Hotel Martinhal

Decadent designer hotel perched on a windswept corner of the lower Algarve, with gorgeous sea views and an endless beach

The Martinhal is like no other hotel on the Algarve. Forget golf, forget built-up, overdeveloped land and rammed beaches; this infinitely tasteful designer temple is positioned within the protected Costa Vicentina national park on the cliffy western rather than flat southern coast - in fact, on the very bottom left-hand corner of Portugal, sticking out into the Atlantic. As such, the location is fabulously unspoilt, wild and rugged - a rather bold if not unlikely setting for such a stunning contemporary hotel. But it works: this is a magical combination of luxury and nature.

The hotel has just 38 chic rooms, some in the main building, others in a cluster of private wood-clad blocks beside it, all with views of the impossibly blue ocean. Surrounding them are dozens of villas for self-catering rentals, some with private pools, as part of the resort.

There are 3 excellent, super-stylish restaurants serving variations on Portuguese food, a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by teak decking and lime-green bean bags, and a small spa with sea-inspired treatments. All is cutting-edge contemporary in style, and the place is part-owned by the people behind the former Luxury Family Hotels group, the UK collection of smart country crash-pads for stressed yummy mummies. The same thoughtfulness, flair for design and eye for detail has been applied here, but in an authentic, thoroughly modern, Portuguese setting.

Highs

• Couples seeking indulgence within a beautiful natural setting will love the hotel and its spa; and those with babies will appreciate the free cots and monitors
• Active types will be in their element: hike through the national park; stroll along stunning coastline; windsurf and surf; try deep-sea fishing
• The place feels special, untouched, out-of-the-way, yet it's only 1.5 hours from Faro
• Gorgeous interiors - a mix of Portuguese materials (local Monchique stone, cork from nearby forests) and funky extras (iPod docks, Mongolian beanbags)
• The fab local cuisine - cataplana, pasteis de nata - and impressive Portuguese-only wine list

Lows

• The hotel is part of a resort, and there are dozens of villas sprinkled about. Stylish and low-rise though they are, it all feels a bit suburban (and not very i-escape), but the upside is a wealth of facilities, including tennis courts
• Although the hotel is more geared to adults, the communal resort areas - including the hotel pool - are often rowdy with children
• Service is mixed - staff are lovely, but often too laid-back, and perhaps insufficiently trained
• Given the exposed location it can be very windy, so not ideal for beach sunbathing, and the surrounding land is bleak in places