The Oitavos Hotel, Portugal
Nestled between protected sand dunes ten minutes from the town of Cascais on the Lisbon coast in Portugal is The Oitavos; a five-star luxury hotel which could be mistaken for a trendy art gallery or silicon valley headquarters. It’s super cool steel and glass structure is set within 168-acres of the stunning Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, on Portugal’s West Atlantic coast.
Designed with sleek lines and elegantly simple interiors the hotel embraces rather than competes with its natural surroundings. Within, we found a unique open plan space spanning the entirety of the ground floor- encompassing the reception, shop, bars, restaurant and relaxation area. The space is intelligently divided, making it equally suitable for a couples retreat through to a wedding or corporate event.
Ape to Gentleman were guests at The Oitavos Hotel last week during the month of June and were thoroughly impressed with every aspect. The rooms are well equipped and incredibly spacious, with the bed worthy of being singled out as one of the comfiest I’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking into. Almost as memorable as the view from the balcony overlooking the Atlantic coast.
On arrival we were swiftly whisked to The Spa which features a vast balneotherapy area complete with sea-water swimming pool, a sauna, Turkish bath, and a Jacuzzi. La Beauté’s line of cosmetic products were used for our Total Body Massage with the ‘pressure’ option ticked for fifty minutes of revitalising pleasure. The hotel also offers yoga, fitness, pilates, stretching and spinning bikes. The Health & Racket Club, located a short distance from the hotel, boasts three high quality squash courts, eight tennis courts and nine padel courts.
After a quick shower (with Aromatherapy Associates products) it was time for dinner and a uniquely modern interpretation on Portuguese and International cuisine. There are three restaurants, with gastronomy from Portuguese, French and Japanese influences. We ate at the Ipsylon Restaurant & Bar within the main hotel and enjoyed a perfect combination of traditional Portuguese and French cuisine. The night was washed down with a bottle of white wine from a vineyard owned by the owners of the hotel; the Champalimaud family, and a short of Johnnie Walker Double Black to finish.
There is also the Verbasco at the Clubhouse of the Oitavos Dunes golf course, ideal for food or drinks after a round on one of the finest and best golf courses in the world; which was given the rank of 58th in the Top 100 ranking in 2015 by GOLF Magazine and ranked number 1 in Portugal. You might also prefer to relax at The Atlântico Pool Bar- an open-air poolside restaurant where everything is casual and relaxed. And finally, The Japanese Bar, offering the highest quality sushi and sashimi.
Most of our time was spent by the fantastic pool area, ‘chilling’ beneath a sun canopy while ordering and enjoying refreshing drinks in the Portuguese sunshine, soaking up the atmosphere and breathtaking views. Rooms at The Oitavos Hotel start from a very reasonable €182 per night in the mid-season, with the hotel catering best for a couples retreat, although families are certainly welcome and will have no trouble easing into Oitavos-life.
There is plenty to do at The Oitavos Hotel but if you fancy a short (hour or so) walk or taxi ride (ten minutes) into Cascais, you’ll find shops, restaurants and bars. We went to Villa Cascais for dinner, which was excellent for a change of scenery one evening- with fine food and far reaching views over the town centre, ocean and harbour.
All in all, we can’t recommend the The Oitavos Hotel enough, visit theoitavos.com for more information or Contact Us with any questions.
- Rua de Oitavos, Cascais, 2750-374, Portugal
- 00 351 21 486 0020
- theoitavos.com
