The Six Senses Douro Valley is the brand’s first resort in Europe, and it has made a splash in an under-the-radar wine destination in Portugal.

Sitting on Campo das Cebolas (the Square of the Onions, named after the market held here centuries ago), with Lisbon’s Cathedral rising behind it, Alma Lusa Alfama offers 25 rooms in a yellow-fronted building which dates back to the 12th century. The best rooms are the ones with views over the square onto the River Tagus. Room size varies considerably, and some face an internal courtyard making them dark. Decor changes on each floor with studded headboards backed by wallpapers of forest scenes.

Every guest is given a smartphone for their stay, equipped with the Alma Lusa Hotels app which guides guests around the capital with curated activities to help them make the most of their visit.

Delfina Cafe on the ground floor, overlooking the square offers all day dining of simple Portuguese and International bites served in the pretty, light-filled, room.

This charming boutique hotel is decorated with Portuguese treasures and has a central location. Read Indagare's review.

This elegant 5-star property is just steps from the Santa Justa Elevator and offers sweeping views of Lisbon’s historic downtown.

Perched on the riverside in Belem Altis Belem is a relaxing sanctuary with luxuries and conveniences that attract stylish jetsetters.

Art meets history is the tagline for this hotel, and the concept that led to its name. It is a skilful merging of the 19th and 21st centuries, with the original Rococo features of the palace well preserved and the contemporary extension a nod to the urban street art that Lisbon is famous for. Vhils, or Alexander Farto to give him his proper name, is justifiably famous for his works; notably creating faces through relief on plaster and brick walls. Here he has created openings all over the building, allowing light to stream through and dapple the bedrooms.

Art and design fill the interiors too, with lights by Danish design brands Gubi, a Fipse Seilern interpretation of a Rembrandt self-portrait and bespoke furniture by Marta Carreira in a neutral palette. The 19 rooms and suites are split between the old and new buildings with the former having high ceilings and large windows and the latter somewhat darker and smaller due to being inside the Swiss cheese like (due to its holes) stone walls.

Located in the heart of the most charming area of Lisbon, between the bohemian Bairro Alto and chic Chiado neighborhoods, the hotel Bairro Alto has been a favorite retreat and watering hole for decades. It reopened in late summer 2019 after a multi-year renovation, during which two adjoining buildings were added to the original ones that face the Praça Luís de Camões. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Maura masterminded the merger of the four historic 18th-century buildings, which now feature 87 guest rooms and multiple suites.

The design respects historical elements but adds refreshing nods to today’s Portugal. Fabulous embroidered panels with swans (birds are of the hotel’s motifs) line the hallways, and the wood-paneled Mezzanine bar features mid-century furniture that evokes a private Lisbon apartment. An incredible handmade wall hanging that spans multiple floors is displayed in one of the interior stairwells.

The fifth-floor rooftop restaurant, BAHR, has views over Lisbon’s red roofs to the Tagus River as does its neighboring bar, probably the loveliest roof-top bar in town. Food is contemporary Portuguese, done well, but save room for a visit to the pastry shop with its lines of traditional Portuguese pastries.

There is a small spa, where the spa therapists are earning raves, and the hotel is clearly the place to stay for those who believe in the old adage: location, location, location.

The Belmond Reid’s Palace in Portugal is perched atop a cliffside in Madeira and the most luxurious hotel in the area. Read Indagare's review.

You wouldn’t know this little hotel was here, so discreet is its address behind the closed green door. It opens at the touch of the bell to reveal 20 rooms which cluster around a garden inset with a swimming pool. It is located in the middle of Chiado, just near the ruins of the Gothic Carmo church, the largest in Lisbon before the earthquake.

Inside, rooms are decorated with antiques, floors are limestone or wood with bathrooms fitted with black and white encaustic hydraulic tiles. Stone walls are exposed in places and throughout modern art overlayers.

The twenty rooms all vary, with three providing a hot tub on their terraces, allowing you a magnificent view over Lisbon’s red roofs beneath you. Some of the rooms have large terraces, others a little kitchenette with microwave, some come with bathtubs, some with showers, some with both, but all come with wooden floors and gleaming antiques. A half bottle of wine, tea and coffee are provided in your room on arrival but there is also complimentary Nespresso and tea available throughout the day. A freshly baked cake is always on offer too. It comes from the oldest patisserie in Lisbon, the Confeitaria Nacionall, which – also since 1829 – belongs to the same owners as Casa Balthazar.

The reception is open from 9am to 9pm. After these hours a mobile phone in each room calls the manager directly, should there be a need. Every guest has a front door key.

The small swimming pool in the garden is heated and is open throughout the year.

Only breakfast is provided here, but there are a multitude of good restaurants within walking distance. Breakfast itself comes from their bakery; think warm croissants and fresh bread and home-made jams.

