At a Glance
An historic and charming boutique hotel with a riverfront location in the Algarve’s traditional town of Vila Real de Santo António.
Indagare Loves
Review
Housed in an historic riverfront building, Grand House is a beautiful hotel in the eastern Algarve that opened in late 2019. Extensive restorations to the original building granted the property a beautiful new exterior and interior alike, and the décor reflects the building’s history, with nods to the Roaring Twenties and nautical touches. The 28 rooms and suites are all unique in size and decoration, but are universally bright and airy. For first-time visitors, the river-facing accommodations are a must, while repeat guests may find the town view rooms overlooking the red rooftops of Vila Real de Santo António more cozy and charming.
The hotel does not have direct beach access, but it’s beach club, Grand Beach Club, is just three minutes down the road and accessible via the hotel’s bikes or car. While the hotel does not have chairs set up directly on the beach, guests can use their hotel-provided smartphones to ping the concierge for a beach picnic or umbrella setup at their leisure. For those looking for a more feet-in-the-sand experience, just a few minutes past the beach club is the stunning Santo António beach. Even in the peak summer months, when Algarve is a popular vacation spot for beach lovers, Santo António beach feels spacious and uncrowded due to its tucked away and relatively undiscovered location.
Indagare Tip
Given its proximity to Spain, your phone might change time zones at random. We recommend manually setting your phone to Western European Standard Time to avoid unknowingly jumping forward an hour.
Who Should Stay
Couples or families with older children (14+) who enjoy a more off the beaten path, yet still refined, experience
Written by Paige Gordon
