Memmo Baleeira

A big beachside hotel with a minimalist décor and panoramic views, on Europe's extreme westerly point

The onetime Hotel Da Baleeira, constructed with clean lines in 1962, has become the strikingly cool Memmo Baleeira after an award-winning, Pop-Arty makeover. An oasis of calm in a scenery of sheer cliffs and crushing waves, its rooms are awash with light and ocean views. This is the first hotel venture for the young Memmo brand.

The chairs are designed by Tom Vac, the lamps by Philippe Starck, the palette is sleek - white, brown and aqua blue - and the sphere is a recurring motif: spot it in ceilings, carpets, lights and sofas. There's a big lounge-cum-coffee shop for wet days with books, comfy chairs and a huge wall TV, and balconies and terraces for superb sunsets and dazzling seas. Suites and bedrooms are spotless and inviting, the best with ocean views. Children will love the swimming pool on the terrace below, adults can chill out in the spa. Surfers have the windswept coast to discover, beachcombers have deserted sands. Steps lead down to the fishing harbour and sandy bay of Baleeira, and you can walk to the small shops and restaurants of Sagres.

Highs

• It's fabulous for crashing waves, sunsets and views
• The clean-cut décor is soothing and pleasing
• You can walk to some of the least spoiled beaches in Portugal
• There's a big pool with an ocean view
• The excellent spa has a sauna, Turkish bath and gym, with dozens of different massages and treatments on offer

Lows

• This is a large hotel - 144 rooms, and a slightly impersonal feel - but its size does mean that availability is rarely a problem
• The restaurant lacks character, and the food is good but not special
• The beaches round here are windy
• The outdoor pool isn't heated and never really warms up all season, but there's a second smaller one next to the spa
• There have been recent reports of lacklustre service
• There's a charge for beach towel laundry, as well as a refundable deposit to be paid on arrival