Hotel Albatroz

A grand hotel on the Estoril Riviera, with a lovely courtyard pool and terraced bar, all surrounded by beach and sea

Cascais is a fishing village once patronised by Portuguese royalty and exiled European kings, but now firmly established as Lisbon’s summer play-ground. Grand buildings rise along the beachfront, none more appealing than Hotel Albatroz. Step inside to a lost world of 1950s Riviera chic. Porters swoop upon your luggage; an ocean of marble leads to a wall of glass, beyond which a cliff-top pool glistens in enclosed gardens. The buildings wrap around an inner court: waves lap below, palms soar above, a terraced bar juts out to sea, restaurant windows give huge views down the Estoril coast.

Rooms are no less alluring. Some overlook the pool, some the sea, some the beach, some all three. Take your pick from old-fashioned splendour, airy contemporary interiors or the clipped English elegance of the next-door palace. You're in the middle of mazy streets with smart shops waiting to lighten your wallet. Glitzy Estoril is an hour's promenade away; sublime Sintra lies in the hills behind; along the coast is Cabo da Roca, Europe's westernmost point.

Highs

• Not only is this the smartest place to stay in town, but its position on a rocky headland between two beaches is matchless
• The facilities are regal: a pool, a panoramic bar and restaurant, twice-daily housekeeping, all manner of banqueting and meeting rooms
• Elegant bedrooms, most with balconies and ocean views
• It's a short hop to Pena Palace in the Sintra hills
• With the train station a short stroll away, and Lisbon a 30-minute ride, it's a genuine alternative to staying in the city

Lows

• It’s expensive; very expensive in high season
• Rooms vary enormously: they are spread over 3 buildings which vary in style and outlook (plus an additional 'villa' nearby, if these are full), but you can't specify which building you prefer, only the room category
• Late-night noise from nightclubs if you keep windows open while you sleep