Walk into the Corinthia and the huge flower display on the main table in the lobby will tell you you have come to a hotel that strives to deliver its best. While Lisbon has had an explosion of small boutique properties over the last decade, big hotels like the Corinthia with its 518 rooms and suites still have a role to play for the leisure traveler as well as the business one.

Light-filled, spacious, bedrooms are elegant, and decorated with local art and a color palette of light blue, gray and beige. Plugs and USB sockets are in all the right places. With some suites, or for a fee, comes access to the Club Lounge on the 24th floor which serves breakfast and snacks throughout the day. There is a spa with a swimming pool, gym and one of Lisbon’s hairdressers.

Restaurant Erva, with an open kitchen, bare wooden tables and leafy plants, offers contemporary Portuguese cuisine. Outside in Soul Garden, dishes from Asia and South America from soft shell crab tacos to chicken pad thai are served to the beat of music from the nightly DJ’s.

The 33 rooms here are all extremely different, so take time to choose what suits you best. Some are bright red and ornate, others black and gold and decadent, others white and minimalist. Eight of the rooms have been designed by international and Portuguese fashion designers, while others remain classical. There are also cozy loft rooms which have floor to ceiling windows looking out to sea. All bathrooms come with hydromassage bathtubs.

As befits a boutique hotel, the service here is personalized and a lot can be arranged on request, like yoga classes and a massage in your room or outside on the deck.

Food is a great strength here from the Mediterranean dishes at The Mix (try the ginger-infused risotto with lobster) to the gyozas, sushi and sashimi at Sushi Design. Two bars also serve tapas-style snacks alongside great cocktails and local wines.

There’s something about staying in the rolling countryside of the Algarve—far away from the relentless energy of the bigger coastal cities—that's totally transporting. This gorgeous country house tucked away in eastern Algarve is the ultimate hideaway. Close enough to charming coastal towns and the beach, it boasts a setting surrounded by acres of almond and olive orchards, giving it a most intimate atmosphere.

Husband-and-wife team Tim and Hallie Robinson moved from London to transform this rugged country estate into a sought-after destination. The result is a hotel with the charm and personal touches of a B&B and the high-tech, forward-thinking amenities of a luxury design property. The 10 spacious, light-bathed rooms are swathed in mix-and-match textures that add personal, homey touch, from the pony-skin area rugs and patterned upholstery to four-post wood beds and vintage-looking cabinets. Each of the rooms have relaxing outdoor gardens.

The public areas feature that same attention to design detail, making guests feel like they're staying at a fabulous friends’ very big house. The hand-picked flea market finds and the supple leather chairs and the unusual bursts of color here and there set a casual yet stylish mood. Things get particularly picturesque in the outside dining spaces with nothing but blue skies and acres of orchards in line of vision. A typical meal consists of fresh fish served with produce grown on-site and olive oil from the estate. If you do need to venture out, Tavira’s charming streets and shops and Algarve’s famous beaches are just minutes away by taxi.

Located at the edge of Eduardo VII Park away from the bustling city center, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is all about the quiet elegance of Old World luxury.

An historic and charming boutique hotel with a riverfront location in the Algarve’s traditional town of Vila Real de Santo António.

There is quite a lot of competition in Cascais for good hotels, but this one stands out for its impeccable service and its great location, right opposite the Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth), the famous chasm on this coastline. Beaches are within walking distance.

The hotel takes pride in its history, and the staff attitude that this is not just another hotel is tangible. The 124 rooms and 19 suites are in the modern wing, both are classical in décor, and most come with sea views. All bathrooms are clad in the local blueish marble. The old palace houses the three penthouse suites.

There are three restaurants and Bar Mare, by the pool, for light meals. Breakfast, literally fit for a king, comprises an enormous buffet with a wide choice. For a special treat, head to Belvedere Restaurant, where Italian fare is served on a terrace under the stars.

The Herdade da Chaminé is the passion of Marta Galvão de Mello, who turned her family’s estate into an exclusive hideaway in 2006. Located a one-and-a-half-hour drive east of Lisbon, in the mostly agrarian Alentejo region, the Herdade sits on a 214-acre property, which is planted with pine, cork and olive trees and includes three horse stables, a cattle pen and large swimming pool.

The peach-and-white-colored 17th-century main house, which is only available for full take-overs in one-week periods, is surrounded by outdoor patios and seating areas. The property was lovingly restored by de Mello, who decorated the interiors with her family’s art and antiques. A plugged-in guide, she can arrange a variety of special activities in the area, including private wine tastings at one of the 30 vineyards nearby, hot-air balloon trips, tee times, painting classes and tickets to the local Portuguese-style bullfights. If you’re not prepared to play Ernest Hemingway for the day, she can still get you to meet and have lunch with the toreadors afterwards. Families and friends traveling together should consider taking over the entire property (a private chef who specializes in regional cuisine is on site at all times).

