest, and most beautiful beaches in Portugal. We were checked in by Stefanie, who showed us all the hotel facilities on our way to the room.  She also helped us with restaurant bookings throughout out trip.

We stayed in a Grand Deluxe Garden Duplex Suite. The balcony overlooks a beautiful garden and over the trees you can see the ocean. Downstairs we had a big lounge area and a fully equipped kitchenette. We were also given a complimentary bottle of wine and a platter of chocolates upon turn down.

The gym is open 24 hours and has all the necessary equipment. It is right next to the indoor heated pool which is also open 24 hours. The spa is beautiful and also has a separate heated pool and a relaxation room.

Breakfast was great, all the food was so fresh and delicious. The chef made really good omelets. We also had a choice of sitting inside or outside in the sun, which was great. The Manager came to check on us every morning, it was great to have such personalized service and hospitality.

Every night in the main restaurant there was a buffet dinner and the cuisine changes each evening. The hotel is also located within walking distance of many local restaurants and shops.

There is a beautiful wooden pathway leading to the beach with amazing views. There is also a “love tree” in their garden which is great for couples. There you can hang up a wooden heart and write your personal message on it and leave it to hang on one of the tree’s branches.

The hotel has two outdoor swimming pools and one is for adults only. So, it’s great if you want some peace and quiet. And if you’re with kids you can relax at the family pool.  There is also a nice restaurant next to the pool which is open for lunch and dinner.

The hotel is so peaceful and relaxing, we really enjoyed every moment at the hotel and hope to visit again soon. A huge thank you to the EPIC SANA team for making us feel so relaxed and at home.

Reviewed By: Kayla Lourens – World Luxury Hotel Awards Representative

To book a stay at this stunning Property

www.algarve.epic.sanahotels.com:

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A visit to the historic and beautiful town of Porto…

We arrived in Porto after a long bus ride from Lisbon, and while heading towards the hotel we were astounded by this historic and varied city.

We arrived at Porto Palácio Congress Hotel & SPA at around 2pm in the afternoon, they checked us in, gave us a complimentary voucher for a glass of port at the roof bar and showed us to our room. The first thing I noticed was how big the hotel was, with 251 rooms the greatest thing about this hotel is that it is suitable for work and leisure.

We we arrived in our room, which has amazing views of the city, we were surprised by a complimentary massage and facial from the Wellness & Beauty Lab.

We went down to the spa to make a booking as we were only staying at the hotel for two nights, suffice to say, we just stayed at the spa to relax and enjoy our treatments for the rest of the day. The spa is truly magical, and my husband and I agreed that we had one of the best massages to date.

Afterwards we went to the bar and tasted some real Portuguese Port, what really got me though, was the breath-taking panoramic view of Porto.

The next morning, we went for the breakfast buffet at Madruga Restaurant, the buffet has a lot to offer and we were definitely set for the rest of the day of exploring. When we returned to the hotel, we went for a second round at the spa. We had an early morning flight therefore we went to bed quite early.

Porto Palácio Congress Hotel & SPA is an amazing hotel, the views, the spa, the amazing staff but mostly the way they cater to more than just business or leisure, but both.

Reviewed by Jana Stoman – World Luxury Hotel Awards Representative

To make a booking at this magnificent property follow the link:

www.shotelscollection.com/portopalacio