Areias do Seixo
Costa de Prata, Portugal
The apotheosis of eco chic: a stunning hotel just 35 minutes from Lisbon, plus self-catering villas sleeping 2-7
Upmarket eco design has been around for a while, but Areias do
Seixo blows everything we’ve seen out of the water. Just
months after opening, this small hotel on Portugal’s west
coast made it on to Conde Nast Traveler (US)’s 2011 Hot List
- and it's easy to see why.
The 10 romantic rooms are blindingly unique, taking the
colours and designs of India and Morocco as a starting point, and
blending them with modern minimalism and imagination to create
beautiful colour schemes, extraordinary mod cons and irresistible
bathrooms. There are beds framed with driftwood; warm gold Chinese
cabinets; pod-like woodburners suspended from the ceilings, and
burnished silver lamps. For those wanting privacy, there are 4
self-catering villas and a penthouse, each sleeping up to
7.
There's a restaurant and bar featuring the hotel's organic produce,
a decked path leading to sand dunes and the Atlantic, an Ayurvedic
spa and an outdoor heated pool. And when you arrive, you're warmly
greeted with fresh lemongrass tea (from the garden, naturally) and
homemade cake. How better to begin your stay in one of
Europe’s most original hotels?
Reviewed by Daisy Gell
Last updated 13 April 2012
Highs
- The decor is sensational, with rich colours and textures, and stunning ultra-modern fixtures and fittings
- Eco concerns are high on the agenda, with energy monitoring, eco schemes, photovoltaic solar panels, recycling, composting and more
- Nature pervades everything - the wood and pebbles in the interior design, the pine trees and sand dunes beyond - and gives a sense of calm
- The relaxed but attentive service - put us at ease straight away
- The location is quiet and unspoilt, but you're within easy reach of Obidos and Lisbon if you need a city fix
Lows
- You'll need to hire a car to get here, or take a taxi/transfer from Lisbon
- This is a quiet part of Portugal without the many attractions of, say, the south coast
- The hotel is the destination, which is another way of saying that there isn't much to do in the neighbourhood - you'd need to drive if you wanted a change of scene, restaurant wise
- We have serious trouble pronouncing the hotel's name. How about you?
- A 2-night minimum stay at weekends and in the villas and penthouse