Located in Alentejo, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova is a soulful countryside property with an emphasis on wine, excellent food and activities.

This little hotel is a true gem which was at the forefront of the new wave of Lisbon hotels at the beginning of this century. The group specializeS in heritage projects, as their name implies, and have hotels dotted around Lisbon from the Art Deco Hotel Britannia to the 18th century Solar do Castello housed in the old kitchens of the Castle St. George which dominates Lisbon’s skyline.

Bedrooms here are fuss free, wood-paneled with a color palette of earth tones. There are good working desks, comfy chaise longues and bright white tiled bathrooms with showers and Molton Brown amenities.

There is no restaurant (although they do room service) but being right in the center of town means there is no shortage of places within walking distance to eat out.

This handsome white-washed villa, topped by red clay tiles right on the edge of the ocean has long been a landmark in Cascais as the town has grown from a little fishing village to a sophisticated sea-side resort. In 1983 a new wing was added, and a terrace between them is the setting for the blue lined swimming pool. In 2000 an 18th-century Italianate palace, which sits back from the sea behind the Albatroz Hotel and contains a further six rooms, was bought as an annex. Here the rooms are period in feel with antique furniture. Décor in the main hotel comes courtesy of Portuguese designer Gracina Viterbo, who has woven her trademark yellow and jaunty blue nautical style throughout the rooms while drawing on Portuguese heritage to include hand-painted tiles in the lobby. Suites come with Nespresso machines and Clarins amenities, while rooms have soaps from Portus Cale.

The hotel’s location lends itself to days spent on the beach or lazing by the swimming pool, but the more active can borrow complimentary bikes and explore the area. There is a small gym, where from the treadmills you can see the sea, and a yoga deck.

The Bar, perched at the end of the cliff is a favorite sundowner spot. The elegant restaurant, all linen tablecloths, gleaming silver and gentle chatter, overlooks the beach and serves Portuguese cuisine. Try the grilled octopus with sweet potatoes.

These two charmingly converted townhouses, one with a beautiful glossy green-tiled facade, consist of 17 bedrooms, two suites and a tiny courtyard where breakfast is served outside in the summer. It is off the beaten track and the square with its mulberry trees—silk workers used to live in the neighboring houses—is quiet.

Inside, there is a home-from-home atmosphere with fresh flowers, polished antiques and a few works of art from owner Pedro Oliveira’s private collection. He also designed the brass wall lamps throughout the hotel. The best rooms are the two suites at the top which come with generous marble-clad bathrooms and views over both the internal courtyard and the square outside.

The bar, with an original James Bond poster, comes into its own in the evening and makes a nice place to have a drink before venturing out for dinner in one of Lisbon’s many restaurants.

Located in the heart of Porto’s downtown, Infante Sagres Palace Hotel is within walking distance of many of the city’s most fascinating neighborhoods, like the Old Town and Rua Miguel Bombarda, Porto’s hippest street. The 70-room boutique hotel is one of the most stylish lodging options in the city. The classic 1950s building features grand staircases, stained glass windows, glamorous chandeliers and dark-wood panels engraved with intricate designs. And while this foundation might paint a fairly traditional picture, the hotel packs in eccentric decorative flourishes that give it more of a contemporary mix-and-match style. Think custom lacquer light fixtures, studded headboards, abstract wallpaper and tons of gorgeous antiques.

While there are not many on-site amenities at Infante Sagres, Book, the hotel’s restaurant located in an old bookstore around the corner is a local hotspot. Everything here is an homage to the building’s literary past: Books not only line the walls but also house the restaurant’s menu. The kitchen churns out Mediterranean dishes such as cream of peas with meatballs.

The hotel’s Angkor Spa follows the property’s striking design scheme, where black walls provide the backdrop to look-at-me paintings and bronze-trimmed mirrors. It’s unexpected, for sure, but so is the fact that it can only accommodate one guest at a time, assuring unparalleled relaxation and privacy.

This is a hotel that uplifts the soul with its white on white interiors, extensive use of glass and open walls which let the sun and ocean air right into the building. The rooms are spacious and most come with a terrace where you can lie and watch the waves roll in. There are two restaurants, one on the top floor which overlooks Cascais Bay which offers Portuguese and Mediterranean food and one for lighter meals near the pool and garden.

There is easy access to the promenade beneath the hotel which makes a lovely early morning walk above the beaches.

The spa is lovely and in the summer you can have a massage outside on one of the cabanas.

Martinhal Cascais champions the concept of luxurious family vacations and makes for an ideal long weekend with children.

Martinhal Chiado captures the charm of Lisbon with an intimate size and prime location.

Boasting impeccable views, this secluded hideaway, the size of a small village, offers the very best in casual resort living. Martinhal Sagres comprises more than a hundred houses, villas and rooms, along with a spa and relaxation lawn, a kids club and beach.