Areias do Seixo

Rooms

All of the accommodation options exude the same sense of natural luxury and eye-catching aesthetics.

The hotel rooms combine modern Scandinavian-inspired minimalism with Indian and Moroccan chic. Expect rich fabrics, bright colours, chaise longues, polished concrete and show-stopping lights. Each has a private patio or deck, indulgent toiletries, a wood-burning stove or fireplace, and a geothermal heating / cooling system; some have jacuzzis or tubs. There's WiFi but no TVs (unless you ask, of course). The Land Room is huge (but lacks a sea view); Love Rooms are large and particularly lovely; Tree Rooms a tad smaller (one is wheelchair accessible; a couple have the option of twin beds). All of them are stunningly original in design.

Our favourite rooms include vast Oxalá ('If Only'), with its Jacuzzi, double shower, mezzanine, and a large terrace framed by the deep blue of the Atlantic; and Nha Cretcheu , with its insanely beautiful bath, its glass lanterns suspended like tears, and its driftwood-framed bed. Both of these are Love Rooms. Of the Tree Rooms, Três Desejos (where we stayed) has a lovely lemon, cream and grey palette with clean minimal lines, a huge suspended woodburner, an antique gilded armchair, and floor-to-ceiling windows opening to a small deck with table, lawn and storm lanterns.

To get closer to nature with your loved one, grab the Pine Shelter. Set among the trees on the edge of the dunes, this is about as luxurious as glamping can be. You get a super-comfy queensize bed, a freestanding bathtub, and a cosy fire pit for romancing under the stars. Bliss.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

The hotel's restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and serves a selection of Portuguese-inspired dishes using its wood-fired oven and charcoal grill. There are also vegetarian choices, and all menus change on a daily basis according to what is available and fresh; there are a few options every day and everything we ate was delicious. Breakfast is served as a decadent buffet and includes fresh fruit, regional produce, cheeses and homemade cakes, plus eggs to order.

The hotel also has a café-bar, open from 1pm-1am, where you can order tea, homemade sweets, appetisers and snacks, and room service is on offer to all rooms. Guests are welcome to join the team every evening for a glass of wine at 7.30pm around the fire. There is also a more casual beachfront restaurant, Noah, which guests can get to using the bikes or complimentary shuttle service.

Much of the food comes direct from the hotel's organic garden. Keen foodies can enrol on a morning 'plot to plate' experience, where you'll work with the gardeners and chef to make your own lunch. They are also keen to share advice and inspiration about agriculture, fishing and local regional cooking. The on-site store sells tea, olive oil, wine and artisan products.

For a change of scene, drive out to one of the various recommended restaurants nearby: Xakra and Tasca do Joel in Peniche or Clube Naval in Assenta.

Features include:

• Bar
• Farm shop
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Relax in the hotel, walk on the beach, swim in the sea, eat in the restaurant, then take a glass of wine out to the fire circle and watch the stars in the inky sky
  
• Swim in the spa pool, then unwind in the sauna and Turkish bath - access is free. Or book a massage and pamper ritual at the spa. It specialises in Ayurvedic treatments and also does massages, facials and body treatments, as well as half-day programmes
  
• Borrow the hotel's bikes and explore independently
  
• Join a yoga class – times will be chalked up in reception
  
• Book one of the hotel's experiences. We like the look of 'Your hands in the sea', a fishing/mussel harvesting morning after which you cook your own lunch, as well as the 'plot to plate' experience working in the organic garden and kitchen. You can also do farm, spa, eco and compost experiences (most are charged extra)
  
• Head to the beach and learn to surf or paddle board at the hotel’s own surf school
  
• Spend an afternoon or evening in Lisbon. Portugal's capital is only half an hour away by car; explore the Design Museum and Gulbenkian modern art galleries, then stop for an espresso and a custard tart. Nightlife doesn't get going until gone 10pm in the city
  
• Spend an afternoon in the well-preserved walled medieval town of Obidos, 25 minutes away, with its winding streets and whitewashed houses
  
• Play golf at 1 of the 3 courses nearby: Praia D'El Rey, Bom Sucesso or Campo Real

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Plantlife / flora
• Swimming

Kids

No under 16s are allowed in the hotel.

Families may prefer to stay at Areias do Seixo Villas (sleeping 6-8), which are located just across the road from the hotel and have access to the facilities on site. There's also sister beach hotel Noah Surf House just down the road, which welcomes all ages.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Areias do Seixo is south of Peniche on the west coast of Portugal, about 45 minutes north of Lisbon.

By Air
Areias do Seixo is a 45-minute drive north of Lisbon airport, along the coast. The hotel can arrange transfers. Alternatively you can hire a car or take a taxi. The hotel is not accessible by public transport.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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