Whenever we go away (whether for a full blown month-long holiday or one night away), Michael usually spends weeks (months, in some cases) researching the many different hotels in order to find some real gems and offers. Last weekend was no exception. He booked us, and our two friends, into the Farol Design Hotel located right on the Cascais seafront and boy, was it a stunning place to stay.
Easy to find and with plenty of decent parking (always one of our stipulations because Michael is car mad), we were immediately impressed with the building itself and the unique sculptures that dotted the entrance. Once inside, a number of gorgeous paintings caught my eye – all of which with price tags on them (the first one I saw was a meagre €5,000) but it was the jewellery on display that piqued my interest though (naturally) – but after seeing the price of the art, I decided not to ask any questions, which I regret now. The jewellery was quite me, in fact. Oh well. And, I didn’t take any pictures. Doh! There were also some amazing pieces of furniture on display.
Our room, on the ground floor, had a magnificent sea view and large bathroom whereas our friends’ room was situated in the eves of the old building, with multiple windows giving it stunning dual aspect views. Their bathroom, on the other hand, was quite tiny. But a beautiful room nonetheless.
The bed was quite comfortable although I had a little trouble with the pillows provided as both were a little too firm for my liking – I ended up using a satin cushion instead. I did enjoy the chocolates at bedtime though!
My favourite place throughout the hotel though, was a small ‘living room’ decked out in the most beautiful chairs which had images of some classic Hollywood stars on the back of each one, a handsome Clint Eastwood, Sophia Loren, Bridget Bardot etc.
The large overhead lights in a couple of the public areas were simply exquisite, reminding me of something rather alien-like. Speaking of aliens, I kept thinking of the War of the Worlds movie whenever someone made a cup of coffee at breakfast – the sound made by the Nespresso machine was just like the soundtrack of the film! I can’t help it, my imagination is just insane :/
Breakfast was pretty good – albeit there was little in the way of gluten-free and dairy-free options for me so I stuck with eggs and bacon followed by a little smoked salmon (delicious).
The hotel had a fabulous pool area and gardens but, given the state of the weather – rain and high winds – we didn’t spend much time out there.
With only 33 rooms, the boutique Farol Design hotel was one of my favourite places I’ve stayed at in Cascais and I hope to return again some day.
FOLLOW SUZY TURNER...
